Prayers and thoughts for victims of the Quebec City shooting

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Dave Henderson

Well-Known Member
Dear God, we pray for the victims of the Quebec City shooting. Comfort the families of those who lost their lives. Lay your healing hand upon those who are wounded. Guide the hands of the doctors, nurses and caregivers who are caring for them. Help our neighbours in the Muslim community know that our hearts are breaking with them, that we stand with them and that we are committed to creating a country and a world where people may worship as they wish in peace and harmony. Amen
 
The people in my City participated in a "circle of concern" around our mosque today. Select leaders (political, social, religious) were invited to speak after the Friday afternoon prayers; there was a large group of supporters. It was very well done.
 
Jae said:
Amen.

I am also praying for Alexandre Bissonnette, the suspect in the shooting.
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Yes, I think we have to question ourselves hard and ask what we are doing so wrong, culturally, that young white western men are so particularly violent.
 
At the service yesterday, one of our retired ministers solemnly intoned to me "This feels like the end of innocence to me", to which I replied, "G____, I rather think that Marc Lepine's actions of murdering14 female engineering students in 1989, [2 weeks after I had given birth to a baby girl and the same day that my sister gave birth to another baby girl], was the end of my innocence. How is this not just a slaughter on the same grim continuum?"
 
BetteTheRed said:
Yes, I think we have to question ourselves hard and ask what we are doing so wrong, culturally, that young white western men are so particularly violent.
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Sure Bette. That might be the big picture. I was praying for him as an individual.
 
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend and speak briefly at the Ajax Council Chambers at a gathering to show solidarity with the Muslim community. Obviously we heard from local politicians and other officials and from the local Muslim clergy, but I have to say that I was both saddened and proud that when other local faith leaders were offered the chance to come forward to speak in support of the Muslim community, only four of us did so - and all of us were United Church ministers. What bothered me as much was that the other three UCC ministers were from churches in neighbouring communities, meaning I was actually the only pastor of a church in Ajax that was there, at an event held in the Ajax Council Chambers. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, but I'm glad I was there.
 
Interesting, revsdd, in that there were a LOT of 'power bars', as G____ laughingly referred to them at the mosque prayers. One UCCan minister spoke on behalf of the other half dozen or so who were there, there was a Lutheran and an Anglican or two present, and the Chair of the B_____ Council of Churches spoke for the rest, largely. Our Jewish synagogue spoke.
 
revsdd said:
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend and speak briefly at the Ajax Council Chambers at a gathering to show solidarity with the Muslim community. Obviously we heard from local politicians and other officials and from the local Muslim clergy, but I have to say that I was both saddened and proud that when other local faith leaders were offered the chance to come forward to speak in support of the Muslim community, only four of us did so - and all of us were United Church ministers. What bothered me as much was that the other three UCC ministers were from churches in neighbouring communities, meaning I was actually the only pastor of a church in Ajax that was there, at an event held in the Ajax Council Chambers. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, but I'm glad I was there.
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Boy oh boy, if there was even only one reason why the United Church should fight hard to stay in existence...........
 
revsdd said:
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend and speak briefly at the Ajax Council Chambers at a gathering to show solidarity with the Muslim community. Obviously we heard from local politicians and other officials and from the local Muslim clergy, but I have to say that I was both saddened and proud that when other local faith leaders were offered the chance to come forward to speak in support of the Muslim community, only four of us did so - and all of us were United Church ministers. What bothered me as much was that the other three UCC ministers were from churches in neighbouring communities, meaning I was actually the only pastor of a church in Ajax that was there, at an event held in the Ajax Council Chambers. I'm not quite sure what to make of that, but I'm glad I was there.
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I'm grateful you were there too revsdd. Thank you for that initiative.

I wonder - do our churches monitor their local politics? (I don't really think mine does in any formal way, sadly.) It's not that hard to get e-mail updates from the city/town council - to see what's coming up on agendas.

Do they/we network with other local communities of faith? (mine used to, but not sure any more as I'm not on Council & haven't heard anything from Council in a long while)

Or are we (churches) becoming increasingly insular?
 
Carolla said:
I'm grateful you were there too revsdd. Thank you for that initiative.

I wonder - do our churches monitor their local politics? (I don't really think mine does in any formal way, sadly.) It's not that hard to get e-mail updates from the city/town council - to see what's coming up on agendas.

Do they/we network with other local communities of faith? (mine used to, but not sure any more as I'm not on Council & haven't heard anything from Council in a long while)

Or are we (churches) becoming increasingly insular?
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It depends a great deal on your minister. Mine happens to live and breathe politics, having been a city councillor in her last pastoral charge. We host all-candidates debates in the sanctuary where we insist on holy manners. We partner informally with other UCCan churches - we helped a fellow congregation with their Affirming work a couple of years ago, and I'm doing some resource sharing (Adult Ed progressive resources) with another congregation. There's also a certain flow between some of the small groups (my Tuesday night group attracts a couple of UU, a couple of women from a much more conservative congregation in town, etc.).
 
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