Sunday, June 11, 2000 - “Celebrating 75 Years!”
Westminster Presents “Maybe One?” by Scott Douglas
Today we remember where we have been and we reconnect with the courage that carries us into the future. Drama is one of the ways we tell our story and we salute Scott for writing this look at the past 75 years and offer thanks to Pat Marshall and all of the actors who have worked tirelessly for months to make our celebration special.
If you would like to stay seated for any or all of the “standing” parts of the service, please feel free to do so.
Prelude
A time of silent preparation—Lighting the Christ Candle
The Sunday School & Youth leave for their classes.
Hymn #218 “We Praise You, O God” vv. 2-3
Scene One: In the Beginning
How far back should we go when speaking about our history?
Scene Two: Union Night in Canada
Few things are distinctly more Canadian than an arena. It is fitting then that the events that formalised our becoming a church should take place at an arena and that the arena metaphor be used in recapturing the spirit of that time. A familiar Tune.
Scene Three: Basis of Union Countdown
The basis of Union is the substance of the Christian faith, as commonly held by the representatives of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational branches of the Church of Christ at the time of our union. Here the Basis of Union is presented in the genre of a top 20 countdown for at our founding it was agreement about these top 20 articles of faith that enabled us to come together.
Scene Four: Controversy!
Scene Five: The Punch and Nellie Show
Some wonderful personalities have contributed to our life as a church; not the least of which was Nellie McClung. Her part in seeking the ordination of women is shared in this scene with Punch & Judy serving as the model for this reflection. If, like me, you don’t remember Punch & Judy, they are puppet characters with attitude.
Scene Six: The Depression
The Great Depression affected so many people in so many ways its portrayal is difficult to convey in a brief Scene. The image of a psychiatrist dealing with the depression of an individual symbolically speaks of the “Great Depression” experienced by so many.
Scene Seven: The Fearless Chaplain
No one in a battle torn land lives free of fear. That is as true of an Army Chaplain as a front-line Corporal.
Hymn #601 “The Church of Christ in Every Age” vv 1-3
Scene Eight: Internment
Tak Komiyama, a Japanese-Canadian minister, shares the pain of being treated as a spy although born in Canada, and for us the church, his pain was and is our pain.
Scene Nine: The Endicott Zone
Reverend James Endicott was a United Church missionary to China in 1952. He fearlessly reported the practice of American germ warfare being exacted upon the Chinese mainland. His cries for help from the international community fell upon deaf ears including those of the United Church of Canada—certainly not our finest hour.
Prayers of Thanksgiving Intercession and Lord’s Prayer.
Scene Ten: New Curriculum
In the sixties, the church offered new Sunday School curriculum, to mixed reviews.
Scene Eleven: Anglican Tango
Fifty years after church union, we again considered union, this time with the Anglican church. The dance was not without its mis-steps and the final moves were to include not the Anglican church but the Evangelical United Brethren.
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Hymn #352 “I Danced in the Morning” vv.1-2
Scene Twelve: God in a dress?!?
For some, inclusive language is not easily accepted or understood. But the church, never afraid to venture into the area of the uncomfortable and always ready to engage holistic learning, embraced the opportunity to uphold a more egalitarian model.
Scene Thirteen: Ecumenical Decade of Who is in Solidarity with What?
The Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women was meant to raise the awareness of the unique struggles of women all over the world and to inform and rally churches to engage those struggles. In retrospect, it became more a decade of women in solidarity with women and the role churches played was less than completely supportive.
Scene Fourteen: The Apology
With the leading of the Spirit and through God’s strength our church continues to respond to First Nations people. Our first heartfelt apology took place when then Moderator, The Very Reverend Robert Smith, spoke for the church at the General Council meeting in Sudbury, Ontario, in 1986. While First Nations people welcomed our apology it is not possible to evade the fact that it was very late in coming.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise God, all creatures high and low; give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word and Spirit, One.
God, as your children blessed with many gifts, we come before you with joy that we now return a portion of what has been given to us. Through Christ we pray these gifts may be used to bring hope and peace to your community. Amen.
Scene Fifteen: Say What?
The United Church has been a voice for justice and change for 75 years. Sometimes it is easy to forget how many issues we have actually helped shed light upon.
Scene Sixteen: Romeo and Eighty-eight
Of all the work we have done as a church to encourage ourselves and the world to live as people who live lives of love and justice toward our neighbours, nothing caused the media such glee and the church such introspection as the wrestling we did in 1988. This scene takes place on the floor of the General Council Meeting of 1988. Debate occurs as people speak at microphones that are numbered 1 & 2 (for this scene). The reference to the C.O.C. is to the Community of Concern.
Scene Seventeen: Fraczilla
Speaking from his heart Bill Phipps unleashed a media frenzy and concern among congregants that threatened to fracture the church. Such threats of fracture are not new nor was what Moderator Phipps had to say. As a church, we continue.
Scene Eighteen: The Big Blockbuster Finale Production Number
Hymn #510 “We Have This Ministry”
Commissioning (One)
May the Spirit bless you as water that quenches your thirst. May the Spirit bless you as fire to purify and refine; may your hearts burn with commitment and compassion. May the Spirit bless you as wind, life-giving breath that brings dry bones and dry spirits to fullness of life. May you be blessed in the name of our God—Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit.
Choral Amen
#298 “When You Walk From Here”
When you walk from here, when you walk from here. Walk with justice, walk with mercy, and with God’s humble care.
Postlude
Thought For Today
There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.
by John F. Kennedy
