Idle No More

I have never been good with words, with facts, with details. My personal problem has always been that information going into my brain doesn't come back out easily as words but it does affect how I feel.  So I have always listened to what my heart says and that gets me in trouble because everyone wants words. When my heart speaks, people want me to back it up with facts.  To somehow convince them.  That's just not who I am.  I became involved with Occupy because I saw some sort of hope there.  Some way I could participate in a supportive role without having to use words.

And now it's time to be Idle No More.

Chief Theresa Spence says the pain of her people is too great.

She is on day 17 of her hunger strike and is prepared to die for her people.

I know nothing about navigable waters except what I hear from Elizabeth May, our Green Party leader who I trust and pray can make a difference.  I just see that our government is putting laws into place that most Canadians know nothing about and doing it at a speed that is frightening.  Stephen Harper himself didn't like omnibus bills until he gained the power to use them himself.  At this point I don't see any reasonable debate and I see a party line and a whole bunch of sheeple in parliament that frighten me with the power they give their leader.  It's time our government began listening to the people and not to the corporate need for a stronger 'economy' at the expense of Mother Earth. 

I have spent weeks going thru the Indian Act and the 1995 Royal Commission and much time following the Truth and Reconciliation hearings and recommendations coming from our church.  So much stuff we never learned in school.  So many generations of people living with damage to their souls that will take even more generations to heal. 

I believe there is corruption everywhere, not just within First Nations, so we need to clean our own slates before pointing fingers at others.  I believe the First Nations need a stronger voice in whatever decisions they say affect them.  I don't see them having this voice.  Chief Theresa Spence is demanding a voice, demanding respect for treaties signed by ancestors.   I pray she can stay strong and healthy because I dread what could ensue if she dies.

Idle No More was started by four ordinary women tired of the battle they have been waging.  They also want their voices heard.  The response has been overwhelming from the grassroots level.  I am prepared to support them however I can. 

later man, jan (hugs)

Fire & Grace Contemplative Worship

Fire & Grace Contemplative Prayer Service

Living Spirit United Church – March 8, 2012

Welcome

Opening Reading  (spoken together)

The Beloved, through the energy of Love,

          brought forth the world. 

From the rising to the setting sun,

Love radiates out to all the nations

perfect in beauty.

The Beloved has come

and will not keep silence; for

Divine Love is a consuming Fire,

calling forth heaven and earth

to the judgement of all peoples:

 “Gather around, my loyal friends,

all who by repentance and recompense

          follow the Inner Way.”

The universe forever proclaims justice,

And the Beloved’s Indwelling Presence

guides those who hear with their heart’s ear.

(Psalm 50: 1-7 trans. Nan C Merrill)

Chant:

O God, we call.  O God, we call.

From deep inside we yearn;

From deep inside we yearn

From deep inside we yearn, for You

VU #411(repeat)

Readings…

1^st reading – listen, what word or phrase draws you.

2^nd reading – listen, for an image that relates to your life.

3^rd reading – listen, what might God be calling you to?

“The life of faith carries with it many temptations, and this is surely one of them – to imagine that the outward signs of our devotion can constitute the whole of our relationship with God.  The same culture that prescribes ritual also insists that ritual itself is not omnicompetent; it is no substitute for ethics, or for the surrender of self-will without which it is impossible to love God or anyone else.  Worshipping God can look pretty perfect on the outside and still be empty on the inside.”                             

(Barbara Crafton)

Chant:

O God, we call.  O God, we call.

From deep inside we yearn;

From deep inside we yearn

From deep inside we yearn, for You

VU #411(repeat)

Silent Meditation (15-20 minutes ended by a bell)

Prayers of the people followed by Our Father.

Chant:

And Love says, I will, I will take care of you…

And Love says, I will, I will take care of you…

 (repeat)

Closing:  (spoken together)

Create in me a clean heart, O Gracious One,

and put a new and right spirit within me.          

Enfold me in the arms of Love,

and fill me with your Holy Spirit. 

Restore in me the joy of your saving grace,

and encourage me with a new spirit.

                             (Psalm 51:11-13 trans Nan Merrill)

Namaste.

Demanding a Full Public Independent Inquiry

I Was Blind, But Now I See...

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”        (Edmund Burke)

Where’s the problem?  My life is just fine, thank you.

I used to be proud to call myself Canadian.  Now I realize I have been blind.  Conditioned.  To give more and more to charity to help more and more people who are hurting more and more every day.  How bad does it have to get to wake me up?

My elected representative doesn’t actually represent me.  He doesn’t believe what I believe. 

Canada’s exit from the Kyoto Protocol shamed me before the world.  While I watched!

I wrote to protest Bill C-10 that will ensure that petty criminals are imprisoned alongside the dangerous ones, encouraging further crime.  And received the ‘not now little girl’ reply.

I wrote to protest Bill C-30 that will give our police force the right and authority to monitor our e-mails, web history, and private activity without warrants.  And received the ‘not now little girl’ reply.

And blindly following our neighbor into war?  The next one with Iran?  Iran has no weapons of mass destruction. The only country which does have nuclear weapons in the region is the very country we are siding with.  Sounds pretty scary to me with Russia and China in the wings.

Our freedoms are slowly being taken away and we are doing nothing?

Heard of NDAA?  The National Defense Authorization Act in the United States… allows the military to indefinitely detain American citizens considered ‘terrorists’ or threats to the system.  We now have the ‘Beyond the Borders: Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness’ act, the recent integration of ‘security’ between Canada and the U.S. which now makes it possible for the U.S. to charge any Canadian as well.

Now we sit quietly to wait for new government budgets to bring austerity measures that will tear down our society, our healthcare, our Old Age Pension, our EI insurance and all the other social welfare programs our parents worked so hard to achieve.  I’m comparing this to the dollars to be spent on fighter jets, battleships, super-prisons around the country and even a glass dome on our Parliamentary building.  Nothing there about recovering offshore money.   I don’t like what I see.

The final straw should be this fraud in our elections.  These so-called robocalls to confuse voters.  I hear this has been under investigation since June.  Now the dirt is coming to light.  Enough light to wake up the sleeping?  I hope so.

We need to look in our mirrors.   

We need to look deep in our hearts and accept that we, the people, have not bothered to stand up for our rights.   

But all is not lost.  Perhaps we, the people can turn this thing around.   

It’s time to stand up and be counted.   

What kind of country, what kind of world, are we leaving behind for our grandchildren?  

I have looked and I don’t like what I’ve seen.  

I am speaking out.

Get Fraud out of Parliament NOW!

We call on ALL THE PEOPLE  to join in PROTEST

-Sunday, March 11, from 2 to 4 pm on the steps of Calgary City Hall

We the people of Canada demand …a FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE ROBOCALLS AND BY-ELECTIONS IN ALL AFFECTED RIDINGS!

1) We ask for a public and independent criminal investigation.
2) We ask for by-elections in every riding affected by the scandal.
3) We ask for the resignation of any member of parliament found to be involved in any way.

This will be a peaceful protest and family friendly environment.

http://www.facebook.com/events/279165258822521

Get Fraud out of Parliament NOW!

"our lives begin to end 

the day we remain silent about things that matter"

(Martin Luther King) 

Later man, jan

Protect our Democracy

Get Fraud out of Parliament NOW!

We call on ALL THE PEOPLE  to join in PROTEST

-Sunday, March 11, from 2 to 4 pm on the steps of Calgary City Hall

We the people of Canada demand a FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE ROBOCALLS AND BY-ELECTIONS IN ALL AFFECTED RIDINGS!

1) We ask for a public and independent criminal investigation.
2) We ask for by-elections in every riding affected by the scandal.
3) We ask for the resignation of any member of parliament found to be involved in any way.

This will be a peaceful protest and family friendly environment.

http://www.facebook.com/events/279165258822521

 Get Fraud out of Parliament NOW!

for information on protest rallies in other Canadian locations, please check this facebook event link.
                       http://www.facebook.com/events/181631648613672/


later man, jan

Fire & Grace Contemplative Worship

once again I forgot those of you who missed the service Thursday morning, here it is (hugs)

Fire & Grace Contemplative Prayer Service

Living Spirit United Church – February 23, 2012

Welcome

Opening Reading  (spoken together)

Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast glory in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord.  (Jeremiah 9:23,24)

Chant:

Slowly blooms the rose within,

slowly blooms the rose within.

 (repeat)

Readings…

1^st reading – listen, what word or phrase draws you.

2^nd reading – listen, for an image that relates to your life.

3^rd reading – listen, what might God be calling you to?

Most gracious Presence, let me not be arrogant, nor boast of my virtuous deeds; Let me not seek fame or set my heart on the riches of the world.  Help me to calm and quiet my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast; like a child that is quieted, be so my soul. 

(Psalm 131 trans Nan C Merrill)

Chant:

Slowly blooms the rose within,

slowly blooms the rose within.

 (repeat)

Silent Meditation (15-20 minutes ended by a bell)

Prayers of the people followed by Our Father.

Chant:

All shall be well

And all shall be well

And all manner of things shall be well.

 (repeat)

Closing:  (spoken together)

          God, my friend,

I offer You each moment of this day;

Whatever comes – the unexpected challenges,

          Diversions from my plans,

          The need-filled glance,

          The expectations and complaints,

          The being taken for granted,

          The slights and sleights-of-hand.

I’d be grateful if You could keep me aware of my pesky habits…

And, between us, perhaps we can enliven the spirits of those I live and work with…

Whatever else befalls,

          I trust we can cope with it.  Amen.

                             (A Lenten Prayer of Dedication)

Namaste.