What Did the Canaanites Think?

Last week, we had several long passages of scripture, this week, we have 9 short verses, except they caused me more internal wrestling than all the verses did the week before. Last week we heard the story of Noah, his family, and the animals sailing in the ark, and then God making a promise to…

Call, Conversion, Community

I sat in my study at home yesterday and pictured myself as a parishioner, not necessarily at Stairs, and pondered what I might need to hear on a Sunday morning. As a preacher, I am conscious that most weeks, there are a variety of needs and desires on a Sunday morning, depending on circumstances, personality…

Doubts and Beliefs

How many people get excited when they receive a letter or card in the mail? I know I do. From pictures drawn on cave walls to the printing press, written communication is a way that we can be in touch with and have impact on the lives of those who are outside our immediate circle.…

Love, Courage, Witness

I want you to think of moments that are awesome, and full of joy. When the presence of God was so apparent you could touch it and taste it and feel it… Perhaps the birth of a child or a grandchild… perhaps sharing a special moment with a soulmate… perhaps a walk in a favourite…

Being a Neighbour: So Simple, So Hard

I belong to a Buy Nothing group on Facebook, my area is Eastern Passage, Shearwater and Cole Harbour and I can’t belong to a group that exists outside of my own neighbourhood. From the website: The Buy Nothing Project was founded in 2013 with the mission to build community by connecting people through hyperlocal gifting,…

Turning Point

Do you know if you are an introvert or an extravert? The primary different between those two types of people is where they get their energy. Extraverts get energy from being around people and feel drained by themselves. Introverts feel drained by being around people for too long and recharge by being alone. It has…

PIE and a Cup of Water

Has anyone been lonely, especially these last two years when we have been so socially isolated? Or lonely, feeling out of step with family and friends? Because you don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. . Loneliness has long been recognized as being bad for a person’s mental health, but research is now showing…

Ordinary Days

In The Writing Life, Annie Dillard reminds us of something that is at once obvious and shocking: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”