People say this is a more sober celebration of Canada coming up on July 1 than was the case 50 years ago in 1967. Certainly it is such for me. I remember 1967 for its centennial costumes, the beards “all the men” tried to – or did – grow, Expo 67. But for some peculiar reason I most recall my principle role on the family month-long camping trip to the east coast – human bellows to get the camp fire going wherever we were. I was pretty young then.
And that necessarily makes the party 50 years later more sober for me.
I wish you all a good Canada day. The country has grown more complex since those mid-60s days, and so too, it feels, has the world. And yet, I am pretty sure there are still 8 year olds around blowing on little fires to get them to become bigger and to keep going.
New Vision is not planning anything special for Canada Day weekend. It does seem noteworthy, however, to observe that the MacNab site of New Vision was under construction throughout 1867, the year of Confederation. The Centenary building opened in 1868.
150 years later, it feels like another construction project is going on; the New Vision congregation itself is under construction. Our fundamental thesis about ourselves as a community of faith is that new community is going to emerge from the margins, as a diverse set of marginalizations and privileges intersect in a fruitful and integrative way.
This speaks to our context in Hamilton’s downtown and is the basis for our unique participation in urban renewal in Hamilton.
Blessings.
See you Sunday ~
And again, Happy Canada Day.
Rev. Ian