I’m surprised that I haven’t posted the following sermon before:

Sunday, August 12 , 2007 (Feast Day of St. Clare)
St. Andrew’s Old Catholic Church
Small Meeting Room, 138 Pears (Toronto)
1:00 p.m.

1st Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 1- 11

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you,
which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this
gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at
the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen
asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last
of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called
an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I
worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was
with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and
this is what you believed.

Gospel: Luke 18: 9 – 14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down
on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the
temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The
Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am
not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this
tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up
to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a
sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified
before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted.”

SERMON PROPER BEGINS

Depending on the church calendar, the feast day of St. Clare of Assisi
is celebrated either August 11th or 12th. It is therefore appropriate
to spend a few moments reflecting on the life of someone who has
challenged me to be serious about faith, and yet also tried to get me
to laugh at my own absurdities.

About 800 years ago Italy was in ferment. There were wars and
political violence; religious strife, particularly between western
Christians and the Muslim world, was a dominant factor in international
affairs; economic hardships for some while new sources of wealth for
others was an all too common source of social tension; epidemics and
famine were feared.

And into this world came some very odd people. Voices for peace were raised by those in the military; people of property renounced their priviledge and lived among and as the most vulnerable; people of firm religious conviction found ways to listen for the voice of God across cultural and religious barriers—everyday stubborn and cantankerous people looked to find ways to love one another.

It seemed that the strangest area in Italy at that time was Assisi—for Assisi was the home both of Francesco Bernadone and Clare di Offreduccio.
Francesco was the son of a rich merchant, an army veteran and former
POW, discharged due to health concerns. Clare was the daughter of
wealthy minor nobility who had to flee her home for a while due to
civil war. Both had a personal history of generosity to friends and those in need,
but no more than any others who grasped the responsibility of those with wealth and power to the community they lived in.

These two, who we know as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi, were merely two of a large number of people who at about the same time
heard the call to love one another and then set about exploring what
such a call means to themselves, to their community and to the world.
Some, like St. Francis, were orators and poets. Others, St. Clare,
were administrators and organisers. All shared the idea that sainthood
wasn’t for the perfect but for the imperfect—we can, with the help of
God, live out in the here and now an echo of the shalom kingdom.

These early Franciscans and Poor Clares weren’t unfamiliar with living in harmony with the daily demands of their faith. They attended mass, gave to charitable endeavours, attempted to be good family members. But this wasn’t sufficient for them. They wanted to respond more intimately to the loving presence of God and less to the structured way that a faithful life had become.

They didn’t see the life that they were called to—voluntary poverty and simplicity, a rejection of violence and priviledge and the social barriers
so readily woven between individuals and communities—as a grand
gesture that elevated them above other believers. Rather, they embraced their life and encouraged others to find truth in theirs, challenging everyone by
example to move closer to the fullness of life shown in the example of Jesus’
life among us.

This spirit of seeking to be with those in need, to help one another, to embrace peace rather than conflict, to find a way of life closer to that of the creator, continues to move among us. There are many Poor Clares’ communities, living in ways inspired by the rule for the order devised by St. Clare, that seek
through prayer and charity, contemplation and a model of life in community, to imitate in a joyous fashion the life of the risen Christ.

Like she did some 800 years St. Clare inspires not only those called to a life of
simplicity and prayer. She inspires those that want to hear the voice
of God in creation—a spiritual approach to cherishing the environment
and seeking to share it with all those who are within God’s creation.
She inspires those wanting to provide a haven for those on the
outside—both those that do it through communities of hospitality such
as the Catholic Worker movement and those that do so within a more
formal structure such as St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society. And
she inspires those who need to be reminded that prayer is active
participation in the life of the world.

St. Clare, and the others in the circle that come together in Assisi,
didn’t come to their conclusions in a vacuum. They had heard from
their earliest moments of what happened when God walked among us, that
Jesus spoke to those, such as the Samaritan woman at the well and the
tax collector for the Roman occupiers, who were outcasts and yet who
wanting to be included in the embrace of a loving creator. They
learned about Jesus who called blessings on the peacemakers and healed
the leper. They learned about the last judgement, when people would be
held to account for how they treated the hungry and homeless and
dispossessed of the world. They were challenged to renounce the
things of this world and embrace the things of the next. And in a time
of chaos and fear, they chose to do the ridiculous thing of becoming
powerless, peaceful and poor.

The renounced and reclaimed—they renounced priviledge and reclaimed
joy; they renounced power and reclaimed hope; they renounced status and
reclaimed love. It was a time of liberation.

Life to St. Clare and for St. Francis was upside down. If one fasted,  it wasn’t to deny life but to embrace a sense of freedom from the restrictions of normal life. If one wanted to be heard, one spoke to the birds as what was said in
creation was forever present. This was a Pentecost movement, born in
joy and exuberance and hard work and faith.

800 years later there are around us modern Clares. They will be found
in places of conflict caring for the suffering. They will be found trying to encourage people to share what they have with one another. They will be found
getting people to laugh at themselves.  Some are within religious
orders; others are in movements for calling for economic and social
justice; some are in places of conflict seeking to explore non-violence
in dangerous lands; others are found on the 4th floor of an apartment
building making a meal for their neighbour who’s just got out of the
hospital. They can be advising the powerful and panhandling on the
streets—they are among us. Like all saints, they aren’t perfect.
And like all saints, they make a difference in the same way we all
can—doing what we are able to do to show that love is ever present in
the world.

FIRST LESSON

Revelation 14: 1 – 5

I saw, and, behold, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY:

Matthew 2: 13b – 18

The angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt have I called my son. “

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. “

SERMON PROPER BEGINS

Not growing up in the Catholic world, I was unaware of the calendar of feast days. I was not exposed, during my youth, to the ongoing challenge of seasonally thinking in different ways that God interacted with humanity. Where I learned about feast days and related spiritual disciplines was from people active in the peace movement and particularly individuals such as Tom Joyce, Len Desroches and Joe Mihavec who were part of, or supporters of, the Cruise Missile Conversion Project. In particular, I learned about the Feast of the Holy Innocents which was chosen as a day of prayer, reflection and civil disobedience at the gates of Litton Industries. Litton Industries, on City View Drive in northwest Toronto, was in the 1970s and 1980s a focus of major protests of the production of the guidance system of the air launched cruise missile. The Cruise Missile Conversion Project wanted Litton Industries to be converted to the production of civilian goods.

Those that chose the Feast of the Holy Innocents as a day of presence at Litton did so because in the preparation of the tools of modern warfare an echo of the actions of Herod was seen. Just like he caused the slaughter of children because he was afraid of what the future might bring as a result of the birth of Jesus, our modern world prepared for and participated in the slaughter of innocents due to fear and the desire for power. Being silent when weapons of mass destruction are developed and used makes us complicit what happens around the world when the innocents and powerless of the world have their lives woven into the power struggles of the mighty. Being at the gates of Litton was a time to example ourselves as people living in a world that does not value children, as living in a world where families have to flee as refugees, a world in which violence is justifiable tool to achieve a political end.

Being at the gates of Litton was a statement that being people of faith who remember with shame and horror the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem we are called to build up a world in which such evil is not repeated, whether in the small scale of our homes or where war is being fought around the world.

We hear in the Gospel what can happen when a political leader with little restraint on their power, is frightened. They can lash blindly, sweeping into the lives of innocents with violence. Herod was afraid of what a political messiah could do and he tried to kill everyone who could possibly grow up to be the messiah. His motivations could even been positive. A political messiah, a claimant to the Jewish throne, could cause the Romans to take over the last remains of Jewish independence and slaughter everyone who they saw as connected to the Messiah. A messiah, in the apocalyptic times of 2,000 years ago, could threaten the balance that kept the Jewish faith alive in the centuries since the end of the Babylonian captivity. The magi who had visited the infant Jesus made it clear that someone unique was happening in the world—and Herod chose to deal with it through directed, mass violence. Herod had many options before him, from doing nothing to seeking out the specific infant he saw as a threat to seeking advice and help from the wider community. For what may have been the best of motives, Herod chose to do evil on a wide scale. And he created the first martyrs for our faith, completely innocent by-standers who died because of fear as a result of God being among us.

Jesus did live through this period thanks to Joseph being willing to believe a divine warning. I could easily imagine Joseph not taking this warning seriously—we all get a feeling of something bad about to happens, things that rarely, if ever, occur. A bad dream would not likely to get us to rush to a strange land in order to protect our family.

Jesus and Mary were fortunate that Joseph believed the dream and brought his family to Egypt as refugees. They found a haven in a strange land. Jesus would have had to learn Greek (the dominant language of Egypt since the time of Alexander the Great); if his family settled in Alexandria—the major city of Egypt of the time and a good place for a carpenter to find work—he would have been immersed in centre of learning for Roman empire at the time. The possibility of Jesus to have lived a sheltered life was shattered by living as a refugee in a foreign land. His having been a refugee helps to explain why Jesus was so compassionate to the needs of the outsider.

Something good did come from the actions of Herod—the divine Jesus experienced the results of fear, hatred and oppression in his formative years among us. But just as the best of motives doesn’t excuse an evil action, an unintended good result doesn’t justify evil. We can learn from and overcome harm we have experienced, but we would be healthier if we never experienced violence or tragedy in our lives.

When I was in front of Litton Industries approximately 30 years ago I was seeking a world where compassion was stronger than fear, where love was more omnipresent than hate, where violence was no more because we converted our swords into plows and our spears into pruning hooks—I sought to live in a place and time where the Sermon on the Mount and the Magnificat were woven into the fabric of daily life. I saw in the massacre of the innocent children of Bethlehem the same evil that resulted in the bombing of Hiroshima, the realities of Auschwitz, the killing fields of Cambodia, the massacre of Wounded Knee, the burning times of the witch hunts of Europe…the evil that was done by people who believed that the ends justified the means. I also saw, thanks to those who were a part of the Cruise Missile Conversion Project the value in the examples of St. Francis of Assisi, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez, Simon Menno, Martin Luther King and others within the broader faith community who believed that the way one lived in the world was the key way of showing the value of the Gospel to the world around us and that if one was going to engage the world in a struggle for the shalom kingdom, a world of peace, justice and compassion, one had to do so in such a way that the means and the ends were one. Otherwise, whatever our motivation, evil will be the outcome of our actions.

We are entering a new year, carrying with us all our memories and experiences. Let us seek to leave it with memories of what we have accomplished during the year, every small step we take towards the building up of God’s kingdom on earth. When we give clothes to those on the streets; when we bring meals to shut-ins; we we move our money from banks to credit unions; when we bite our tongue rather that respond with anger; when we say no to violence in our homes, in our neighbourhoods or around the world; when we find a way to welcome the refugee into our city…in all these ways we are showing that the Kingdom of God is alive and welcoming all those seeking to live more fully in harmony with one another and with all of creation.

1. St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society
.  138 Pears Ave. #801
, Toronto, Ontario
 M5R 3K6

St. Clare’s is continues to both develop new affordable housing efforts and provide affordable housing to people, most of whom come as a result of referrals from agencies working directly with the homeless, marginalized and difficult to house. In 2011 two projects, 180 Sudbury and St. Clare’s – Monaco Place, officially opened—over 200 units of new affordable housing. St. Clare’s grew out of Toronto Action for Social Change, which organised a number of creative protests during the Harris years. More information can be found at: http://stclares.ca/

2. FoodShare Toronto.  
90 Croatia Street, Toronto, ON M6H 1K9.  Attention: Zola Dyer.

From the good food box programme to community gardening to advocating for sustainable food policies, FoodShare works hard to make sure that social justice includes what is on the table. More information can be found at: http://www.foodshare.net/

3. Rooftops Canada.  
720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 313, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2T9

Rooftops Canada, the international development arm of Canadian co-operative and non-profit housing movements, works with overseas partners in countries from the Baltic Sea to Zimbabwe to “improve housing conditions, build sustainable communities and develop a shared vision of equitable global development. “ More information can be found at: http://www.rooftops.ca/

4. Student Christian Movement of Canada.  
310 Danforth Ave., 
Toronto ON      M4K 1N6

The SCM has a long history of being an inclusive faith-based voice for positive radical social change university campuses. In addition to direct work for social transformation, SCM is a member of the Canadian Alternative Investment Co-operative. From responding to homelessness to indigenous solidarity to the Queer and Christian Without Contradiction initiative, the SCM continues to link reflection with action. More information can be found at: http://scmcanada.org/

5. Elizabeth Fry Society
.  215 Wellesley Street E.
, Toronto ON M4X 1G1
The Elizabeth Fry Society provides effective support for women involved with the criminal justice system. From transitional housing to jail support, E Fry makes a difference in the lives of women in conflict with the law. More information can be found at: http://efrytoronto.org/

6. CHFT Charitable Fund.  
658 Danforth Avenue, Suite 306
Toronto, ON,          M4J 5B9

The CHFT Charitable Fund is a project of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto. Its programmes range from diversity scholarships to support for the Green Roof initiative at Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative to a basketball court at Atkinson Co-op. More information can be found at: http://www.coophousing.com/charitable/charitable_mission.asp

Over the years I have also supported the following organisations that are more activist than charitable in focus.   These include:

7. Christian Peacemaker Teams.

In the USA:
CPT, PO Box 6508; Chicago IL 60680-6508
In Canada:
CPT, 25 Cecil Street, Unit 310; Toronto, ON M5T 1N1

CPT sends delegations to places of conflict to be a practical resource for non-violence and a witness to the world of violence and injustice. From Columbia to Iraq to first nations in Canada, CPT delegations have been a hopeful presence in many places around the world. For more information see http://www.cpt.org/

8. Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. 7 Labatt Avenue, Unit 209H, 
Toronto, Ontario
 M5A 1Z1

From direct action casework to solidarity with imprisoned refugee claimants to walking picket lines, OCAP activists are a strong voice for economic and social justice. For more information http://www.ocap.ca/

9. Wilderness Committee. P.O. Box 2205, Station Terminal, Vancouver,                BC  V6B 3W2

The Wilderness Committee is a mainstream but persistent voice for wilderness and endangered species. In addition to political campaigns, they are a good source of fair trade goods not found elsewhere. For more information see http://wildernesscommittee.org/home

10. Peace Brigades Canada. 145 Spruce Street, Suite 206, Ottawa, ON K1R 6P1

Peace Brigades Canada is a part of a global network of activists who work with human rights activists in places of conflict. From Nepal to Mexico, Peace Brigades volunteers accompany human rights workers as the eyes of the world. For more information see http://www.pbicanada.org/

FIRST LESSON

Philippians 4: 4 – 7

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY: John 1: 19 – 29

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who art thou?”

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

And they asked him, “What then? Art thou Elias? “ And he saith, “I am not.”

“Art thou that prophet?” And he answered, “No. “

Then said they unto him, “Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? “

He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, “Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? “

John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. “

SERMON PROPER BEGINS

As seasonal temperatures begin to surround us and snow is a real possibility even in down town Toronto, it is hard for us to think about what it must have been like in the middle east about 2,000 years ago. We know that shepherds were watching their flocks by night, so it must have been the dry season. Shepherds, the hobos and migrant workers of the time, didn’t bring sheep out into the hills during the rainy times of the year. If flocks were in the hills, that could help explain why the stable was empty. While it was occasionally dangerous work, with wild animals and human perils to deal with, being a shepherd would take you away from the ebbs and flows of urban life and put you more directly in harmony with the rythms of the natural world. One would need to be open to all sorts of possibilities without certainty as to what the future would bring. A wolf could appear, a lost lamb reappear, someone from a nearby village could drop by with the latest gossip or a tax assessor to could appear to determine the value of the flock. There was a quiet urgency to the work. The whole life of a shepherd is one of expectation.

Pope John Paul II, in his address on Dec. 18, 2002 said, “The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously.”

Like the shepherds who gathered outside Bethlehem, we are in a time of expectation. Something is about to happen in our world. It isn’t a good time to waiting for some people, particularly those on the outside or in places and times of stress and danger. We hope that what we yearn for will come to birth—but we have only faith that something good can happen.

Madeleine L’Engle, in her poem The Risk of Birth (Christmas, 1973), looks at the time of the birth of Jesus through a contemporary lens. When Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem there were doing so in a time of apocalyptic visions, of hope for a nationalistic Messiah, of wars and rumours of wars, of plagues and famines and in a time of loving communities, intellectual curiosity, new goods coming into the marketplaces from far flung parts of Europe and Asia and Africa…She writes:

This is no time for a child to be born,
With the earth betrayed by war & hate
And a comet slashing the sky to warn
That time runs out & the sun burns late.

That was no time for a child to be born,
In a land in the crushing grip of Rome;
Honour & truth were trampled by scorn-
Yet here did the Saviour make his home.

When is the time for love to be born?
The inn is full on the planet earth,
And by a comet the sky is torn-
Yet Love still takes the risk of birth.

Signs in the sky and difficulties in the world are not unusual. If we let the realities of the world at its worse overwhelm us, we’d freeze, we’d stop expecting that something different is possible. 2000 years ago, when it would have been easy to accept despair, hope was alive; vigils were kept; shepherds looked up to the sky and an expectant couple took a journey to Bethlehem. Even in a last of foreign occupation, love can find its way to make a home in the strangest of places.

Daniel Berrigan, in his poem Advent, helps make this clear: He writes:

It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction
and loss – -
This is true: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction –
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.
It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever –
This is true: For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of Peace.
It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil                                      who seek to rule the world –

This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth,
and lo, I am with you, even unto the end of the world.
It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church, before we can be peacemakers. This is true: I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
your young shall see visions,
and your old shall have dreams.
It is not true that our hopes for the liberation of humanity, for justice, human dignity, and
peace are not meant for this earth and for this history –
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice.
Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ — the Life of the world.

++++++++++

We know that our world is one in which there is suffering, but we also know that our world is one in which joy can burst forth.

Advent is a time when we come closest to understanding this. We may have the excitement of waiting to open a present wrapped and lurking within the shadows of a Christmas tree to help us understand Advent; we may be hosting parties that help us understand the uncertainty of offering hospitality to strangers; we may be leading lives of loneliness or fear and are wondering if something good could possibly come our way. We worry and wonder. We may be facing a celebration without a family member; we may be about to start a new job. We may live in the midst of conflict; we may live in a peaceful haven. But we are all living on the edge—something can change; things will change. This is advent, the very edge of time when all things are possible. Just on the edge of our hearing is
the sound of a sheep bleating. Night has fallen. We wait.

Introit:

Give them eternal rest, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine on them for ever:

Greeting:

Celebrant: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with you all.
All: And also with you.

Opening Prayer:

Almighty God and Father,
it is our certain faith
that your Son, who died on the cross, was raised from the dead,
the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep:
Grant that through this mystery
your servant Karl Clemens who has gone to his rest in Christ,
may share in the joy of his resurrection.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever: Amen.

The Collect:

O God, the maker and redeemer of all.
Grant us, with our servant Karl
And all the faithful departed
The sure benefits of your Son’s saving passion
And glorious resurrection;
That in the last day,
When you gather up all things in Christ
We may with them enjoy the fullness of your promises;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever: AMEN

Readings & Reflections

First Reading: Isaiah 40: 6 – 11

A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry”
People are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever:
You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
Here is your God!
See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Celebrant: The Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-9

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

Celebrant: The Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.

COMMUNITY MEMORIES

We invite family and friends of Karl who may have memories to share to
come forward at this time.

GOSPEL

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Celebrant: The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John:

Gospel: John 14: 1 – 6; 18 – 19; 27

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Celebrant: The Gospel of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God.

HOMILY: NOTES FOR A MORE COHERENT FUNERAL HOMILY

Sometime before the end of the last century I met Fr. Karl, an odd and stubborn energetic priest who had a vision of a world in which a faithful life meant dealing with the lives of individuals where they happened to be. If I thought about it at all, I would have assumed he’d celebrating a mass at my funeral, not me at his.

Karl was a very stubborn person. Because of this he was able to accomplish a phenomenal amount of practical work in his life of ministry. Like many, he was compassionate and committed to the work of a priestly vocation. But it was his stubbornness and persistence that allowed his idealism to bear practical fruit. This expression of ministry changed over time—he developed more than one parish from scratch; at a time when many diocese’s budgets were creative statements, he worked hard in the Kingston’s chancellery office to make sure that the diocese was in good financial state; he reached out to, and encouraged, generations of young people to become priests; he walked the streets and entered the hospices to make a difference in the lives of people with HIV aids when that was an unpopular ministry. And he chose to marry Nicholas Burger, making a statement with his life that love is real and is to be expressed in a real and public fashion.

Karl was a story teller. Some of these stories were ones arising from his life experiences. From finding ways to go around approved church architects to use designs that were more affordable to some of the strange arguments ecclesiastical tribunals used to justify the granting or rejecting of marriage annulments, Karl’s background was an often mined source of material. But Karl would tell other stories that were more of a teaching nature—how a brief prayer with a stranger could have a real impact; of how sharing a cup of coffee with someone with HIV/AIDS was at one time a rebellious act and we should seek out similar opportunities with the outcasts of the current moment.

Karl’s life journey wasn’t a static one; his choices weren’t always consistent. He ran for office both for the NDP and for Campaign Life. He grew up on a small farm in rural Ontario but ultimately found a home and haven in Toronto. According to his brother Terry his one point of consistency was the fact that he loved a good political fight—whether at school as a teenager or in a coffee shop on Church Street. Before becoming a priest he was a school teacher; the first time he entered seminary he changed his mind, almost rejecting a calling he was definitely suited for. And it seems that for most of his adult life he faced a real personal struggle—a true and abiding commitment to the Roman Catholic faith and his calling to the priesthood and the integrity that required him to be honest about his sexual orientation.

Karl and I had very little in common, but there were two parts of ministry that we seemed to have common views about. We found performing weddings not
really to our liking and that the rites around death actually are meaningful.

Those of us here today are given the opportunity to seriously reflect on our relationship with Karl and how we carry into the future a part of his life through our memory. But we are also given the opportunity to see our death and how it isn’t really the end for us. What we have given to the world will live on after we pass away. Just as Karl has left behind churches and memories of shared good times and bad times with those many of us turn away from, we too should know that what we give to the world will last longer than our physical presence. We may never know who will have the cherished memory of us that sustains them in hard times; we may never know the way our simplest act of compassion with ripple out into the world. But this is a part of our own reality, something we share with our brother Karl.

Karl took risks to love; to experiment with life; to become at 60 the person who embraced life with the exuberance of a teenager. He was a conservative who found meaning in the celebration of the Eucharist and a revolutionary who found meaning in the financial wellbeing of an institution he was devoted to. He loved his family of birth and of marriage; cared for his neighbours and struggled hard to be a good priest even when that took him in new directions as his life changed.   His work was recognized in many forums, including his being made a papal knight, a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.  We’ll miss Fr. Karl in many different ways, but we will continue to be different and better people for having known him.

THE PEACE

Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.

THE EUCHARIST

Prayer over the Gifts:

Lord, receive the gifts we offer for the salvation of Karl Clemens . May Christ be merciful in judging our brother Karl Clemens for he believed in Christ as his Lord and Saviour. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving:

Priest: The Lord be with you.
All: And with thy spirit.
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
All: It is meet and right so to do.
Priest: It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty
that we should in all times, and in all places,
give thanks unto thee,
O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God.

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In him the world is saved, humanity is reborn, and the dead rise again to life.
Through Christ the angels of heaven offer their prayer of adoration as they rejoice in your presence for ever. May our voices be one with theirs in the triumphant hymn of praise:
All Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory: glory be thee, O Lord most high.
Celebrant: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
All: Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant: We give thanks to you, Lord our God,
for the goodness and love
you have made known to us in creation;
in calling Israel to be your people;
in your Word spoken through the prophets;
and above all in the Word made flesh,
Jesus your Son.

For in these last days you sent him
to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.
In him, you have delivered us from evil,
and made us worthy to stand before you.
In him, you have brought us
out of error into truth,
out of sin into righteousness,
out of death into life.

On the night he was handed over
to suffering and death,
a death he freely accepted,
our Lord Jesus Christ took bread;
and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, and said,
“Take, eat:
this is my body, which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them,
and said, “Drink this, all of you:
this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
All: we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
Celebrant: and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
to you, Lord of all;
presenting to you, from your creation,
this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God,
to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,
that they may be the sacrament
of the body of Christ
and his blood of the new covenant.
Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice,
that we, made acceptable in him,
may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In the fullness of time,
reconcile all things in Christ,
and make them new,
and bring us to that city of light
where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
the firstborn of all creation,
the head of the Church,
and the author of our salvation;
by whom, and with whom, and in whom,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.
All: Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Celebrant: As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
All: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer after Communion:

Lord God, your Son Jesus Christ gave us the sacrament of his body and blood to guide us on our pilgrim way to your kingdom. May our brother Karl Clemens who shared in the Eucharist, come to the banquet of life Christ prepared for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Final Commendation
Invitation to Prayer:

Before we go our separate ways, let us take leave of our brother Karl Clemens. May our farewell express our affection for him; may it ease our sadness and strengthen our hope. One day we shall joyfully greet him again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself.

Silence

Signs of Farewell

Celebrant: Saints of God, come to his aid!
Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord!

All: Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Celebrant: May Christ, who called you, take you to himself;
may angels lead you to the bosom of Abraham.

All: Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Celebrant: Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.

All: Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Prayer of Commendation:

Into your hands, Father of mercies,
we commend our brother Karl Clemens.
in the sure and certain hope
that, together with all who have died in Christ,
he will rise with him on the last day.

We give you thanks for the blessings
which you bestowed upon Karl Clemens in this life:
they are signs to us of your goodness
and of our fellowship with the saints in Christ.

Merciful Lord,
turn toward us and listen to our prayers:
open the gates of paradise to your servant
and help us who remain
to comfort one another with assurances of faith,
until we all meet in Christ
and are with you and with our brother for eve:
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Committal:

In peace let us release our brother to his place of rest.

May the angels lead you into paradise; May the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

May choirs of angels welcome you and lead you to the bosom of Abraham; and where Lazarus is poor no longer May you find eternal rest.

Whoever believes in me, even though that person die, shall live. I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

May the God of peace
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great shepherd of the sheep,
by the blood of the eternal covenant,
equip you with everything good
that you may do his will,
working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory for ever and ever:

All: Amen.

Celebrant: Go forth in the name of Christ.

All: Thanks be to God.

Those of us gathered here today are sharing in a incarnational journey as we explore the meaning of Advent in current times. We see a world being turned upside down as a result of the birth of baby in a stable in a small town in the middle east. We are on the cusp of a moment when everything is made new. The dream that brought CAIC to birth over 25 years ago is intimately woven into what we see as having happened in the first moments of the birth of our faith. We share our resources in harmony with a vision of what we understand as having been born in Bethlehem.

While the liturgical calendar has us moving through Advent, the calendar on our walls has today as being one of remembrance of the murder of 14 young women on December 6, 1989. The reality of a world in which women are disproportionally the victims of violence is one in which CAIC functions. It is a world in which the members of CAIC really difference.

Looking over the groups that CAIC has offered support to this year provides a glimpse in the many ways our visions and that of local communities come together. 10 new loans and loan renewals went out to initiatives that include a women’s centre, community loan funds, affordable housing, a food distribution centre and worker co-ops. Loans were approved, but not yet advanced, to 4 projects that will likely accept our help. As well, after receiving approval for a loan from the CAIC board, one housing project found a different source of funds and one possible syndication with credit unions was found to not be practical. From the St. John’s Women’s Centre in Newfoundland to the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation) in Alberta, grass roots organisations have found CAIC an essential partner in bringing to life their different visions for a better life for those they work with which in turn helps to weave together a stronger and healthier community for all.

We should be very proud of our shared vision. Because of CAIC there are fewer homeless people in Canada. Because of CAIC there are more places for victims of domestic violence to find a haven. Because of CAIC there are more jobs in Canada. Because of CAIC there are fair trade partnerships between Canadian co-operatives and co-operatives in the developing world. We may not have transformed the world, but we have transformed the lives of strangers.

CAIC’s success is due primarily to the dedicated work of our staff—Valerie Lemieux and Beth Coates. They do the key work to ensure that the proposals the board reviews meet the needs both of borrowers and the mandate of CAIC. And, from our website through newsletters to public presentations, our staff are the ones who share the news of what CAIC is and what we offer to those seeking resources to meet the challenges they have taken on.

Our work is greatly assisted by an advisory board whose skills and expertise are drawn up to help judge the strength and weaknesses of the proposals the Board reviews. Jen Heneberry, Andre Schroer, Paul Connolly, Ted Hyland, Paul Plecash and Karen Knopf give a great deal of time and effort to help ensure the board both due diligence and honouring our mission.

The Board of Directors of CAIC—Arlene Kubiak. Sr. Doryne Kirby, Fr. Paul Hansen, Moira Hutchinson, and myself—share in the hard task of judging the proposals that come before us. It can be a difficult role for us—we are all idealists, all advocates for social justice. The Board struggles with balancing our stewardship of the resources entrusted to CAIC with the deeply held desire to work with others to meet pressing social, economic and personal needs. This can be daunting at times, but the results are truly worthwhile.

The real strength of the Canadian Alternative Investment Co-operatives is our members. For over a quarter of a century CAIC members have trusted each other with our pooled resources and a shared vision of a world in which homelessness, hunger, violence in our homes are compassionately addressed and alterative structures such as community loan funds, co-operatives and community economic development projects are supported at critical moments in their development. Through CAIC our members engage the world in a sustained way. By supporting local initiatives that make a difference in the lives of individuals, we collectively help to bring to life the shalom kingdom.

I have voted since then, but only for individuals with whom I have worked with outside of electoral politics. It would have been nice to have had them elected, but it wouldn’t have resulted in a better world.

Low voter turnout may indicate that a large number of people have also come to feel that it is not important to participate in a process that has become symbolic rather than meaningful.

When the Occupy movement came to life and, more specifically, when it appeared in a place about 15 minutes walk from my home, I became immediately encouraged. In a time of political cynicism and barely responsive elected officials people from diverse backgrounds came together to talk and raise questions. Specific demands were less important than the exploring of ideas and possible options. There were points of clarity—a real desire for inclusive political processes, efforts to bring into the Occupy community the marginalized who (with the exception of OCAP) have historically not been too welcome within social movements, respect for opponents, the need for people centred economic structures. The Occupy movement came into a politically and emotionally empty void.

The vicious attacks on the movement, whether in the media or in places by the police, have not been a surprise. Public dissent is rarely welcomed, even more so when it actually is unique. An effort that can gain support from the Paul Martin’s of the world as well as those charged with conspiracy for their participation in the G20 protests is a rare and potentially truly radical, truly turning the world upside down.

I hope that the state supported attacks on the Occupy movement don’t end it. I hope that it doesn’t disappear into the many private spheres but finds a way to be a physical present in our towns and cities. As someone who finds little to support in traditional politics I may be expecting too much from the Occupy movement. But it has been a true beacon of hope for me. Somehow in the midst of all the social, economic and political ills, when police violence against dissent is displayed across the internet if not in our recent personal memories, people from faith communities and unions, homeless people and co-op housing activists, people with drug and alcohol issues and small business owners, students and veterans, libertarians and Liberals…a phenomenal diversity of life experiences and social visions have found a shared expression in our common community spaces.

I go to sleep with the memories of watching my union brothers helping to take apart a physical statement of an desire for a better world and with the knowledge that a member of the clergy who had seemed surprisingly and wonderfully supportive of the camp at St. James banning participants from Cathedral property. This does not sit easy with me.

But I also go to sleep knowing that I am not alone in wanting the seeds planted in the Occupy movement to grow. This will help keep the darkness at bay.

When I wander through and observe what is happening at St. James Park and read about what is happening elsewhere I am always pleasantly surprised. It is all too rare for those who are homeless, addicted and otherwise marginalised to be seen, let alone integrated into a broad effort to transform the world. Yet, from speaking at general assemblies to sharing food to having a fairly safe place to rest, the Occupy movement has been a phenomenal example of inclusiveness. It is not perfect, but it is in many ways closer to the shalom kingdom than most faith communities.

I have been excited at the use that St. James Park has been put to. From having community speakers to being a base for marches, at last there seems to be in Toronto a truly public square. The state provided spaces at Queen’s Park, Nathan Philips Square, Dundas Square, etc. have not proven to be welcoming places. Yet a park that is built on the site of a cholera burying ground has proven to be a living and dynamic place.

I am angered and frightened that elected officials seem to have the popular support to stop public usage of a shared resource. Mayors and city councillors have taken what should be a welcomed change—large number of publically and peacefully politically engaged people—and labelled the movement a danger. Courts in Canada seem all to willing to put aside the ideal of public assembly. The police seem all to willing to use excessive force to put down dissent, noticed in Toronto at the G20 and around the world when people gather in the public squares. I can understand why the state and corporate interests want to hide away dissent; wants to hide away homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges; wants to use violence against current protestors to discourage future ones. However, as one dependent on the media for information, it is easy to develop the opinion that oppression is a very popular political option. This angers and frightens me.

This week a 28 year struggle for pay equity was finally won. If it takes over a generation for one victory to occur, why is there impatience with a few weeks that the Occupy movement has been a part of the political landscape? Social change takes a long time. Progressive movements need to be a part of the ongoing social fabric. Ending the Occupy movement, even transforming it by taking it into local meetings, having small scale neighbourhood actions and becoming a part of the private meetings and backroom lobbying of traditional social movements, will be a real set back for the work for positive social transformation. Currently there are places in cities and towns around the world where there is a clear statement that not only is something wrong but there are alternatives to be considered. The commons have been communalised but around the world, from court injunctions to brutal physical force, the Occupy movement is under substantial threat.

I hope that I will continue to have the opportunity to feel a stranger in the midst of the Occupy Movement. Come tomorrow the courts may rule that the City of Toronto can take down the camp in St. James Park. With the state and corporate interests driving the Occupy movement out of public spaces and having significant popular support to do so, it is hard to feel confident that a wonderful public expression of hope and anger will continue to be a public witness.

My only connection to this movement is occasional visits to Occupy Toronto at St. James’ Park. I am fascinated by the decision making process. The patience of general assembly facilitators and spirited input by participants is something I’ve not seen since the early days of the Clamshell Alliance and the large assemblies of the Great Lakes Coalition Against the Cruise/Alliance for Nonviolent Action.

In my visits, though, I feel like an outsider. As I am not staying at the park or flexible enough in time and spirit to go on marches or take part in any concrete tasks (i.e. medical; logistics; food), I feel I shouldn’t participate in discussions or group decision making. I am a visitor to someone else’s movement, not a part of it.

I hope that this movement continues to grow. There are huge social problems, from poverty to war to urban violence to homelessness to alienation from participating in mainstream decision making, that need to confronted. Every moment that a public space is occupied is a moment in which the world as we experience it can be transformed.

The occupy movement is a place for experimentation in effective compassion. How is food shared? How can the scare resources of shelter and privacy be equitably provided? How can the views of different people be brought forward into the decision making process without discouraging those with divergent views from participating? How can this movement link with other struggles without losing its own internal dynamics and logic? It deserves to be supported and lessons learned from it as it evolves.

Different expressions of the occupy movement have different needs. What they have in common is a need for space that can be set aside on an ongoing basis, access to food, shelter, washrooms and communications technology so that they can be sustained on an ongoing basis. In some places a flying squad of supporters would be truly helpful—if they are threatened there should be something in place that will bring the broader community together in support. Spiritual and emotional support is often greatly needed—it is hard to maintain a movement if only the physical needs are met. Logistical support, including food and medical supplies, is always important for an ongoing public movement.

Weaving links to the broader community is essential. If you are a member of a church or a union with a presence near the occupied site urge them to open their doors to the occupy movement. Even a couple of hours a day would be helpful. Whether providing a space for mediation or a hot shower, simple practical expressions of solidarity will help sustain the movement for the long haul.

If you know neighbours that feel intimidated by the people in the Occupied space, bring them by and introduce them. Neighbours need to be acknowledged as stakeholders in the public space; their help will be essential in keeping the space available for the long haul.

The public face of the occupy movement is essential. It is hard but long term movements do need to realize that both sides of a protest are included when the whole world is watching. It is hard to focus public attention on police violence and overreaction if the media can show occupiers using force or violence, throwing things at police or vandalizing property.

I am hoping that as winter approaches safe places are found for those occupying in the northern hemisphere to continue their protest in the public eye. From church sanctuary spaces to city squares surrounded by buildings that block the wind and snow, most urban places have areas where occupiers can continue to gather publically and safely. It will take a long time for the compassion and commitment of the Occupying movements to have a substantial impact on the broader world. But as someone who began participating in social movements while the Vietnam War was still being waged, I know that the world can change.
And social transformation can best come about if movements are supported on a long term basis.

I am on the fringes of the Occupy world. As I reach late middle age I am filled with hope because this is happening around me.

Somehow in the mid to late 80s a shift occurred.  Instead of touching my life from time to time, co-operatives became a key part of my identity. I started looking for work in the co-op sector; I moved into a housing co-op; I joined food co-ops and worker co-ops and credit unions and energy co-ops; I began running for regional, provincial and national co-operative boards—I began woven into the co-operative sector.

Being a part of the co-operative world has resulted in my travelling from Victoria to St. John’s, conducting workshops, raising points of order from microphones, examining investment holdings and sharing in decisions about what venture will be funded. For several years I have attended a gathering once held at the Atrium in Guelph and now at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington—the On Co-op (formerly CCA Ontario) Conference. Unlike most co-op gatherings where I have a formal role I am at the periphery. I attend opening sessions and workshops; once I even stayed for the evening gala/awards event (the year that the Canadian Alternative Investment Co-operative received an award).

What brings me back year after year is that this is a gathering of the clans. Once a year I share a few hours with those who have devoted their whole lives for the co-operative movement and those making their first venture into an odd community. And it is an odd community. Senior officials of co-operatives with hundreds of millions in assets join with those who depend on a government subsidy to be able to afford their homes in celebrating a common vision of a world where people share their time and resources to jointly meet individual and community needs. I meet people every year that came from the Alliance for Non Violent Action or The Student Christian Movement or the Public Interest Research Group network, which helped form my approach to the world and those from business schools and traditional businesses that find common ground in figuring out the best way to jointly meet human needs.

This On Co-op conference was structurally the same as other years—-the morning devoted to speakers with workshops in the afternoon. In the morning we had a change to hear three good speakers. Networking opportunities were woven into the lunch hour. The day ended with concurrent workshops.

Dame Pauline Green, president of the International Co-operative Alliance, appeared via internet hook-up., and gave the key-note speech. She focused on 2012, the International Year of Co-operatives. She gave a global perspective on our movement and encouraged participants to use 2012 to share our good news and our shared vision. It is sometimes hard to find common ground across co-op sectors (co-op housing is very different from credit union and a community medical co-operative); Dame Green has devoted her life to not only weaving together co-operatives across sectors but around the world.

She was followed by Mike Colledge of Ipsos Reid. While not the most dynamic speaker, his presentation of the results of a recent survey on the attitudes of Canadians towards co-operatives was informative. It helped to put our movement into the broader Canadian context. I was struck by the comment that the most cynical people in regards to co-operative are often the most knowledgeable about co-operatives. This strikes home as those who are the most familiar with co-operatives will be dealing with co-operatives both at their best and at their worst.

The final speaker of the morning, John Restakis, was challenging and moving. He is the author of Humanizing the Economy: Co-operatives in the Age of Capital. Much of his presentation consisted of extracts from the book. His illustrations were fascinating. The difference between the way that the U.S. responded to Katrina and the people of Sri Lanka responded to a massive tsunami gave a clear distinction between the values of a co-operative community and one of a competitive one. We were reminded that co-operatives are truly revolutionary, capable of transforming the world through the combination of practicality and idealism. He drew clear links between the world that a co-operative society could build and the visions behind much of the Occupy movement.

Lunchtime was an opportunity to meet with co-op members from across Ontario and across sectors. As I moved from energy co-ops seeking investors to a Gay Lea travelling museum I got to talk to people who talk about offering statements without a blink, to reconnect with others from the libertarian left movements of 70s and to sample fair trade dark chocolate.

I spent the afternoon at a workshop on Assessing Capital. This may sound dull, but co-ops do depend on finding money to start up and to expand. Whether this is done by people reaching into their own pockets to start up a small cooking co-op or through mortgages to buy the buildings for a housing co-op or selling bonds to build a wind or solar power facility, money has to come from somewhere for such dreams to come to life.

As is always the case, I leave these co-op gatherings encouraged and hopeful. Co-operatives for me are a way of transforming and renewing society. Through co-operatives people can share in controlling their economic and social realities. There is something spiritual in co-operatives as well. It isn’t an accident that people like Father Moses Coady and Toyohiko Kagawa linked their faith to the development of co-operative communities. In the co-operative movement I am connected to a web of dreamers and practical folk who share a vision of a better, transformed and transforming world for all.