Is Christianity A Nostalgia Act?
There’s a lot of info in this week’s email, so here we go:
Location:
We’re meeting at Creative Manitoba this week, the 4th floor of 245 McDermot Ave. in the Exchange (Look for the sign on Arthur St.). More specific directions can be found on the website.
Blurb:
Over the last few weeks Tim (Plett) has brought up the notion of nostalgia in the context of some of the conversations we’ve been having. This has gotten me thinking more about the fixation cultures tend to have on some glorified past, a golden age when things were better than they are today. Despite the current prevalence of TV shows, movies, and music with more than slight nostalgic nods to bygone eras, not to mention loud voices claiming they can make places great again, there is nothing new about humanity’s wistful longing for the past.
This week we’re going to investigate some of those tendencies by thinking about the paradoxical (and problematic) inclination within Christianity to look toward the past as a way of moving into the future.
A message from Tim Plett about the newcomer programs we’re involved in:
Hey folks – I’m away with my family for the next three weeks, but I wanted to update you all on some of what has been happening with the Newcomer Programs we’ve taken under our wing. I shared this in our Community Time this past Sunday, but we were a pretty small group so I’ve asked Tim Penner to include it in this weeks blurb so everyone gets a chance to hear about all the exciting things that are both in place and that are coming in the weeks and months ahead.
SLAM Camp – this is the summer day camp program for newcomer kids that runs from July 9th to August 3rd. Mornings are spent on various programs designed to strengthen language skills. (That’s the “SL” in SLAM – “Summer Literacy”). The afternoons are spent on sports, arts and music lessons, with instruments generously provided by the WSO’s Sistema Winnipeg program. Whoop!
The camp is full – 30 kids have registered. The camp leadership staff tell me that even though it’s full they will probably tuck in a few more, because there are still kids that really want to come but haven’t registered. So…it’s packed! The core team of teachers and volunteers is in place, and it includes two young staff members that are former refugees – people that get the challenges these kids face in a way that nobody else can. Pugeni and his wife Thelma will be special guests as well…I won’t take up space here to explain how that whole connection happened, but it’s a pretty neat story. Just ask if you want the full version.
Other exciting news includes the confirmation of Green Team grants from the province of Manitoba, which will allow the core staff to receive some remuneration for their hard work. By the way, if you ever want to know how hard this gang works, just volunteer. It’s uniquely challenging and deeply rewarding work. There are already some people from The Table that have stepped up to volunteer, but I’m told that there is still room for more adult helpers. If you want to know more, contact Corinne Plett <tcplett@gmail.com>.
And it doesn’t end in August! The Newcomer school project (Freedom School) is slated to begin in the September, and is already 2/3 full. The space is being renovated with the help of volunteers from a wide variety of communities, with a workday scheduled for this coming weekend. If that interests you, please contact Francine Wiebe for more info. <francinewiebe2@gmail.com>
By the way…this team is raising all of the necessary funds through donations outside of the The Table. That means, among other things, that there are a whole pile of folks we don’t know that are pitching in to help newcomer kids get their language skills more solid, their confidence deepened, and their odds of a smoother transition improved. That’s the kind of collaborative effort that gets me really excited!
To all of the community at The Table from all the folks that are offering the Newcomer Programs – thank you! This wouldn’t be happening without the unique partnership we have with one another.
Looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday!