Why collaborate? Putting our unity into action For the past 17 years a group of churches in Hamilton, Ontario have partnered together to pursue the good of our city. This network, which took the name TrueCity, began because a few churches recognized they had gifts to...
A few years ago now, to celebrate my 40th birthday, I walked the iconic West Coast Trail. I came off of the trail on a Saturday evening, stayed on the Pacheedaht Nation’s campground and, on Sunday morning, walked into the town of Port Renfrew, on the west coast of...
Twenty months in and the pandemic keeps dragging us in its choppy wake. Many, many articles and webinars feature thoughtful speakers encouraging the church in ways to keep on with worship, whether online, hybrid and/or on site. Many others are teaching ways to keep...
In the midst of all the immeasurable pain and suffering during the pandemic, many people have expressed a heightened awareness of their priority of values and what is important in their lives. Often, I have wondered what God is up to in all these disruptions, which...
Think of any novel or film script that sets up its central conflict around an attempt to rule the world: invariably the character in pursuit of power is cast as antagonist and villain. As much as any society has its heroes, we all agree that no one should have all the...
This pandemic season has accentuated the reality that there remain many people, understandably, that are not coming into church buildings to join in weekly worship. While the hope for ‘getting back to normal’ continues, perhaps this is a time to consider other spaces...
How has Covid impacted how we understand and articulate the gospel? The knock at the front door was a welcome yet surprising sound in that second week of March 2020. Do you remember those early days of the pandemic? Stuck at home, our time was spent in a whirlwind of...
Covid-19, social isolation, racism, global warming, unaffordable housing, sexual ethics – there are no shortage of issues our city and province are facing right now. Each one of these issues calls for our attention and our thoughtful, prayerful and courageous...
The way the story was recounted to me, the veteran wore his pain lines like a medal of bravery. A stalwart member of the congregation, he sat in the pews with his wife each Sunday bearing a quiet authority that told his story before he ever opened his mouth. Wounded...
I had to be away from my regular Sunday preaching gig recently. I missed my people, but I’m not sure I missed presiding over communion with them. It was the first Sunday of the month, a day when many Protestant communions celebrate the Lord’s Supper. I’ve been...