April 2011 Highlights

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    "Inside Out" magazine

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 A Word from Our Minister

Dear friends,
Did you know that Mark's Gospel has two endings?  The shorter one concludes with these words:
 
"So they went out and fled from the tomb for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid" (16:8)

According to Mark (believed by most scholars to be the earliest gospel) the initial reaction to Jesus’ resurrection was terror and fear!  Why?  Perhaps it is because death brings comfort to us as well as grief.  Even though there is sorrow and regret, at least you can count on the finality of death.  There is no other recourse but to make your peace with it.  However, what if death is not an absolute?  Break the finality of death and other finalities of life start to crumble away as well.  The comfort, from firmly held conviction, that life is a fixed and closed system is also called into question.  If in Christ’s resurrection death really is defeated, then reality is open to possibilities, dimensions, and new worlds that are not ours to possess and control.  It is small wonder then that the earliest gospel account of Easter ends not in joy but terror.
However, Mark's Gospel has a longer ending as well. The hypothesis is that the early church was not content with the author’s abrupt and dark ending.  Therefore, subsequent editors buried the terror of resurrection beneath a number of verses full of promise and miracle:

"And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by signs that accompanied it" (16:20)

The new ending transforms the resurrection narrative so that it moves from "terror" to "good news" from saying "nothing to anyone" to "proclaiming the good news everywhere".
I think that, as its stands now, Mark's Gospel tells us something of how we grow into the meaning of resurrection.  If all we do is sing, pray, and preach in a joyful and celebratory manner, then we have not grasped the radical nature of resurrection.  First we need to know the terror of resurrection.  For it is terror to every closed and absolute form of belief!  It is a terror to all final ideologies, oppressive statements that prevent us from striving for a more just and compassionate world.  If death truly is defeated - and the Christian Gospel proclaims that it is - then every force related to death is equally insecure: oppression, war, hatred, prejudice and all the other evil constructs of meaning that we have assembled.   
Do you catch a glimpse?  From terror to joy, silence to proclamation; this is the movement of the Easter journey.  It is the journey that moves from closed finality to endless possibility; from the fetters of death to the dawn of new life.  So be it.

In shared Ministry,

Jeff  

A Word from Our Interim Assistant Minister

Caregiving for the Future of the Church

For a month or so now, more than twenty people have been training in Lay Pastoral Care under the direction of Diana Veenstra and Rod Ferguson. For some, this training will involve an intense 10 hours plus of reading. For some others, it will continue an additional forty hours and much more reading. The trainees have learned about and practiced the recognition and encouragement of the expression of feelings as an essential caregiving tool; another session emphasized active listening as a way to be fully present to care receivers. They have studied the quite difficult task of using a process-oriented approach to caregiving (as opposed to a results-oriented approach). A process-oriented approach focuses on the present and what the care receiver can do now to care, understanding that only God can provide the cure. They will also examine the boundaries that must be kept for effective care as well as the absolute necessity of confidentiality to maintain and develop trust. All of this is done in an attitude of grace, respect, love and non-judging. Of course, much more goes into the training of Stephen's Ministers.

Why go through all of this? Supporters of Lay Pastoral Care and the Stephen's programme are convinced that enabling people to recognize their gifts and empowering the use of those gifts is essential for the church of the future. In this way, the church truly becomes the living body of Christ - members serve one another and reach out to the world with Christ’s love. With this visionary focus, faith becomes active, people are empowered, ministry is multiplied and the church moves safely and confidently toward the promise of the future.

In the past, the congregation's structured caregiving was the sole purview of the pastoral staff and the Session. The Session's on-going care of people is essential and must continue, but elders are seldom prepared for the on-going extended care that people in critical situations require. Moving into the future, trained lay people expand the amount of quality caregiving ministers and elders can provide, and thus expand expressions of the love of Christ in the world. In the past, pastors ministered and lay people received ministry. The minister was the main "player". Moving into the future, the minister is a "player-coach", both ministering and equipping lay people for ministry. Lay people aren't sitting on the sidelines – they are actively involved in ministry. People who are equipped for ministry find it energizing and are highly motivated to serve.

The Bible casts a vision in which all believers employ their gifts in significant ministry for God's people. Let's join in by welcoming the programme and share the vision.

Rod Ferguson

 Kirk Session

The congregation's Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011. 
Following a delicious dinner organized by the Guild and a toe-tapping peformance of a Scott Joplin rag, presented by Jonathan Oldengarm (photo left), the meeting began.
A brief verbal report was presented on behalf of the Kirk Session.  This was followed by a special presentation to Ruling Elder Robert Ayers in appreciation of his twenty-five years of service as an Elder.  Two other Elders also celebrate important milestones this year – David Christiani, who has been an Elder for twenty-five years and Bruce Williams, who has served for thirty-five years.

A brief verbal report was presented on behalf of the Kirk Session.  This was followed by a special presentation to Ruling Elder Robert Ayers in appreciation of his twenty-five years of service as an Elder.  Two other Elders also celebrate important milestones this year – David Christiani, who has been an Elder for twenty-five years and Bruce Williams, who has served for thirty-five years.

Written reports were handed out from the Kirk Session, the Ministry, Worship and Music, Outreach and Communications committees along with those from the W.M.S. and the Guild.  Instead of having all these reports read, Bruce Bolton presented an entertaining slide presentation highlighting the many activities that took place over the last year.

The report of the Committee to Elect New Elders was presented and the following seven persons were elected.  They will be ordained during the morning Worship Service on Sunday, April 17th, and everyone is encouraged to attend to show their support.
Elizabeth Austin is originally from Nova Scotia but has been living in Montreal with her husband, David, for more than 30 years.  Her background is in teaching, sales and marketing.  She felt immediately at home at our Church three years ago and this resulted in her becoming a member.  Elizabeth is the editor of our monthly Electronic Newsletter.
Raymond Brassard is the Executive Editor at The Gazette where he has worked as an editor for the past 28 years.  A former member at Erskine and American United Church, he became a member of our church four and a half years ago.  He was recruited almost immediately to edit InsideOut which he has been doing with Jenny Schumacher since January, 2007.  He is also a member of the Communications Committee and served on the Search Committee that brought our Minister, Jeff Veenstra, to our church.
Sharon Dworzak has been active in the congregation for a number of years and with her husband Art, has made significant contributions to our church.  As Coordinator of our Church School, Sharon is well known and appreciated by many families as she works tirelessly at building and nurturing our future congregation.
Scott Feltham, his wife Janet, with their two children Henry and Charlotte worship with us on a regular basis.  Scott came to us from Erskine and American United Church where he was an Elder.  He is a member of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and is well respected by his colleagues there.  For the past several years, Scott has actively contributed and is still contributing as a long-standing member of the Worship and Music Committee.  He served on the last Search Committee for the Director of our music program.
Sheila Jacob, her husband Abraham, and their daughters Elizabeth and Sonia are one of our Church School families.  Sheila is a busy pediatrician.  Despite this, she is an active Teacher in the Church School and contributes as a member of the Ministry Committee.
Brian Merrett married his wife Lucinda in our church fifteen years ago and both have been very active members of our congregation.  Brian has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees and has contributed to and is still involved in the Outreach Committee.  He participated in bringing Kiza Joey to Montreal and is presently working with PWS&D to assist the needy in Pakistan.  He served on the Search Committee that brought our Minister, Jeff Veenstra, to our church.  A photographer, he is working with William Stavert on a book which will document our church's stained glass windows.   
Suzanne Reny and her husband Alan, both enthusiastic volunteers, have been with us since 2003.  Suzanne is well known to many of our congregation via the Ushering Committee.  She serves on the Worship and Music Committee and also served on the Search Committee that brought our Minister, Jeff Veenstra, to our church.  She is also known to provide nurture to many of our students as she is the Convenor of the Student Lunches.  With husband Alan, she is quick to respond to pleas for help when and where needed.
Following the election of new Elders, the Board of Trustees presented their reports including the Chairman's Report and the report of the Treasurer.  Five new Trustees were elected – Jane Bracewell, Ian Edwards, Diane Ellison, Christopher Powell and Kaaren Wallis.

Jeff Veenstra (see photo left to right: Rod Ferguson, Jeff Veenstra), our Minister, expressed his thanks for the warm welcome he and his family had received from the congregation and encouraged people to complete the Stewards by Design survey which is available through the office or on the internet.
We invite you to fill it out on line - just click here
The meeting concluded with the singing of "The day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended" and the Benediction given by our Minister.

Music

On Palm Sunday, April 17th at 3:00 p.m. we journey along the Stations of the Cross.  At the start of Holy Week, organist Jonathan Oldengarm teams up with Radio Canada host Mario Paquet to present this ancient Christian tradition in music and poetry.
Paquet will read French poet Paul Claudel's (1868-1955) powerful, mystical poem cycle Le Chemin de la Croix in alternation with Oldengarm's playing of Marcel Dupré's (1886-1971)  (photo on the right) eponymous cycle of fourteen remarkable improvisations.  
These were originally created in response to Claudel’s poetry.  (Incidentally, Dupré, one of the world's most famous organists of his generation, played at least twice here at St. Andrew and St. Paul in the 1930s.) 

On Friday, April 22nd, our choir will collaborate with the stellar I Musici de Montréal chamber orchestra in a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem, KV 626.  To hear a movement of the Requiem, click here.
Our Conductor, Jordan de Souza, makes his I Musici debut in this mixed concert of orchestral and choral music.
Tickets will be on sale in the Narthex after Sunday services at a special discounted rate of $30 (regular tickets at the door will be at the $40+ range).
And in review: on Sunday, March 20th hundreds of people filled the church to hear the Choir and Baroque Orchestra of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul present George Frideric Handel's Messiah, probably the best-loved oratorio ever written.  The musicians were all in top form and Rev. Veenstra presented a deeply meaningful meditation.  Composed in just over three weeks in 1742, Messiah was written for a benefit performance at Dublin’s Foundling Hospital.  At that time, 400 pounds were raised, allowing 142 men freedom from debtors' prison.  This time around, several thousand dollars were raised to support Reachout with Music, the church's new musical venture in the broader community. Kudos to all involved and warmest thanks to the donors who gave such generous support.

Jonathan Oldengarm,
Director of Music