We were privileged to hear from a special guest speaker, Rick Cober Bauman, Executive Director of MCC Ontario. At Westheights we have been in partnership with Mennonite Central Committee in various ways over the years, most recently with Project Give. In addition, several people at Westheights work or volunteer at MCC, or are on MCC Boards. However, what do we know about MCC? What is the message that MCC wishes to bring to the world?


A TABLE FULL OF ENEMIES

  • What is MCC? Multiplying Christian Compassion?

    Rick Cober Bauman

    Rick Cober Bauman

  • Relief, Development and Peace, in the name of Christ
  • Psalm 23 (NRSV) –The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
  • Boyhood hockey against the young men of Six Nations.
  • Surely Goodness and Mercy and other memories of Psalm 23
  • “He prepareth a table in the presence of my enemies
  • So who are my enemies?
  • One place setting is for soldiers and war veterans.
  • Are you a “pure pacifist”?
  • I cannot resent them as enemies when they return bearing battle scars on their bodies and minds.
  • Hug a veteran.
  • Wounded warriors…with invisible scars.
  • Tired of being told “you are not alone”…they need to hear “we are with you”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17-20  So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
  • If we are in Christ, if we are a new Creation, if our cup overflows with blessings, why would we not advocate for the best care for boy and girl soldiers coming back with minds and bodies smashed?
  • Maybe we should set the table at Westheights for suffering vets??
  • I think we should pray hard on this. How can we share the overflowing cup of blessing with the soldiers of war, and still do all we can through the reconciling Christ, to stop the war?
  • And then there are the Muslims.
  • There are more refugees in the world now than at any time since WW2
  • Is Westheights ready share the table with Christian or Muslim Syrian refugees?
  • Indigenous neighbours
  • Two Farmers on the Grand River
  • Peace monument or War Memorial?
  • The running over cup… It is neither half full nor half empty.
  • Because in Christ we are all new Creations, and everything has become new.

MCC logo_3135 with text

 

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