Around Town: 4-20 & Mary Wagner, Dal Schindell Gallery, Good Seed Sunday . . .

Police took a hands-off approach to 4-20.

Is our culture going to hell in a handbasket? Most days I can be persuaded that we are not, but last Saturday was not one of those days.

I went down to check out the 4-20 party at Sunset Beach in the West End. Everything looked very peaceful as I watched from Kits Point, along with some cops who, attentive to city policy, were keeping their distance.

All very polite it was, and without arrests, even though:

The event (and its Cypress Hill concert) had no permit from the Vancouver Park Board.
Police watched hundreds of vendors sell cannabis from tents but didn’t arrest anyone.
The park at Sunset Beach has now been closed to the public for 10 weeks for repairs.

As Kirk LaPointe, editor-in-chief of Business in Vancouver wrote shortly before 4-20:

The black market remains, very conservatively, three-quarters of the market. Illegal dispensaries outnumber legal ones by what seems to be 50 to one in the province. . . .

The 4-20 fiasco deserves the new mayor’s attention, but he has chosen not to exercise authority as the city’s leader and the police board chair.

While observing 4-20, I thought about Mary Wagner, who had been arrested a couple of days earlier for entering an abortion clinic and peacefully offering a pro-life message. She spent Easter in custody and will have her first hearing May 1.

LifeSiteNews reported on the arrest:

Canadian pro-life rescuer Mary Wagner remains in jail following her arrest Tuesday at a Vancouver abortion centre.

Wagner, 43, was arrested at the Everywoman’s Health Centre, 2525 Commercial Drive, at about 11:15 am, a little over an hour after she and a companion, who identifies only as Baby Jane Doe, entered the abortion facility.

They carried red and white roses. Attached to each rose was a Miraculous Medal and a pro-life message for mothers who were there to abort their babies. They attempted to talk to people in the waiting room and offer alternatives to abortion.

According to Baby Jane Doe, who did not risk arrest, abortion centre staff attempted physically to remove her and Wagner before the police arrived and warned the women they would be arrested if they did not leave.

“Mary said ‘I’m going to stay with the babies’ and she knelt down, and I knelt down,” Baby Jane Doe told LifeSiteNews.

“We both talked to the officers about what they were doing, about cooperating with evil,” she said.

She was then ushered out by a police officer, and shortly afterward, police officers carried Wagner from the building to a waiting police vehicle.

Mary Wagner with Archbishop Michael Miller. Photo by Agnieszka Ruck.

Wagner has been charged under the Criminal Code with “mischief, obstructing the lawful use of property,” as documented online at justice.gov.bc.ca.

As is her practice, Wagner refused bail conditions requiring her to stay away from abortion centres. She will therefore remain in jail at least until her first court appearance, scheduled for May 1.

A native of British Columbia, Wagner has spent five years in jail so far, much of that in Toronto, for her peaceful attempts to save women and children from the violence of abortion.

Go here for the full report, including her scripture-based explanation for her actions.

Agnieszka Ruck wrote a good story about Wagner for The B.C. Catholic last December: ‘Pro-lifer spending first Christmas out of jail in 7 years.’

Lookout for Dal Schindell Gallery

Dal and Kit Schindell listen as Maxine Hancock – in front of a commissioned portrait of Dal – helps celebrate the name change of Regent College’s art gallery.

The Lookout Gallery has been renamed. Here is what Regent College had to say about it:

Regent College’s on-campus art gallery (formerly the Lookout Gallery) has been renamed in honour of its creator and former director, Dal Schindell. The unveiling of the new name took place at a special ceremony in the gallery April 2.

The unveiling ceremony was a surprise to Dal. Led to Regent on a ruse, he was greeted by president Jeff Greenman and escorted to the gallery accompanied by his wife, Kit Schindell. There, they were welcomed by dozens of friends and former colleagues including two former Regent presidents, past and present staff and faculty, friends of the college and a number of artists who have exhibited in the gallery.

Dal has been part of the Regent College community for nearly five decades. A student in Regent’s second class, he returned in 1979 to begin work as Regent’s director of publications. In his three decades on staff he also served as a member of Regent’s faculty, teaching courses in Christianity in the Arts and guiding hundreds of students through their Integrative Projects in Arts and Theology (IPIATs).

Dal created the Lookout Gallery in 1990 and served as its director until his retirement from the college in 2012.

On arriving in the gallery, Dal was invited to unveil its new name. Pulling aside a black curtain, he discovered The Dal Schindell Gallery inscribed on the wall, flanked by a large charcoal portrait of him by Vancouver artist Grace Tan.

Go here for the rest of the article.

Good Seed Sunday

A Rocha Canada, based in Surrey, is suggesting five ways to take action this Good Seed Sunday (April 28), or any time really:

1. Plant a community garden

Looking for a way to serve your neighbourhood? Community gardens connect people directly to creation, their neighbours and to the source of their food. In addition, they are a wonderful way to provide fresh produce to those in need. If your church is looking for a place to start, check out our Community Garden Network.

2. Support organic farmers

Know thy farmer! As the seasons turn toward spring and summer consider buying your veggies from local sources like a farmers’ market or a locally owned co-op. Both are great ways to receive the best quality produce without going through the normal market channels. And if you’re in BC, consider being a part of our Community Shared Agriculture Program to join in on local, seasonal eating (spaces are currently still available!).

3. Be open to learning

Day camps and Sunday school programs are a great way to teach kids about the world we live in from a theological grounding. Check out our children’s resources for fun and practical activities they can do from home or church (or sign the kids up for our Spring Break Day Camp). As for us adults, seminars and special workshops are a great way to learn about current issues while inspiring new ideas. If you’re in the Manitoba area, consider participating in the upcoming Silent in the Seasons Retreat.

4. Organize a community clean-up event

Cleaning up garbage and beautifying the surrounding land, especially well-used areas of your neighbourhoods or churches, is a great way to bring people together for a short and impactful activity. It not only improves the aesthetic and health of the space, but is also a great conversation starter and reminder of the importance of caring for our local area in a tangible way. Consider a clean up along a local shoreline to help our oceans be a place of hope, not plastic. Check out A Rocha International’s guide for how to organize a litter clean-up as a place to start.

5. Host a movie and discussion night

Everyone loves a good movie (and good popcorn of course). Set up a movie night where everyone is invited to watch a film that has a powerful message, then have a discussion about what significance it could have to the local community. Our interns recently enjoyed Tomorrow, a thought-provoking documentary on how we can change the way we live for the sake of our planet. For movie (and book) suggestions, check out our resources here or better yet, join an A Rocha movie night in Manitoba on March 29.

A Rocha adds, “We’d love to hear how you and your church community will be celebrating this year. Share you activities by tagging us in your posts using #GoodSeedSunday.”

Apr 2019

Church Leaders Forum: Ken Shigematsu – From Surviving to Thriving – April 25, 2019 at 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Cherry Docs – April 25, 2019 - April 28, 2019 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Windows into Heaven: an Introductory Guide to Icons – April 26, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Income Tax Ministry (Tuesdays & Saturdays) – April 27, 2019 - April 30, 2019 at 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Community Land Trusts: Housing Civic Academy (part 2) – April 27, 2019 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
The Lived Experience of People with Dementia – April 27, 2019 at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Gospel Music Festival – April 27, 2019 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Good Seed Sunday – April 28, 2019 at All Day
Jazz Vespers @ St. Andrew's United Church on the North Shore – April 28, 2019 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Jazz Vespers in the Valley: Cory Weeds – April 28, 2019 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Young Life North Shore Annual Fundraiser with the Panic Squad – April 30, 2019 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

May 2019

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Around Town: 4-20 & Mary Wagner, Dal Schindell Gallery, Good Seed Sunday . . .

1. Plant a community garden

2. Support organic farmers

3. Be open to learning

4. Organize a community clean-up event

5. Host a movie and discussion night

Apr 2019

May 2019

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1. Plant a community garden

2. Support organic farmers

3. Be open to learning

4. Organize a community clean-up event

5. Host a movie and discussion night

Apr 2019

May 2019

Related

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