The Courage to Stay in the Dance of Love

This little plaque was given to me at my 8th birthday party, and it’s one of the few things I took with me when I left home as a young teenager. Now, I don’t think anyone, even the most religious amongst us would consider giving something like this to a child now. And in retrospect,…

A Reflection for the Longest Night

And so we gather in the dark — not to escape it, but to honour it.
Because darkness is honest. It does not pretend.
Because darkness is where seeds grow.
And because, as the gospel writer tells us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

Connected to Heaven and Earth

Highs and lows… Terror and joy… Heaven and earth… Advent asks us to open our hearts to all of it. The nativity story itself holds this tension: a birth surrounded by angels and shepherds, yet set within a world marked by empire, fear, and displacement. (Rev. Janice MacLean) Let’s listen to the words we are…

Light is Returning

Anyone else feel like crawling into bed right after supper? The only thing that keeps me sane at this time of year is counting down the days till the days start getting longer. It’s less than three weeks before that happens! Surely we can last long? It’s no wonder ancient people of all sorts in…

Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice

Welcome back to Theological Banquet! We’re in a five-part series inspired by Undivided Love and Rev. Janet Gear’s research, using a banquet metaphor for different faith expressions. Understanding these categories helps us see how people are motivated by faith and even when they disagree with us—all paths are valid. Last week, we focused on those…

Light and Life

A few weeks ago, I attended a reading by Marie Wilson, one of the commissioners to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. And of course, bought her book, North of Nowhere! I’ll get back to a story that she told in a minute. Did any of you attend one of the public sessions when it was…

Open Hearts

One of the ways I prepare to write my sermon is to read the scripture slowly… Then I read it again… slowly…. The third time, I pick up a pen and circle the words that jump out at me… This week, the three words that jumped out were opened, heart and listen. I was also…