Knox Reader - 2020 November

Spring 2020

.

Stories from Knox Presbyterian Church

.

Fall 2020 Stories from Knox Presbyterian Church

Looking Forward With Hope: The Next 200 Years

Celebrating 200 years of Knox

THE KNOX READER

A TIMELINE OF KNOX’S HISTORY / MARGARET ZHONG

3

ILLUMINATING LOVE IN TIMES OF DARKNESS / BELLA ZHANG

5

PROMISE OF THE FUTURE / MARIA GABANKOVA

8

IN CHRIST WE FIND HOPE AND PEACE / JANE WANG

12

KNOX BOOK CLUBS: BEING A CHURCH IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE / JEAN KADENHE, NISH ANDREWS & PATRICK TWADDLE

15

TANIA BLOKHUIS

SAMMY CHIN

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

SAMANTHA MUDIAPPAHPILLAI GRAPHIC DESIGNER

KAREN-LUZ SISON

MARIA GABANKOVA

MARGARET ZHONG

STAFF SUPPORT

ARTIST

COPYEDITOR

JEAN KADENHE

BELLA ZHANG

JANE WANG

WRITER

WRITER

WRITER

PATRICK TWADDLE

NISH ANDREWS

YANA EUNJIN LEE

WRITER

WRITER

ILLUSTRATOR

Interested in joining the team? Email reader@knoxtoronto.org.

KNOX READER

1

THE KNOX READER CONTRIBUTORS

IN THIS ISSUE

The cover is inspired by a vision and hope for Knox to continue to ourish and grow as the body of Christ into the next 200 years. The vines and branches coming out of the newly renovated Knox Presbyterian Church building and the translucent, expanding layers on the building portray how the church continues to grow and blossom and bear fruit. I am also reminded of the words of Jesus:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

—John 15:5

“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” —1 Corinthians 3:7

I hope and pray that the Knox community continues to abide, bear fruit, and give glory to our Saviour for blessings and growth in the coming generations!

—Yana Eunjin Lee

LOOKING FORWARD WITH HOPE The strangeness of marking Knox’s 200th anniversary during a year of such immense upheaval has not escaped any of us. This year has been unlike any year in Knox’s history. We’ve gathered with our families and roommates—or worshipped alone—in our living rooms, passing the peace via YouTube chat and text message instead of hugs and handshakes. We’ve prayed for community members who have lost their jobs, or caught the COVID-19 virus. We’ve said goodbye to beloved pastoral sta .

And we’ve asked some fundamental questions about what it means to be the church in this moment: how do we worship, and how do we care for each other in the face of illness and uncertainty, when we can’t gather in person?

While it’s strange to be commemorating 200 years of Knox during this time, there’s so much hope and promise to be found in looking back at our history. Although we don’t know what the future holds, we know that God will sustain his church, and carry out his work through us, just as he has done for the past 200 years. As the Knox Reader team, our goal was to permeate this issue with that hope, o ering encouragement during this year of change. Our prayer is that—as you absorb the lovely illustrations, interviews, and re ections in this issue—you will be lled with hope for Knox’s future.

—Tania Blokhuis, Editor-in-Chief

THANK YOU The Reader team saw some signi cant change this year as well, with long-time editor Jessica Denniss stepping down to focus on writing her thesis, and with Karen-Luz Sison stepping in as sta lead while Samantha Mudiappahpillai went on parental leave. A huge thank you to Jess for her gentle leadership and commitment to excellence as she served as lead editor for the team over the past six years. And thank you also to Karen-Luz, whose social media skills, enthusiasm, and commitment to the team shaped the past couple issues of the Knox Reader.

ff

ff

fi

fi

ff

fl

FALL 2020

fl

FROM THE EDITOR

ON THE COVER

2

A Timeline of Knox’s History COMPILED BY MARGARET ZHONG

Sketch of original church building.

1822 The first church building opens at the intersection of Queen and Bay Streets on land donated by the Ketchums.

1823 Rev. James Harris is inducted as the first minister of The Presbyterian Church of York.

1844 A majority of St. Andrew’s Church votes to remain with the Church of Scotland. A minority from St. Andrew’s Church joins with the Presbyterian Church of York to form Knox Presbyterian Church (Knox Church).

1961 The Fellowship Centre, which includes the gym, bowling alley, kitchen, choir room, and chapel, opens.

3

KNOX READER

The original Queen Street building in 1847.

1847–1848 The original Queen Street building burns down and is rebuilt.

1888 The Goforths leave for missions work in China, where they stay until 1935.

1871 The Duchess Street Mission is established as an outreach ministry of Knox Church, serving the working-class population. The Mission hosts worship services, sewing classes for girls, and a youth club, and remains in operation until 1911.

The Simpsons department store fire, with Knox Church in the background.

1895 The Simpsons department store fire destroys the Knox Church steeple.

Knox Church under construction in 1907.

1899 Knox Church applies for legislation to sell the Queen Street property and move elsewhere.

1907–1909 The new schoolhouse and church on Spadina Avenue opens with minister Dr. Alexander Brown Winchester.

1904 The Queen Street property is sold to Simpsons, and the Spadina Avenue site is purchased.

1913 Evangel Hall Mission is founded and supported by Knox Church to provide outreach to recent immigrants and low-income families.

1925 Churches in Canada merge to become the United Church of Canada. Knox Church decides to stay Presbyterian.

1965 The Queen Mother attends a service at Knox Church for the retiral of the Toronto Scottish Regiment flags.

1995 Dr. John Vissers is inducted as the first Canadian-born senior minister at Knox Church.

2003 A new contemporary format is adopted for the evening church service.

2005 Women are inducted as elders of Knox Church for the first time.

2012 Rev. Phil Reinders is called to Knox Church.

2018 Sanctuary renovations are completed.

Further plans for development of the Knox property continue to unfold . . .

This rendering from early on in the process captures one idea for future development.

FALL 2020

4

Illuminating Love in Times of Darkness Smile Thanapattheerakul Bella at Van Gogh Exhibit on August 10, 2020 5 KNOX READER

PHOTO

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” —John 8:12 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” —1 John 4:8 “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” —John 12:35–36

In our modern world, the word “love” is o en overused and misunderstood. Love is a fantasized term that we associate with mystery and romance. When I Google “love,” the rst phrase that pops up is “Love is blind.” Today, there are countless teachings about how to nd and receive love, many centering on our personal happiness. Some of these teachings help people achieve a mutually satisfying relationship. Other teachings convey and promote the idea of sabotaging others to achieve what we want. It is no surprise that there is no lack of mind games, toxicity, abuse, confusion, and broken hearts in modern relationships.

Is love blind? Does love make us blind? Or can love be illuminating?

The scripture says that God is love (1 John 4:8), and God is light (1 John 1:5). If God is who he says he is, love and light are inseparable, pointing to God himself. In Isaiah 42, God promises:

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

—Isaiah 42:16

Hasn’t God opened the eyes of our hearts, enabling us to see his glory, leading us out of darkness and into light?

As Christians, it is important to grow in love, walking in light and cultivating the love that honours God and illuminates others. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31). What does it look like to love our neighbours?

Love is highly multifaceted and takes on various forms:

• It is a noun: a daily decision, a commitment, a highly valued virtue, and a fruit of the spirit.

• It is a verb: an action or service that seeks to nurture, protect, and build up the other.

• It is an adverb: we are called to do everything in love and out of love.

The most famous Biblical de nition of love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8:

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

The Bible has interestingly put “Love is patient, love is kind” before all other attributes. Patience and kindness both embody sel essness and mercy. Patience with others indicates that we delay our needs and wants for the sake of the other person. We wait for the right timing prayerfully, proactively, con dently, expectantly, and joyfully. Kindness is a genuine posture of considering and meeting others’

fi

ft

fi

fi

fi

fl

FALL 2020

6

Need-love cries to God from our poverty; Gi -love longs to serve, or even to su er for, God; Appreciative love says: “We give thanks to thee for thy great glory.”

Need-love says of a woman, “I cannot live without her”; Gi -love longs to give her happiness, comfort, protection—if possible, wealth.

Gi -loves are really God-like; and among our Gi loves those are most God-like which are most boundless and unwearied in giving. All the things the poets say about them are true. Their joy, their energy, their patience, their readiness to forgive, their desire for the good of the beloved all this is a real and all but adorable image of the Divine life. In its presence we are right to thank God “who has given such power to men.”

Loving is not always easy. There are seasons in which loving is more challenging. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are collectively going through a dark time.

Missed adventures, lost jobs, cancelled ights, closed borders, delayed celebration, remote work, online church services, and masked faces . . . the list goes on. This pandemic has impacted us all. The visible and invisible constraints feel like walls forcing us to stay in a “cage.” Life feels slow, motionless, and seems to be going nowhere. It is hard. In this season, we can easily be preoccupied with attending to our own needs. With our masked faces, it is easy to cast a cold eye to those in dire need and walk away.

Easier than ever, we can nd more excuses not to serve others in the community and the global church.

“I am su ering inside. How can I care for others?”

“I may lose my job anytime. I need security for mysel ”.

“It is not safe to go outside and meet people. Let everyone gure out their own life.”

f

ft

ff

ft

fl

fi

ff

fi

ft

fl

KNOX READER

fi

ft

ff

ft

ft

7

fi

needs without hoping for anything in return. Truly, love is not self-seeking—it starts with the best interest of the other person in mind and builds on the foundation of grace and wisdom.

Amy Carmichael, a Christian missionary in India said, “You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.” Love intends to illuminate others with the gi of warmth, grace, purity, edi cation, and goodness. In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis discussed the di erences between need-love and gi -love:

“I can’t live like this anymore. Lord, have mercy. Let 2020 be over soon! Let everything return to normal!”

Few in our generation have been through a pandemic before; this is new to all of us, including pastors, professors, policy-makers, and healthcare professionals. No one really knows what will happen in the coming weeks, months, or years, but one thing will continue to hold true: God is sovereign, and he is at work in this season. I believe this is a season for his glory, church renewal, and our growth. We can and should cry to God, but let’s not stop there. We can acknowledge our pains, take courage, and seek out creative opportunities to serve and shine.

William L. Watkinson preached in “The Invincible Strategy” sermon, “Yet it is far better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” As children of light, who have the light of life dwelling in us, let us not allow the darkness of this time to diminish the light within us.

Peter urges us, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

The darker the times are, the more brightly love illuminates.

Brothers and sisters, let us continue to be faithful and shine forth ever more brightly in the times of darkness. There are many simple things that we can do to extend that love to others, like checking in with a shy and isolated friend, starting an online connect group, supporting charities nancially, or picking up groceries for seniors.

In this season, what does God expect of you? What is he calling you to? Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5: 14–16). Truthfully, love is not blind. It sees. It sees the brokenness and fallenness of this world but still chooses to love with boldness and courage.

Church, As we look forward to the next 200 years and more, May we continue to be the love that illuminates each other, May we re ect the Light that shines in the darkness, Let us go, and illuminate the world. +

BY MARIA GABANKOVA

The last issue of the Reader featured Maria Gabankova’s beautiful sketches of some of Knox’s long-time members. In this issue, we have included Maria's sketches of some of Knox’s newest members, along with thoughts from their parents on raising the next generation of Knox. Maria re ects: “It was an exciting and joy- lled time I spent during the summer months working on portrait sketches of some children at Knox Church for the Reader. Looking closely at their faces I appreciated how each child is totally unique and already showing their personality by displaying an amazing range of expressions, from very strong to most subtle. I love drawing from life—it is one of the ways I can appreciate the riches and wonders of God’s creation.

For this I am very thankful.”

Find more of Maria’s artwork at www.paintinggallery.ca.

PHOTO Annie Spratt on Unsplash

fl

FALL 2020

fi

Promise of the Future

8

SYLVIA AND EZRA Parents: Sam and Chris Mudiappahpillai

Sylvia and Ezra are still little, but we try our best to incorporate prayer, especially through saying or singing grace at meals to give thanks to God. And as they grow and experience things, we try to engage them with the reality of God’s presence in their lives. For instance, trying to convince Sylvia that she can pray to Jesus for comfort if she has a bad dream. It’s hard to tell at age two what’s sinking in, though!

When we consider our own faith journeys, our families’ deep involvement in church was an important part of our lived understanding and reckoning of who Jesus is and what the Gospel means. Our hope for raising our kids within the church community is similar: that they’d have a place to regularly experience the living out of the Gospel.

Church also forms our extended family of support and love for our kids. It’s been a privilege so far to have so many trusted people, aunties and uncles, to love our kids and witness their lives as they grow. It’s been challenging not to have this during the pandemic!

KNOX READER

9

EDEN Parents: Jon and Yenny Dykeman

Since Eden was inside the womb, we prayed for her and spoke some Bible verses to her. When Jon and I do our morning prayer, sometimes she joins us (kind of). We pray together, of course, before each meal and before bedtime. I also say some Bible verses to her before bedtime. I was in the middle of praying with Eden one time and she started saying that she is afraid of spiders.

It was really cute and amazing how she wants to bring this into our prayer time before God. We also read some children’s Bible storybooks to her.

JONAS Parents: Ali and Paul Derksen

We were both blessed to grow up in faithful families and we want the same for our children. We do our best to model our faith at home and demonstrate God’s love, but we need community to help us in the journey. That’s where church comes in for us—we want Jonas and Naomi to also be discipled by the wonderful friends we have at Knox. As our community grows and changes over the next few years, we pray that this is one key way that our children (and we) will continue to get to know Jesus through the inspiring witness of our church family.

FALL 2020

10

MYLES AND LIAM Parents: Morgan and Ian Miya-Yorke

We have always believed in the adage, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In raising our children, we are acutely aware of how many people are involved in their upbringing. There are so many important aspects of having them grow up in a church community, but to highlight one, I would say prayer. Knowing that they are held close in prayer by so many in the Knox community—and more importantly, Myles and Liam know that too—has, and will continue to leave, a lasting impact!

We tend to let them take the lead on [talking about God]. Often one of them will ask a question or make a comment that opens up the opportunity for a good conversation around belief, faith, living life as a good person and as a follower of Jesus. I think that more than talking is seeing us and other people live good lives and try to follow the teachings. +

11

KNOX READER

In Christ We Find Peace and Hope

BY JANE WANG

The past months have been a challenge for the Knox community. In the midst of a global pandemic, each of us is reminded of our vulnerability and dependence on God. We cannot meet in person as a congregation, we cannot sing and worship together as a choir, we cannot pray together as we share our sorrow and joy—and how we long for this connection! However, we have still found shared experiences of digital worship, as well as opportunities to slow down and listen to our Saviour—Jesus Christ.

The Knox worship team in particular has brought us together in new and creative ways, leading us each week and creating beautiful choral renditions to mark occasions like Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day. The Knox choir has long served a role of leading communal worship throughout Knox’s 200-year history, and has continued to do this from afar during this pandemic. Curious to hear from my choir fellows about how their faith has shaped their personal relationship with Christ and communal leadership in times of chaos, grief, and isolation, I reached out to them for their re ections, and some of them graciously accepted to be interviewed via email. Their thoughtful answers re ected a few di erent themes:

ON LEARNING MORE ABOUT JESUS AND DISCOVERING NEW TERRITORY IN OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Kristen: As I have been faced with the profound su ering of the world around me and my own helplessness to x anything, learning to sit with God in discouragement, disappointment, pain—even rage—of it all has been

fi

ff

ff

fl

fl

FALL 2020

12

profoundly impactful for me. I picked up theologian SoongChan Rah’s book Prophetic Lament as the pandemic was starting and—along with reading Lamentations through—it became a masterclass for me in the practice of lament. I have had some very sweet but vulnerable times with God over these past months where all I could do was simply cry my prayers in his presence. I think this has given me greater courage to tell God the whole truth of what is broken and hurting in myself and in the world around me.

Lance: With nowhere to go and not much to do, I feel that the only way to get through the crisis is to lean on Jesus and ask for his guidance. Reading Scripture in my Bible study group and observing the Sabbath in particular have been fundamental in helping me keep my focus on Jesus and not lose hope. Through times of Sabbath, Jesus is showing me the most important things in this earthly life of mine: friendship, family, love, health, charity. All the frivolous things of this world don't seem to matter as much as they used to, and that's a good thing . . . The COVID-19 pandemic has shown me not only that life can change in an instant, but it has also reminded me that the Lord's faith and love for me will remain forever constant.

Karen: As a home church we are studying K. Shigamatsu’s book, Survival Guide for the Sou, and we have committed to increasing our times of Sabbath . . . Since there are fewer distractions during lockdown, [I nd I have] lots of time for long walks with added moments to pray.

ON FINDING NEW WAYS TO WORSHIP AND EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY

Lance: This "new" form of digital worship has been particularly rewarding for me because it's given me a new opportunity to serve the Lord and enhance my musical gi s. The rst time I played a worship service for a live stream, I was extremely nervous: no congregational energy to feed o of, just a camera . . . It's a challenge that excites me. I think God has given Knox a wonderful opportunity to enhance the gi s of our community . . . Most importantly, Jesus is allowing us a way to be a part of the Knox community, even if we are not physically in the church space. Worshipping God is not about being in a church building—it’s about being with God. Karen: I really like seeing friends from all over the world on the chat during the digital worship services!

ft

fi

ff

ft

ft

fi

KNOX READER

fi

ft

ff

fi

ft

13

Kristen: I really miss hearing the community singing together in worship; and not being able to physically break bread together for several months is hard. That being said, I have been encouraged by some of the opportunities digital worship has opened up and how God is using it for his kingdom despite its limitations. One of those opportunities is the expanded reach of our ministry. O en on a Sunday morning, we nd ourselves worshipping with people all over the world! Some of the people that tune in have been estranged from church, or are part of our church but have moved away, or are missionaries we dearly love but only see maybe once a year. When I consider this fruit of our livestream services, I am reminded that we serve a God who "works all things together for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). Though the pandemic rages on, God is at work in our midst!

ON COPING WITH ISOLATION AND FINDING REST IN SOLITUDE

Kristen: For myself, learning to push through the unbearable spaciousness of isolation has been a fruitful spiritual practice. I think it's on the other side of this pain that we nd a fruitful version of isolation: solitude. It's in solitude that I am able to set aside my distractions and quiet my thoughts so that I can hear the still small voice of God. It's here that I realize—o en very uncomfortably—that my constant busy-ness serves the need I have to feel valuable, productive, or needed. When I am alone, I have nothing le but my being to o er to God, and the question of "am I enough?" inevitably rises to the surface. That is unbearable because I fear the answer is going to be "no."

But, if I am able to stay in that moment long enough, I move through isolation into solitude where I can hear the voice of God. It is here that I learn the deepest truest answer to that unbearable question: "You are beloved." I think that's what Jesus went into the wilderness to hear, and I think it's what we all need to hear if we are willing to get quiet, still, and vulnerable enough to listen.

Lance: It's important that one knows how to just be with God, because we will all eventually go through times where we won't have people around us and we have to be able to turn to him . . . It is uncomfortable and disheartening to have to keep your distance from people . . . On the other hand, Jesus is showing me through this quarantine that it's important to honour and treasure the relationships he has given, because they can change at any time. If I feel

depressed or unhappy, I remember that he has poured an endless river of loving and supportive people in my life, who can help me pick myself back up again. It's because of the Lord that I am able to survive isolation from humans: because I have my heavenly Father to clothe me with his love and protection.

ON FINDING ENCOURAGEMENT IN SCRIPTURE

Kristen: Lamentations 3:19–26 lies right in the middle of the book, forming a sort of climax to what is really an unbearably painful poem of grief. These verses are honest about the pain the poet is enduring (v.19–20) but they also declare their courageous hope in the goodness of God in the midst of su ering (v. 21–23). Finally, they call us to continue to wait for God to intervene on our behalf when we are powerless to save ourselves (v. 24–26). I hope to

learn to live and pray like this throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Karen: Psalm 91:2–4 [o ers the] comforting idea of being protected by God’s “wings.” Romans 8:18–39 [which reminds us that “our present su erings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”] also gives me hope.

As we continue to cope with the pandemic, I want to end this interview piece with Psalm 23:1–2, which has guided me through ups and downs in my life journey. It now drives even deeper to my soul as I recite, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing . . .” Knox family, we shall not lose sight of what is coming: our hope lies in Christ. +

ff

ff

ff

FALL 2020

14

Being a Church in Pursuit of Justice This summer, in response to renewed calls for racial justice, Knox leadership invited our church to participate in book clubs focusing on God of Justice by Nikki Toyamo-Szeto and Abraham George and White Awake by Daniel Hill. These book clubs were intended to encourage us to discuss and re ect on injustice and racism, in the hopes that we, as a church and as individuals, could identify and commit to ways of pursuing justice. Nestor Abdon, one of the pastors at Knox who initiated these book clubs, re ects, “Pursuing justice is a journey. This means that there has to be a sustainable and regular commitment to do acts of justice. It has to start from re ection rst—assessing where we are as a church in the context of justice and anti-racism work, and having dialogues, conversations, and re ections, which will hopefully lead to concrete actions and ministry initiatives.”

Here, we share some of the ideas and conversations that these book clubs prompted, and we hope that they will in turn spark conversation and action as we continue on this journey!

God of Justice by Nikki Toyamo-Szeto and Abraham George Jean Kadenhe on behalf of the God of Justice book club God of Justice is designed to inspire the reader to make justice their mission. It emphasizes God’s intentional order of things and his desired relationship with us. God wants us to have shalom, a peace within, and he sets boundaries within which we can ourish in an active and right relationship with him, with ourselves, with each other, and with creation.

As a book club, we learned:

fl

fl

ff

fl

KNOX READER

fi

fl

fi

15

fl

KNOX BOOK CLUBS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Injustice is a sin that is based in the abuse of one’s power over another. Injustice breaks down relationships, taking the power and liberty away from another person.

God works justice by mobilizing us, his people.

Prayer is key to countering injustice. We need to pray daily for injustices we see in our personal lives, in our communities, in our countries, as well as those far away from us that we have had the privilege to ignore. We need to adjust our prayers for the long game.

Encouragingly, we do not need to take on the full responsibility for all the worlds’ injustices, because justice is God’s mission. We just have to do our part, as God directs us, and leave the bigger plan to him. This helps us not get overwhelmed by the enormity of injustice, knowing that God can handle it. We need to remain tenacious in our prayers, asking for wisdom and knowledge, pleading with humility and repentance, and being attentive to the roots of injustice. Then, we can rejoice with praise as we see him work his wonderful justice into unjust situations.

Just as he equipped Moses with his sta , God will and has equipped us with the tools we need. We have the means, even if it is only to speak out.

Lastly, God calls us to action. When we ignore injustice, we bene t the oppressor. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Club members put this into practice and raised money to start a small women’s sewing school!

And what can we do as a church?

•

To start, we can fast & ask for discernment, wisdom, and compassion to know what areas God wants us to get involved in and then focus on that with regular corporate prayer.

• People have inherent value, which is not dependant on how they look or what they achieve. Let us be the church that sees people as re ecting God’s goodness in multifaceted ways. Let us incorporate the diversity of our congregation into our narrative. Let us feel like ‘home’ for all members of the congregation.

• Let us continue to speak out the church’s response to injustices that are highlighted in our world, and show God’s character.

These are my personal thoughts, what are yours?

White Awake by Daniel Hill Nish Andrews and Patrick Twaddle on behalf of the White Awake book club The subtitle for this book—“an honest look at what it means to be white”—gives you an idea of its un inching, yet mercy-extending, content. Pastor Hill is primarily speaking to, and lovingly confronting, fellow white Christians. He o ers his learnings and experiences as an active participant in addressing systemic inequities and bringing about racial justice, especially within the context of Christ-centred, cross-cultural ministry. His writing o ers a clear and organized way to better recognize how we are shaped by whiteness—and how to respond to this realization.

Here are a few of the ideas we encountered and discussed as a book club: 1. Pastor Hill discusses how human-made, untrue ideologies that assign value based on biological traits have been embedded into our systems in the form of white supremacy and structural racism. These ideologies protect the interests of a small, ruling class at the expense of others. They were used in the past to rationalize racism and they continue to infect social structures today, sometimes in more subtle ways.

2. These ideologies have silenced and suppressed voices and stories of racial trauma and modi ed our own history, including that of the church, limiting our ability to encounter, respond to, and ultimately dismantle racism and white supremacy. Quoting from Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Hill shows that many North American churches have a tendency of becoming “triumphalistic” and trying to “hide stories of guilt and shame . . . [resulting] in an amnesia about a tainted history.”

3.

For white Christians, seeing the ways we’ve bene ted from white supremacy and played a role in racism can be painful, and there are seven stages that we can expect to travel— and re-travel—on our way towards cultural awakening: 1.

Encounter, 2. Denial, 3. Disorientation, 4. Shame, 5. SelfRighteousness, 6. Awakening, 7. Active Participation.

Dedicating a chapter to each of the stages of cultural awakening, Hill provides guidance on how we can look to God and enact spiritual practices to inform our response to racism.

4. We often have a desire to launch immediately into action when confronted with racism and our role in it. Instead, we should begin with listening to the stories of, and grieving with, those who experience racism. It is through the practice of “hopeful lament” that we are able to face the pain that focusing on racism can bring up and to begin to address racism in meaningful ways. Lament plays an important and powerful role throughout the Bible, and it’s through this practice that we can “grieve injustice but not fall into despair.”

5. As a church, we should resist “quick fix” solutions to the deeply embedded issues of racial injustice. For example, focusing on increasing diversity without addressing the root cause of a lack of diversity—white supremacy—can be harmful and painful to those in the church experiencing racism.

6. Racism is a widespread issue of injustice, a disease and a sin that ultimately needs God’s healing and transformational power to dismantle.

If you’re white and a Jesus-follower, this book is just the kind of spiritual kick-in-the-pants that offers the heart and mind a reset button, one that opens up a sober, yet hopeful, new path. It is a great introduction resource for those looking for a guide on where to even begin, those looking for help starting conversations with others, and those who maybe don’t understand why racial injustice is an issue, we (both as individuals and the church) need to actively participate in. We hope that more of you will join those of us who participated in the White Awake book club as we seek to “sharpen” each other and become agents of reconciliation. +

fi

ff

fi

fl

fl

ff

FALL 2020

16