Around Town: Black History, Red Ribbon Skirts, Spiritual Formation, St. Francis ...

Revelations was hosted by Dawn Pemberton February 4. Marcus Mosely, Krystle Dos Santos and Khari Wendell McClelland will follow up on the 11th, 18th and 25th.

Performers closely connected to the church in Vancouver are hosting a four-week CBC Radio special to mark Black History Month:

CBC Vancouver is proud to feature Revelations, a limited series for Black History Month airing every Saturday in February.

Tune in at 5:05 pm to CBC Radio One or CBC Listen in B.C. and listen to prominent Black voices from Vancouver hosting music specials that cover a variety of genres, from gospel to hip-hop to Afrofuturism.

Revelations will be hosted by Dawn Pemberton (Feb 4), Marcus Mosely (Feb 11), Krystle Dos Santos (Feb 18) and Khari Wendell McClelland (Feb 25).

I wrote about Pemberton as she was about to take part in the Vancouver Folk Festival in 2018:

Dawn Pemberton is very active in the Vancouver music scene. She will be performing at several festivals this summer, but she also turns up quite regularly in church.

Earlier this year, for example, she was a special guest at Stayed on Freedom, a musical celebration of Black History Month at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church and at Gospel Good Friday at St. Helen’s Anglican Church.

An article in the Vancouver Sun a couple of years ago (Soul Good: Dawn Pemberton bridges soul and gospel) pointed out:

You wouldn’t necessarily believe it at first, but Vancouver is a hotbed of soul and gospel.

“This city is so funny!” soul/gospel singer Dawn Pemberton exclaims. “There were like five gospel choirs at one point – they’re all well attended. There’s so much love for gospel music and that speaks to how universal it is. People can connect to it whether they’re religious or not.”

There’s no denying soul and gospel’s uplifting power.

Pemberton will perform in a Tribute to Mahalia Jackson workshop and concert February 18 with the Good Noise Gospel Choir at Christ Church Cathedral.

Mosely and McCelland are also very active in Vancouver, both individually and for years as two members of the Gospel trio, The Sojourners.

Mosely served as artistic director of the Marcus Mosely Chorale from 2011 to 2022, has also led Gospel workshops across Canada and now focuses on his solo career and directing the Marcus Mosely Ensemble.

McClelland “collected and interpreted songs that likely accompanied his great-great-great grandmother Kizzy as she fled US slavery into Canada” for his Freedom Singer album in 2018.

CBC News also posted an article about walking tours of Vancouver’s Black community, planned for February 22 and 26.

It included this portion about Fountain Chapel (pictured) at 823 Jackson Avenue, which served Vancouver’s Black community from 1918 to 1985:

Built in 1904, what was once the First Scandinavian Lutheran Church at 823 Jackson Avenue went on to become the heart of the Black community.

In 1918, after spending years worshipping out of rented halls, Nora Hendrix led the community to buying the church for $1,000.

Hendrix pitched the idea of organizing parties through which the group managed to raise $500, and the rest was matched by the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the U.S.

“That’s why, you see, the church already became the cultural centre for the Black community,” Karaga said. [Yasin Kiraga Misago is founder and executive director of the African Descent Society B.C., the non-profit hosting the tours.]

Go here for the full article.

Red Ribbon Skirts

Red Ribbon Skirts will be worn during the Women’s Memorial March February 14.

Members of Shaughnessy Heights United Church have been helping to make red ribbon skirts for the 32nd annual Women’s Memorial March February 14.

Rev. Deb Walker posted this January 6 comment from Jamie Smallboy on their Facebook page:

The Vancouver Red Ribbon Skirt Project will begin: Saturday, January 14th at 9 am until 4 pm and Sunday, January 15th 10 am until 1:45 pm and every weekend until February 14th at Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street.

The Red Ribbon Skirt project is for volunteers to come together to create 100 Red Ribbon skirts for the families of our MMIWG2S victims. They will be gifted out at the annual February 14th MMIWG2S Memorial March to the families in honour of their lost loved ones. Please come out and join us.

We will be preparing packaged sewing kits for those wanting to sew at home and bring them back. Hai hai ninanaskomtinawaw

From the Women’s Memorial March site:

The first women’s memorial march was held in 1992 in response to the murder of a woman on Powell Street in Vancouver. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came an annual march on Valentine’s Day to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on unceded Coast Salish territories.

The march begins at 12 pm from Carnegie (Main and Hastings) until 4 pm. All are welcome as the march takes to the streets and proceeds through the Downtown Eastside. We make many stops to commemorate where women were last seen or found.

Spiritual Formation

John Mark Comer will be part of the team at Westside February 17.

John Mark Comer will join Ken Shigematsu and others for Spiritual Formation in the Life of the Local Church. The full-day gathering will take place February 17 at Westside Church.

Here is the description:

What is it?

This is a full day gathering that will consist of teaching and dialogue with special guests like John Mark Comer, Ken Shigematsu & Tyler Staton around spiritual formation, with ample time for Q&R and collaboration with other Canadian pastors.

Meet John Mark.

John Mark Comer is the founding pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, OR and the founder of Practicing the Way — a new organization creating a pathway for people become like Jesus.

Here is Ken.

Ken Shigematsu

Ken Shigematsu has been the senior pastor at Tenth Avenue Church in Vancouver, BC for over 25 years. He is a prolific writer and deep practitioner of spiritual formation.

This is Tyler.

Tyler Staton is the current Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, OR, and the National Director of 24-7 Prayer USA.

Introducing Elita.

Elita Friesen is a part of the Pastoral and Teaching team at The Way Church in Vancouver, BC.

The host – the Canadian Church Leaders Network (CCLN) – says the gathering is for “any and all pastors who care about seeing Jesus formed in themselves and their community.”

St. Francis & the Sultan

A stained glass portrait of St. Francis.

I’m looking forward to what should be a very timely event coming up next Monday (February 13) at St. Mark’s College, and online: ‘The St. Francis of Assisi Exchange with Sultan Malek Al-Kamil.’

Here is the description:

In this talk Fr. Dan Gurnick will discuss the meeting of St. Francis of Assisi with Sultan Malek al-Kamil eight centuries ago, when Francis crossed the battlefield between Crusader and Muslim forces near Damietta, Egypt, seeking to meet with him and preach his faith in Jesus Christ.

The future saint risked his life so he could witness his faith to the famed Muslim sultan and both Francis and the Sultan came away with a new respect for the faith of the other. This talk will provide practical, healthy ways to interact with people of different cultures and religions based on this famous encounter.

St. Francis retains a very positive reputation in our time, though not necessarily one based strictly on the historical record. The upcoming lecture reminded me of something I wrote nine years ago about two books on St. Francis.

It began:

“Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.”

We hear this gem from St. Francis of Assisi often these days. The phrase is introduced as an encouragement to good works, but also, commonly, to subtly disparage proclamation of the gospel.

Two recent books insist that St. Francis would never have said those words – didn’t say those words – but at the same time lived out their spirit.

Winnipeg pastor Jamie Arpin-Ricci loves to immerse himself “in all things Francis.” Not only is he part of a lay order in the Franciscan tradition, but he has just written The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis and Life in the Kingdom, which describes how his Little Flowers Community tries to live out the teachings and example of Jesus, as St. Francis did himself.

In a very different book, Paul Moses details in The Saint and the Sultan the fascinating tale of how St. Francis went to speak with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in the Nile Delta during the assault on Damietta in the midst of the Fifth Crusade.

Together, these two authors remind us why Francis made such a stir in his own time and why so many over the intervening nine centuries have found him a compelling figure.

So, I’m keen to hear how Fr. Gurnick views St. Francis’s fateful journey to Egypt, and how his evangelistic / peacemaking initiative might impact our times, in which many Muslim states and movements persecute Christians every day and Islamophobia is decried in Canada.

Feb 2023

Mar 2023

A Source of Korean Christian Liberalism: Japan-Educated Korean Ministers in Colonial Korea – March 1, 2023 at 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
How do we discuss MAiD with our families and friends – March 1, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: The Leading Ladies – March 1, 2023 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Ghislain Brown-Kossi: Future Artifact II – March 2, 2023 - March 8, 2023 at All Day
Jessica Ziakin-Cook: ‘Outward and Visible Signs’: Sacramentalism and Modern Art, 1920 - 1931 – March 2, 2023 at 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
How do we discuss MAiD with our families and friends – March 2, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
MAiD in Canada (Apologetics Canada Pre-Conference 2023) – March 2, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Apologetics Canada Conference 2023 – Branded: Rethinking Identity – March 3, 2023 - March 4, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 3:30 pm
On the Breath of Angels – March 3, 2023 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Justin Glibbery Quintet – March 3, 2023 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Love. Purpose. Reconcile. – March 4, 2023 at 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Uniting as One Pastors' Luncheon – March 4, 2023 at 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Memorial Service for Dr. Gordon Fee – March 4, 2023 at 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Elevation Project Turned 15 – March 4, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jacob Moon with Special Guest Cory Alstad – March 4, 2023 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Jesus Revolution (movie) – March 7, 2023 - March 9, 2023 at All Day
UN CSW67: Coerced Religious Conversions, Forced and Child Marriage in Egypt, Pakistan and Nigeria – March 7, 2023 at 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Christian Deeper Learning Conference: Diving Deeper – March 8, 2023 - March 10, 2023 at All Day
Growing Healthy Congregations – March 8, 2023 at 10:00 am - 11:00 am
2023 Laing Lectures: Curt Thompson, MD: Practicing for Heaven – Neuroscience & the Beauty, Trauma & Renewal of All Things – March 8, 2023 - March 9, 2023 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: Christie Grace & Chris Gestrin – March 8, 2023 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Joy Banks: Waymarkers – March 9, 2023 - March 16, 2023 at All Day
SIMinar: Explore North Africa – March 9, 2023 at 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Spirituality and Community in a Time of Loss – March 10, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
A Rocha Volunteer Day – March 11, 2023 at 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Thomas Merton Society of Canada One-Day Retreat – March 11, 2023 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Indigenous Artist Showcase: Randall Bear Barnetson – March 12, 2023 at 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Jazz Vespers in the Valley with Amber Tsang and friends – March 12, 2023 at 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Dr. Matthew Lynch: The Land Keeps the Score: Violence in Creation According to the Old Testament – March 14, 2023 at 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Out of the Depths: A Time of Lament through Prayer and Worship – March 15, 2023 at 12:00 am
Stewardship Toolkit: Time, Talent, Treasures, Trees – March 15, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Theology Symposium: ‘Just War’ or Just Another War – March 15, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jazz Evensong @ Brentwood: The Ruby Lane Organ Trio – March 15, 2023 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Lloyd Mackey Fonds in TWU Archives Launch Event – March 16, 2023 at 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Book Launch: Dr. Matthew Lynch – Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God – March 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Dr. Aaron Kheriaty: The Growing Biomedical Security State: A Threat To Human Dignity? – March 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wonderfully Good: River Prophetic Nights, with Isabel & Thrainn Skulason – March 16, 2023 - March 17, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Academic Symposium 2023 – March 17, 2023 at 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Sarah Kurbjuweit: Rhythms & Roots – Opening Reception – March 17, 2023 at 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Traditional Hymn Sing Along at Elim Village – March 17, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Hawksley Workman – March 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Metro Vancouver ESL Ministries Network Event – March 18, 2023 at 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
North Shore Alliance Church Community Cleanup – March 18, 2023 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Taizé Service – March 19, 2023 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood Sacred Jazz Suite – March 19, 2023 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

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