Remembrance Day - my father - Edward Richard Unruh

Edward Richard Unruh - I honour my father today and his love for Canada, the country of his birth to parents who emigrated from Mennonite villages in Russian owned Ukraine during the 1800's. From within the Mennonite town of Hepburn, SK, which was predominantly pacifist by conviction, Dad stepped forward to join the Royal Canadian Air Force when I was a newborn. He returned home. My brothers and I were blessed to grow up with his influence in our lives. I am proud to remember my father and his comrades on the Remembrance Day and will forever be grateful for our freedoms that they preserved.

AMERICA - DON’T VOTE FOR A 70 PLUS CANDIDATE

I am 73 years old and I am advising Americans to think twice about voting for a presidential candidate who is 70 years and older.  Political correctness declares that age should not be an issue, but honestly, it is.  President Obama's hair colour is an indicator of the onerous burdens of the office. He took office at age 44. Imagine the cumulative affects of national governance on a president whose best years are 20-30 years behind him. Of course Trump, if elected, will never grey out because his present hair colour is simulated. That should not dupe anyone. This office requires grey matter. The synaptic gaps in Trump's brain are already too far apart for responsible information transmission. All other Republican candidates are 65 years and younger. Of the Democratic candidates, Bernie Sanders is 75, Jim Webb is almost 71 and Joe Biden who will soon declare his candidacy, is 74. Hillary will turn 70 before the presidential election and she gives evidence now that she should consider a position no loftier than co-host of The View.

Ruggieri and Janin - artistes extraordinaire de Luberon

Philippe & Anne-Marie

This husband and wife artistic team made such an impression on me in 2009 during our last trip to the Luberon area of France and particularly their home town of Bonnieux, that we have today driven from Lourmarin, our home base during this current trip, and we have found Anne-Marie Ruggieri in the studio that we visited six years ago. We learned today that they now have a second gallery in Bonnieux called Kelia Galerie. Philippe works in this latter one. Both of them are remarkable artists. Since our last visit they have both done many works in pastels which seem to compliment the subject matter of Anne-Marie’s landscapes and still lives, and Philippe’s nudes. The nudes are new subject matter since I last saw his work. After our 2009 trip, I wrote a blog post about them and I place the link to that here, ‘Artists Anne-Marie Ruggieri and Philippe Janin.’ They have a marvellous website with both French and English capabilities, called Janin et Ruggieri.

Today as we spent time with Anne Marie, we purchased one of their five art books, this one called 'Luberon, Le triangle d’Or.’



Bonnieux is several kilometres from Lourmarin up steeply curved and circuitous climbs, but we may go again to see how he is. They honour their country and the specific region so well by their impressionist work. I enjoy their paintings very much.

Christine had explained that we had been here 6 years earlier and visited this gallery, that I was an artist and that I liked their work. Anne Marie was so pleased.





She was so friendly and engaging with us and she said she would sign it for us and then she began to do a pen landscape sketch on the inside cover, at the bottom of which she signed her name and the date 29 Septembre 2015.




She told us that if we then went into the village to the other gallery, Philippe would also sign it.

























 Within minutes, someone came in to tell her that Philippe had fallen was hurt and had been taken to the hospital in Apt, and she was immediately visibly concerned. Our visit ended with our thanks to her and our expression of trust that her husband would be alright.












Then on Monday … we returned because Philippe communicated he could receive us. He was well, and had not been badly injured, and he was happy to visit with us.





In his gallery he signed our book and posed for photos with us.

Philippe Janin signing a book for Christine and Ron Unruh

Anne Marie Ruggieri and Ron

by Ron Unruh

Chicken Galantine - unbelievably good

Last evening, we dined at an outdoor bistro called 'Adieu Les Gens,' rather inconspicuously tucked away in Cloverdale. It is virtually a 'by invitation only' dining establishment. Featured last night was a Chicken Galantine, exquisitely prepared and presented by chef de cuisine Jeffroi and his fellow cusinier Gigi. This dish was chicken delicately deboned, and stuffed with pork and choritzo and olives and seasonings, enclosed within the rolled and tied meat. 

Enhancing the primary item was a flavourful assortment of sautéed vegetables and small potatoes. The 600-degree wood fired outdoor oven made this dish appealingly lovely to look at and to taste - out of this world. Made me think that I was in France. Made we want to fly there.  We hugged the proprietors and staff. Great establishment. We'll be back.

DEFINING MATURITY

In our housing complex, Christine and I observe numerous gradations of maturity among adults. Some understand what it means to live responsibly in community and some don't care. For the latter group, individualistic interests control personal decisions and that is immaturity. In contrast, a vacationing fourth floor apartment individualist has been at ground level for two weeks voluntarily hand watering community plants for everyone's benefit. That is maturity at its altruistic finest. I understand that in churches we mean more than biological and psychological maturity but spiritual maturity as well. Within the context of Christian development, maturity is expressed as setting aside personal rights and ambitions as Jesus did for us, and prioritizing other people in our investment of time, energy, and everything else. This strength of maturity lends itself to being a nonconformist, a rebel and a maverick for Christ. Christlike individuals, mature in their relationship with a triune God, self-effacing and compliant to the will of the Father who authorizes them to be pioneers, innovators, forerunners, pacesetters, visionaries.

Addendum: This week the occupants of two units have moved and our unanimous corporation exclamation is 'good riddance.' They didn't respect the other residents of the community and created disturbances. I am certain there have been a few churches who after seeking peace and enduring conflicts have also been happy to see some members leave. Maturity is that important. It’s not a matter of age but of choice.

OUR 48TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Christine and I sat at White Rock Beach this morning, with muffins and coffee to reminisce while we enjoyed an early summer morning. We looked back 48 years to another August 12th when we dressed as finely as we could and together with our families we met friends assembled at Calvary Church in St. Catharines, Ontario. There Rev. James Vold officiated for us a ceremony that permitted us to say to each other, “I will love you for a lifetime.” That day was a happy day for us, memorable, pretty for so many reasons, supported by well wishers, blessed by the LORD.   

Even at my age, it feels like an impossible fact to tell someone that my wife and I are celebrating our 48th Anniversary.  Forty-eight years can be a great deal of history. As we chatted today, we thought about how our culture and societal moralities have changed. We thought about the pressing national and international issues of the Sixties, and we compared them to the pressures of today. We spoke to each other about the struggles, the adjustments, the determination that were required for two people to make it to the 48th anniversary of a mutual commitment. We are thankful that we are here together. We are grateful to have children and grandchildren. We are content that we were able to say loving and respectful goodbyes to both sets of our parents. We are content to have served congregations together with complimentary gifts. We wonder how to make use of the years yet ahead in a responsible and fulfilling way. Always at the beginning and though out our lives, God has factored significantly into plans, choices and actions, and we believe he will again, but we are uncertain how that will play out.

The photos were taken in Montebello Park in St. Catharines. The Wedding Party was comprised of ( L to R) David Langlois, Robert Langlois, Jim Langlois, May Langlois, Ron Unruh, Christine Langlois, Tina Unruh, Edward Unruh, Neale Unruh, Murray Unruh. Both brothers on both sides were as yet unmarried. Both parents on both sides have passed away in recent years. The Church building in which we were married was sold and a new church building constructed elsewhere. The London College of Bible and Missions later merged with Toronto Bible College to become Ontario Bible College (OBC), and much later Tyndale Bible College. I later graduated with a Master of Divinity from Ontario Theological Seminary, the graduate school of OBC, and much later with a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Chicago). Christine’s gifting and service was always in music and worship and together we worked in Calvary Bible Church, Smiths Falls; Ferndale Bible Church, Peterborough; Wishing Well Acres Baptist Church, Toronto; Cloverdale Baptist Church, Cloverdale BC. We closed off our formal service life when I was President of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada, a denomination of 150 churches. Christine found a worthwhile ministry to pastors’ wives. We’ve done well. Happy Anniversary to us.

ONE MAN'S REFLECTION ON A HISTORY OF CLOVERDALE BAPTIST CHURCH

CBC’s first service held in new sanctuary - photo from church website

A memorial service for a friend was my reason for entering the brand new facility that now contains the congregation of the Cloverdale Baptist Church. It is commendably well designed, spacious and sensible. Christine and I were there along with friends from numerous activity and interest groups to honour Ted Hewlett and reflect on our memories of him. Ted and Mary have been members of CBC for many years, dating to the ten-year span during which I served as lead pastor there.

Cloverdale Baptist Church being dismantled 

Well, not truly there, but rather in the structure that has been disassembled to make way for the new building and its required parking. In recent months, having intermittent glimpses of the vanishing older facility, my nostalgic memories gave way to thoughtful thanksgiving for all that happened in 85 years.

Cloverdale Baptist Church was a dream that became realized. It began simply enough, as a home Bible study for interested people whose increasing numbers birthed the notion of starting a Bible-believing church with a building in Cloverdale. These pioneers were convinced this was God's idea which he invested into their willing hearts. First, in 1929 several families rented the Liberal Hall in Cloverdale to hold worship services led by area pastors. The Home Missions Committee of an association known as Regular Baptists had been considering starting a church work in the area, and suggested that this fledgling fellowship affiliate with them. The group was formally recognized as a Baptist work on March 10, 1931.

Church leaders and members rose to the challenge with an eager desire to reach their community, so they visited homes and made contacts and extended invitations to attend and over a period of time, people responded to warmth and friendship, believed the good news that was preached, were baptized as new believers and became active members. Church membership grew throughout the 1940's so one acre of land was purchased at 17400-60th Avenue, where the congregation built a new facility and dedicated it to the Lord on October 11, 1962. That building was a catalyst to further growth which included various ministries for special groups, missionaries commissioned overseas, and daughtering other churches. 

Cloverdale Baptist Church, 1981-2015

Then in August 1981 the congregation moved to the present site which then was comprised of 12.8 acres, and there a new 22,500 sq. ft. building with a five acre footprint that included an auditorium seating 550-600 people, ample parking, a gymnasium, Christian education classroom facilities, a smaller chapel/fellowship room and a kitchen. Christine and I came in autumn 1991 to a church of 200 in a building surrounded by bush and farmland. On March 15, 1992 at an Anniversary Service charter members Helmut and Emily Seiler represented the congregation as they put a match to the mortgage certificate for the building as a symbolic gesture indicated the full payment of that debt, and everyone then praised God for his faithfulness in helping this congregation see accomplish this. The following years became filled with a Daycare program, a School of Music, a Skate Church to reach youth, a highly effective youth program, High Power Soccer camps in the community, a Seniors program and growing Sunday attendance. Bush and fields gave way around us to almost overnight housing communities and shopping plazas. 

A full auditorium and visionary people birthed two initiatives. First, in 1995 the launch of a congregation in Murrayville comprised of 50 adults plus their children who volunteered to go with a pastor and $100,000 to begin a brand new work. 

Southridge Fellowship Baptist

Today Southridge Baptist Church occupies a functional new building in Murrayville. Second, because this was a burgeoning area, blueprints were drawn for a new sanctuary seating 1200 people to be added to the existing building using the courtyard as a large glass-topped lobby. Concurrent with that, plans for the seven remaining acres of grasses, included three three-story saleable multi-unit condominium buildings and one similar size subsidized or affordable housing complex. All four buildings would be centred with a vast park area with walkway making it accessible to the surrounding community.

Cloverdale Baptist Church 2015

Some plans belong to God and some are set aside. The latter one was not realized. I concluded my service in 2001. In recent years, new leadership opted to sell seven acres to a developer, and to meet the demands of today with the construction of this new facility. Many new memories will be made in the years to come, yet for many of us, it is appropriate to be thankful for lives that were changed and challenged, and relationships that were deepened and healed because of God's presence and the faithfulness of his people in all of those earlier years.