Editorial: Forward progress

January 24, 2019 Editor Opinion

Heritage in South Dundas was a hot-button issue during the 2018 municipal election. Contentious issues surrounding the Forward House and Carman House dominated the past council’s agenda for most of the year. With the dust settled, work has begun to put words into action with the present council.

The Historical Society of South Dundas presented to municipal council last week information about the group, and its planned first project: the stabilization and eventual restoration of the Forward House.

A few items stand out from the historical society’s presentation. One was a sensible and reasonable request for access to the building in order to assess its condition and needs. Members of the group want to look at, document, and even bring in independent people with a background in dealing with historic buildings. A second opinion, disconnected from any of the emotional ties is always valuable.

The group also stated it was actively pursuing what grants and funding are available for this type of project. There was no financial request to be made of the municipality. The group was not seeking funds. It may in the future, but the historical society members understand there is money available outside of South Dundas to assist in this project.

The most important item from the presentation was the group’s vision for the project. The group hopes to pay tribute to the old village of Iroquois, the Seaway project, and the effects of the Seaway project across South Dundas. This vision is important as it commemorates the shared history of South Dundas. It takes in the nearly complete relocation of Iroquois, the destruction of Morrisburg’s downtown and waterfront, and the impact of the flooding all along the St. Lawrence shoreline. The historical society’s project may be physically located in Iroquois, but it definitely is not just about one village or area.

The response from around the council table was very welcome to the presenters. All five members, who had during the election said they supported looking at Forward House during the October campaign, again stated their support. The request for access was easily approved.

This is a positive step forward for preserving and promoting the heritage of South Dundas. It is a hopeful indication of the forward progress still to come.

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Loyal for Life

My CFL football team, the Edmonton Eskimos, is in the cellar. My hockey team, the Oilers, is doing slightly better, but hardly, standing at three wins, seven losses, and one overtime win (at the time of writing).

Nevertheless, I’m a huge fan of both teams. Always have been. As a kid I’d bike about 20 km to watch the Eskies in their training camp outside of town and go to every game I could. Then when the Oilers came along as a WHA team, I jumped on the that bandwagon as well. I remember watching Gretsky before he was famous; well, at least, before he was in the NHL.

I guess I’ll be an Eskimos and Oilers fan for life, no matter how they do. My loyalty runs deep.

I have another loyalty however that runs far deeper, and is rather more important. It’s to God. 

As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t ever have a ‘poor season.’ When I compare his wins to his losses, he always comes out ahead. Personally I don’t think there’s anyone else in his league.

Nevertheless, having said that, it seems that he’s getting a lot of bad press lately. He gets blamed for the mess we’re making of the world. He is seen as irrelevant and unnecessary. We’re told it’s silly to believe in him, even dumb and unscientific. The Bible and its standards are seen as out-dated and too restrictive. Even people who once believed or went to church are giving up on him.

It reminds me of a story in the Bible that I preached on recently in John 6. The huge crowd that had been following Jesus slowly began to leave. Some disliked what Jesus said. Others just wanted a free lunch, and when Jesus didn’t come through, they left. When most of the crowd took off, Jesus turned to his few remaining followers and asked if they wanted to leave as well. Their answer? No way. “You have the words of eternal life.” They were loyal to the end. Why? Because in Jesus they found what they could find no place else.

I like that. I can relate. Over the years there have been things about God I don’t get. There are things I don’t even particularly like. 

Yet, I and many others, will remain loyal to the end. The reason is simple. It’s because we found something in Jesus that we can’t find anywhere else.

Like love, I mean, real love. I’m a pretty flawed human being. I’m surprised by the nasty things I say. I’m shocked by my impatience. I blush at some thoughts I entertain. Yet, the amazing thing is despite all this crud in my life, God loves me just the same, unconditionally, like no one else ever could. So how can I help but be loyal?

Besides, since coming to know him by faith in Christ, he’s changed my life. No, he didn’t wave a magic wand and make everything perfect. I wish. 

But what he did was give me a deep sense that all is well. That I belong to him. That the big questions of life are answered; that the big issues of life are resolved. That after this life is over, there’s heaven. Once again, how can I help, but be loyal?

So, in this day when loyalty to God is being challenged, when people are looking elsewhere for the answers to life, my question is: Where else would you go? Who else “has the words of eternal life?” Who else will love us perfectly? Who else has the power to heal our broken lives? Once we personally discover what God can do in our lives, we’ve got no choice but to be loyal for life..

Pastor Clarence Witten

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January 11, 2012 Editor Opinion

 

Today I’m writing this as I sit at the table of a retreat house in Memphis, TN where the weather is a balmy 20 degrees Celsius. The sun has been shining and I have been doing some post-Christmas reflecting.  Here is where I come for refreshment and renewal after a hectic Christmas season. Here is where I make every effort to renew my spirit and refill my cup so that I can give my best to the people whom I serve in my parish and beyond.

Part of my retreat is to examine what it is that I have done to make myself as tired and depleted as I have felt. My spiritual director is good at pulling from me the “other” stuff that wears me out and how to establish good ways to serve God and the parish so that doesn’t continue to happen.

We have been looking at all of this with the help of a book written by Joan Chittester called “The Monastery of the Heart.”

In her book Chittester says, “Retreat time is the practice of making personal time for the kind of spiritual time that is beyond the routine of religious practices or spiritual duties.” In other words, what we need to do is take time away from our everyday activities and pay attention to God and how God is at work in our lives – even if for only a few minutes in our day.

When we make time for God in our daily lives – and I mean intentional time, then we will find ourselves refilling our cups, renewing our spiritual selves and we will be refreshed.

As you find your way through 2012, take time for God every day. Learn what it is that makes you renewed and refreshed. Move through the coming days with joy and peace with God by your side.

See you tomorrow when I get home. Do you think that you can manage a 20 degree day for me?

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