Page 5 - Presbyterian Connection Newspaper

presbyterian.ca winter 2017 Connection
feature
Churches Get Messy to Share the Good News
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there was a strong Presbyterian presence at the rst national messy Church conference in Canada, held at Wycliffe College in toronto, oct. 26-27. We learned many things about getting messy for the sake of making disciples. in this photo, we are practising how to use emotion—this one is surprise!—in biblical storytelling.
By Emily Hill, Education Program Coordinator, Canadian Ministries
Imagine walking into the sanctuary of your church and seeing children run- ning around, tables filled with colour- ful crafts, and plates full of spaghetti. Some people looking on this scene would think that something had gone
terribly wrong. But, for a growing number of churches, this is a form of worship.
The Messy Church movement, which started in England and has been growing across the world over the last decade, invites people to experience God through hospitality, creativity, celebration and inter-gen-
erational connection. Typically, con- gregations that hold Messy Churches meet once a month for a shared meal, fun and messy activities, bibli- cal storytelling, prayer and praise.
The “messy” way of “doing” church creates an atmosphere where today’s families can be comfortable exploring faith and Christian com-
munity life. Many congregations, including several in The Presbyterian Church in Canada, are successfully sharing the good news of Jesus with their neighbours, friends and com- munity members through Messy Church.
If your congregation is interested
in starting a Messy Church, please visit the Messy Church website
to explore the resources that are available: messychurch.org.uk. We also invite you to contact Canadian Ministries for more information about Messy Churches in The Presbyterian Church in Canada at canadianministries@presbyterian.ca
By the Rev. Peter Bush, Moderator of the 143rd General Assembly
Advent and Christmas are not com- plete at our house until the bamboo nativity set has been brought out and put on top of the bookcase in the liv- ing room (some years it has found its way to the communion table at West- wood Church). The nativity set, fea- turing Taiwanese figures, was made in Taiwan and has been in my wife’s family for many years.
In Advent, I look forward to visiting the Ten Thousand Villages store in Winnipeg. I know I should be shop- ping for gifts for various people, but it is the nativity sets from around the world that attract my attention. Pal- estinian figures share shelves with Congolese holy families carved from ebony. The sets are built on raised platforms resting on stilts with ani- mals positioned below.
The stables come in a variety of
designs, reflecting the artist’s per- sonal experiences, tastes and sur- roundings. The artists are theologi- cally correct—for at Christmas we remember that in Jesus Christ God became human and lived among us. This is the mystery of the incarnation. That God became one of us; having a face like ours, a human face. God became one of us, to quote singer Joan Osborne in the song written by Eric Brazilian, “just a slob like one of us,” fully identifying with his people.
Whatever our ethnic background, whatever our cultural roots, whatever our language, God has come to be with us in Jesus Christ. This is the meaning of the word Emmanuel. No people, no cultural identity is outside hearing and responding to the call to come and worship the newborn King. Part of making the incarnation real for people is assisting them to be able hear the story, read the story, of God’s gift in their mother tongue.
The work of Bible translation affirms God’s love has come to people of every language and ethnicity.
The community of people drawn to worship the newborn King is multi-ethnic. Together, whatever our ethnicity, whatever our cultural com- mitments, we have been drawn to worship the newborn King. Jesus is, as the Christmas carols trumpet, King of kings and Lord of lords. Our loyalty to Jesus is greater than our loyalty to our culture, our ethnicity, or other markers of our identity—for the number one thing about those who declare Jesus is Lord is that they are people who worship and serve Jesus Christ.
This Advent and Christmas, we remember we are citizens of a new kingdom made up of people of every tribe and language and ethnicity and culture, made up of all of those whose first loyalty is to Jesus, the newborn King, whose reign will never end.
South american nativity scene.
meSSaGe from the moderator
drawn together to Worship the Newborn King