live
in this issue
cONNECTING
COLUMNS 2 CONNECTING 6 Staff News: New Treasurer Announced 14 A History Moment 23 We Remember BIBLE STUDY 15 Encourage Love | Inspire Good Stir it Up!
features CONNECT TO MISSION 3 Lamenting Together 5 Stirred Up to Reach out 7 7 8 9
Encourage Love | Inspire Good Stirred Up to Worship Stirred Up to Lean into Relationship Stirred Up to Listen and Lead
11 Stirred Up to Walk 12 Inspiring Change Through the Pandemic connect to GOD 18 Irritable for a Reason 20 Stirred Up Connecting with God in everyday life 22 Stirred Up to Rest Daring to trust in Jesus
*A compline is simply a prayer said at the end of the day. These prayers were usually part of an ancient Christian and Orthodox evening service of prayer, traditionally said before retiring for the night. It’s also called Prayers at the End of the Day. The Tuesday night compline is a rendering of Psalm 91. Cover photo: Unsplash.com/PawelCzerwinski
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live • July - August 2021
“Whoever has chosen to make the shelter of the Most High their dwelling place will stay in His over-shadowing. He alone is our refuge, our place of safety; He is our God, and we are trusting Him.” Every Tuesday night, Christopher, Tristan and I pray this compline* by heart before lights go out and bodies settle down to sleep. Most nights they—and I—recite it slowly and with great care. Since 2016, we’ve prayed this compline 200 Tuesday nights and counting . . . through winters of discontent and summers of peace; on tired nights and sleepless nights. Which made praying it over the Tuesdays this past June significant. In the face of news about bodies deliberately covered up decades ago or mowed down on a sidewalk, the boys and I prayed the words out into the sorrow and silence that wrapped the country. The act of praying out loud became an exercise of faith—that God is refuge, safety, dwelling place. The words became a prayer of trust, that even though we couldn’t understand why these acts had happened, God has always been worthy of our trust . . . and always will be. Over the weeks in June, in some mysterious way, the compline anchored our conversations: Are we safe? Who’s responsible for our safekeeping? Is it possible for anyone to be truly safe in this world? How are we to behave with others? I asked Christopher and Tristan what impact, if any, praying this compline had had. “I am happy we got to pray together,” Tristan replied. “I was able to sleep,” Christopher answered. “I felt peace.” May community and peace be yours as summer continues. RJ
VOLUME 94, NUMBER 4
live (formerly The Link & Visitor) began as The Canadian Missionary Link (1878) and Baptist Visitor (1890). Published bi-monthly by Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec 5 International Blvd., Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H3 416-620-2954 Fax 416-622-2308 bwoq@baptist.ca baptistwomen.com Executive director Rev. Diane McBeth Editor and communications director Renée James 416-651-8967 rsejames@gmail.com Art director Donna Lee Pancorvo of GEPM Group Inc. (gepmgroup.com) Contributors Linda Ellsworth, Kristine Gonzalez, Ruth Gregory, Kathy Gust, Kaye Haynes, Darlene Lucas, Victoria Mok, Carolyn Vanderheide, Hilary Vanderwater, Morgan Wolf Circulation and subscriptions Subscriptions 416-620-2954 live@baptist.ca Subscriptions Individual: $20* (direct or through promoters) US & overseas: $39 All currency in $C unless otherwise noted. The publication of comments, opinions or advertising does not necessarily imply CBWOQ agreement or endorsement. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in print or on websites without permission. Advertising inquiries and freelance submissions should be addressed to the editor. Member, Canadian Church Press. ISSN 2293-5096. Canada Post Customer Number 1008592. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for our publishing activities. *includes HST
