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Dear Friends,
Blessings to you and your community as we move through the Epiphany season and look forward to Transfiguration Lent, and PIE Day. In the weeks between Christmas and Lent, we live through a liminal space of both rest and preparation. After the intensity of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, we are offered a contemplative space to slow down and discern what is in our midst, and where God is calling our energies to attend. In the later weeks, looking forward to Lent, we are called to preparation of both ourselves and of setting the stage for living into the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and offering both gifts and good works.
Transfiguration Sunday arrives before Ash Wednesday and is a reminder that in this liminal space, we are called to prepare for a transformation into Lenten people, those who understand that our time here as Christians in our mortal bodies is not to be wasted; it is to be offered reverently to the service of goodness and justice in God’s Kin-dom. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he talks about the transformative nature of a life lived in the Spirit.
Corinthians 3:12, 3:17-4:2
Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with complete frankness.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 We have renounced the shameful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.
We live boldly in the truth that God’s love is for all of creation, and with that message written on our hearts, our lives reflect this. Frankness is making space for both/and theology, for both/and living. As we move into this time of prayer fasting and offering, let us centre our hearts, spirits and minds on justice-making wherever we may find ourselves. As Dr. Cornell West’s words say, let us centre our lives on the notion that justice is what love looks like in public.
The event and resources in this newsletter will help to support your journey, and perhaps the journey of your community of faith, during this time of preparation and discernment. With offerings of a Lenten study focusing on Guaranteed Livable Income advocacy and learning, PIE Day preparations for Affirming Ministry, and opportunities to worship with Sabeel and be in Solidarity with Palestine, the invitation to transformative living is filled with abundance.
In solidarity,
Kendra Mitchell-Foster
Regional Minister: Justice, Pacific Mountain Regional Council
KMitchellFoster@united-church.ca
1-800-934-0434 (within BC) or +1-604-431-0434
Lheidli T’enneh Territory
Prince George, BC
PacificMountain.ca/Justice-Network
Guaranteed Livable Income
Poverty can happen very quickly to anyone. Our long-standing commitment to calling for a Guaranteed Livable Income first articulated in 1972 took on new resolve and urgency in the pandemic, and we continue to persist today.
It is a gospel message to bring good news to the poor, and not just at certain times of the year. Advocacy and work to achieve a nation-wide Guaranteed Livable Income program helps us to carry this message into our communities and to those in power. There is always work to do.
Leading into the election in 2025, The PMR GLI group is revitalizing and organizing to support grass-roots advocacy actions in our communities. There is a National GLI meeting each month via zoom, and regional communications, efforts and support. The next meeting is February 1th at 10:00 am. If you are interested in joining, please contact Barry Morris at bkmorris60@yahoo.ca, or Kendra Mitchell-Foster at kmitchellfoster@united-church.ca. There will be a short meeting after the National GLI meeting to cultivate more momentum for these initiatives in the PMR.
If you are looking for an initiative to animate within your own community, GLI lawn signs and bumper stickers are excellent awareness-raising tools. Information and pdf image files for these can be found on the PMR Justice GLI page.
To learn more about the United Church’s involvement and advocacy with GLI initiatives, visit the UCC National GLI page. For more information on broader anti-poverty initiatives, visit the UCC National Ending Poverty page.
What can you do to inspire more contemplation, action and advocacy for anti-poverty initiatives in your community?
PMR Justice has developed a Lenten study including reflections on the gospel message of anti-poverty and how this links with Guaranteed Livable Income initiatives. Building on the 2025 UCC Lectionary, for Ash Wednesday, each Sunday in Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, there are excerpts from scripture, brief “good news” reflections and action & advocacy prompts to support your own Lenten journey, or the journey of the justice group in your community of faith. Written collaboratively by Rev. Barry K Morris and Rev. Dr. Kendra Mitchell-Foster, these reflections are rooted in the desire to increase capacity for GLI advocacy in the Pacific Mountain Region, to see this important initiative flourish in the work of the United Church and in our communities, so that all may live with dignity.
We have an opportunity to ensure Basic Income is on their agenda. By joining our email campaign, you can send a direct message to the candidates, letting them know why Basic Income matters to you and to Canada’s future. Political change doesn’t happen overnight, but when enough voices come together at the right moment, we can shape the conversation. This is one of those moments.
 Affirming Ministry
Music and conversation for PIE Day
February 19, 5pm PST
Join Affirming Connections and Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble for our official pre-National Affirming/PIE Day event!
We will welcome winners from our National Affirming/PIE Day song contest for music and conversation about what music and the arts can do to spread Affirming values in the world.
What will you Sing Out Proud this PIE Day? PIE Day happens on March 14 every year, where we celebrate being Public, Intentional, and Explicit in our unconditional Affirmation and celebration of all 2SLGBTQIA+ identities!
Join us to get inspired – register now
PMR Justice hosts a monthly Affirming Ministry Connection Hour on the first Wednesday of each month. Our next meeting is March 5th, 2025 at 12:00 pm PT. All are welcome!
Solidarity with Palestine
UNJPPI (United Network for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel) is a network of mainly United Church folks across Canada working for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. UNJPPI West is a subgroup of them. We meet monthly online and most months there is representation from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
One of the ways that UNJPPI encourages us to take action is to learn why human rights organizations charge Israel with apartheid and how local churches and community organizations can join the growing movement to end Israeli apartheid. The Apartheid-Free pledge, its vision, goals, and strategy and the growing network of churches and communities that have signed the pledge are all part of an accessible initiative to actively practice Solidarity with Palestine through economic means and social change.
Questions? Reach out to Debbie Hubbard at seekingequalrights@gmail.com or Marianna Harris at holymom1@shaw.ca.
Canadian Friends of Sabeel is an organization that seeks to be a Canadian Christian voice for Palestinian liberation.
Through education and engagement, CFOS supports the struggle for equality in justice, freedom, and human rights of Palestinians living under apartheid and the illegal Israeli military occupation. With partners around the world, CFOS works non-violently for a just and durable peace for Palestinians and Israelis.
CFOS’s video series Encounter The Holy Land features conversations and reflections from ecumenical partners like Munther Isaac, Daoud Nassar, Sonia Khoury, and Dr. Naim Ateek. This series may be useful to continue to learn about solidarity and advocacy actions, and to share the opportunity with others.
Friends of Sabeel North America is an interdenominational Christian organization seeking justice and peace in the Holy Land through education, advocacy, and nonviolent action.
FOSNA promotes the vision of Sabeel Jerusalem, an ecumenical liberation theology movement founded by Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land, joining Friends of Sabeel chapters around the world. As a nonprofit organization in the United States, we amplify the voice of Palestinians by advocating in churches, communities, and governments for justice, peace, and liberation in Palestine.
FOSNA has both a video library and an audio library, as well as the FOSNA Blog: Voices for Palestine which offer updates, insights and information for continued learning, planning and organizing.
Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center‘s mission is to strive towards theological liberation through instilling the Christian faith in the daily lives of those who suffer under occupation, violence, injustice, and discrimination. Sabeel’s vision is that local Christians inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ would stand for the oppressed, work for justice, and engage in peace-building.
Sabeel Wave of Prayer  Every Thursday at 6 PM Jerusalem time (8 AM Pacific Time), Sabeel gathers our friends from around the world for our weekly online service. Led by Rev. Naim Ateek, the service includes the Wave of Prayer, readings of the upcoming week, and a time of group reflections. The text for reflection can be accessed at the Wave of Prayer link, and you can register for the zoom worship series here.
Are you interested in beginning or deepening your journey of living Solidarity with Palestine? Are you part of a justice group or community of faith who is looking to do the same?
PMR Justice hosts a monthly Solidarity with Palestine Connection Hour on the first Thursday of each month. Our next meeting is March 6th, 2025 at 11:00 am. Come and find support, encouragement, ideas and invitations to collaborate. Community sustains justice efforts, let us work together.
Indigenous Justice & EcoJustice
Trigger Warning: this film deals with the ongoing genocide of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island through the exploration of real-life stories of people who survived the Indian Residential School System in British Columbia and Canada.
National Geographic has released a new film, Sugarcane, which deals with the Indian Residential School System and its ongoing effects in Canada. This film might be a resource for you and your community to spark conversation, reflection and action on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Sugarcane is a 2024 film that investigates the Canadian Indian residential school system and its impact on survivors and descendants. It follows the story of a newborn abandoned in a garbage burner behind a school in 1959 and the dairyman who saved him.
From NationTalk:
The film follows several members of Williams Lake First Nation and neighboring communities in the context of WLFN’s investigation into the abuse and disappearance of children at the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School. Among others, the film highlights the first-hand experiences of Charlene Belleau, Julian Brave NoiseCat, Ed Archie NoiseCat, WLFN Kukwpi7 Willie Sellars, Anna Gilbert, and the late Rick Gilbert.
Sugarcane was made by filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
Trigger warning: this film deals with themes of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Police violence and carries a rating of R for language.Â
Sacred resistance and justice movements to protect our Mother Earth and all of creation have been strongly rooted in place, tradition and identity for generations with the Wet’suwet’en people. In late 2024, the film YINTAH was released to much celebration and an enthusiastic reception.
Spanning more than a decade, YINTAH follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands from the Canadian government and several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth.
The film itself is now streaming on CBC Gem and Netflix, and is a testament to the energy, sacrifices and unity required to live into sacred resistance.
Information about the film, as well as additional resources for planning screenings in your own community and actions are featured on the film website at yintahfilm.com