Treasured Temptations

This is the first Sunday in Lent. The first Sunday of our journey to Jerusalem. A time for reflection and contemplation about what it means to be the people of God. In worship over the next 6 Sundays we are going to explore the theme of brokenness and reconciliation: Each of us is created a…

Crying Over Stuffed Animals

These stuffed animals, placed on the porch of the house my church owns, the house that became a home for a Syrian refugee family till a short time ago, moved me to tears in a way that was unexpected, as I arrived at the church last Friday to make the final preparations for the community…

When Bad Things Happen

  A tragedy beyond our comprehension. Seven children, Abdullah, Rana, Hala, Ghala, Mohammed, Rola and Ahmed Barho, gone forever. Their parents shattered, a community devastated and a country in shock. This is a time for us to gather together and, in our case, do what we do best. Pray. We cannot fix this. We cannot…

Blessings & Woes – Part 1

Have you ever listened or read that list of those who are blessed and think, “Really God? Blessed?” And so I have been pondering how the word blessings and what being blessed means all week. I used to end my emails with ‘Blessings.’ We say that something is a blessing to us. We say ‘Bless…

Going Deep!

The reading this morning from Luke follows the account Jesus preaching in his hometown and the people wanting to drive him off a cliff! Jesus acts as if he knows the fishermen, borrowing a boat as his platform for teaching. He teaches the crowd and the tired fisherman. Let’s listen, as the story unfolds in Luke 5:…

Are You a Minister?

This was the question that was posed to me by my favourite waiter at Cora’s. I eat breakfast there most Wednesday morning, Derek knows my order without asking and supplies me with endless refills on coffee while I do some reading and writing without interruptions and distractions. While the staff there know I am religious, partly…

Friday Five – Holy/Thin Places

Over at RevGalBlogPals it’s Friday Five time! This time the question is about holy or thin places. Tatamagouche Centre, on the north shore of Nova Scotia. Conrad’s Beach, on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia. Seton Spirituality Centre, on the south shore of Nova Scotia. The first green shoots in the garden, so hopeful! Through…

Does Jesus Care If You/We Are Baptized?

To continue with the second week of our Jesus Doesn’t Care series, I spent a long time contemplating baptism and pondering: What does the United Church say about baptism? What does it mean to be baptized? What are the reasons people bring their children for baptism if they don’t intend to participate in the life…