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A Note from the Pastor, Aug 19, 2012

  They are here! Almost two years after we first heard about the Art Show entitled The Creator’s Sacrifice, the paintings have arrived at Hope Fellowship.

  “The reForming Relationships art tour is a catalyst for building and re-building (forming and re-forming) relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada. It provides opportunities to learn about Aboriginal history and culture, about the history of relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada, and about the current lived experience of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. It creates space for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to meet and get to know each other, to engage in constructive dialogue, and to build bridges of understanding. In short, reForming Relationships is a place for fostering relationships of peace and friendship.
  The reForming Relationships art tour is a series of community-based tour stops. It began in October 2011 in Saskatoon, SK and will travel to locations across Canada over the next two years.
  'The Creator's Sacrifice', is a series of 17 paintings depicting the Easter story in Woodland artistic style. These paintings by Cree artist Ovide Bighetty were commissioned in 2002 by Indian Metis Christian Fellowship, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church to Aboriginal people in Regina, SK.
  The title of this cross-country art tour - reForming Relationships - gets at the heart of what this tour is all about: forging and deepening relationships between Christian Reformed and Aboriginal communities. In some places this will mean building on the foundations of existing relationships. In other places it will mean learning about Aboriginal culture and current lived experience, perhaps for the first time, and providing opportunities for relationships to be built. But in all places, it will be living out Jesus’ ministry of restoring (re-forming) relationships broken by sin.” (www.crcna.org)
  While those of us who are organizing this phase of the tour do not know what God has in mind for us here in the Durham region, we are open to his leading. It has been our prayer all through the preparations that God would open our minds and our hearts to what He is doing. We have already learned so much—mostly we’ve learned how much we don’t know! It is our hope and prayer that those who come to see the paintings will also be willing to come with open hearts to hear what God has to say to us.
  There will be a number of different opportunities to come and learn and enjoy the beautiful art work.
  The paintings will be displayed in our sanctuary from September 8 until October 9.

Dates to mark on your calendar:
  • September 9—Regional Service in the evening (area Christian Reformed Churches) 
  • September 10-14 Prayer times at the church, which will include prayer for the ministries of Hope Fellowship and prayer for our relationship with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. 
  • September 20—an ecumenical service to which all churches in the Durham region will be invited, along with those for whom this is traditional territory—the Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nation. 
  • September 22—an Open House for the artists in our community 
  • September 24—an Open House for Seniors. 
  • September 26—youth groups will be invited to come and experience the paintings. 
  • Sept. 27-28– Two days in which school groups are invited to come and learn about the paintings as well as experience the Blanket Exercise (an interactive look at North American history from an Aboriginal Perspective. 
  • September 29—an Open House for churches, with the opportunity to experience the Blanket Exercise 
   And if that’s not enough, and you would like to bring a group of people through at another time, please either contact the office or email reformingrelationship@yahoo.ca.
  This is a once in a lifetime event - these paintings reside in Saskatchewan, so if you ever want to see them outside of the month of September, you will have to travel a long way.
  Will you join with us in praying that many people will take the opportunity to come and see these amazing paintings and that the seeds that are sown through this endeavour will bring beautiful fruit in His time?

Yolanda, Evelyn and Patricia for the rest of the team





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