St. Patrick Explains the Trinity

This week is Trinity Sunday.  

Here is a rather tongue in cheek explanation of St. Patrick trying to explain the Trinity to his people:

https://youtu.be/KQLfgaUoQCw?si=OnmiaGL6yw0yYMLq

It’s a great little video that illustrates why I have always felt that the early church theologians (all men by the way) had entirely too much time on their hands.

It’s a kind of confusing doctrine of the Christian faith, and yet it’s the only doctrine that gets its own Sunday of the church year. I had to say that I believed it when I was commissioned as a United Church Minister in 1999. It is in our baptismal and confirmation vows and it is represented in our Statements of Faith, including our United Church Creed.

The Holy Spirit is always at work in the world, but my observation is that it has been particularly busy within our community of faith lately. I can’t tell you the number of people who commented on how much they enjoyed the worship service last week. And I will absolutely tell you that the Holy Spirit was working overtime last Sunday. What you all experienced last Sunday was a highly skilled and intuitive worship team who came together despite a bit of chaos and self doubt (certainly on my part anyway) about a half baked plan that involved ribbons, bubbles, blessing of the Good News Leaves from the Lent and Easter season, communion, and all the other usual bits of our regular worship service. It took a lot of trust in each other, and in the Spirit. But apparently, it was very meaningful for many.

I met a friend in the grocery store this past week who had been at one of our joint Holy Week services and said what a wonderful feeling it was to be in our space … “there is a wonderful feeling in the building” she said. I have heard this several times in the past few weeks.

That “vibe” she spoke of continues this Sunday as we confirm two young men (Mason Bowers, Jeffrey Stevens) and welcome 14 folks into our community of faith. And I promise, my sermon will be short-ish, and not convoluted, and I will try to explain how I understand the doctrine of the Trinity.

We had a great start to Picnic and Prayer last week. There were over a dozen folks that gathered in the chapel (it was a rainy day!) to talk about prayer. This week we will focus on the sayings of Jesus (day 23, Jesus Says Don’t Worry and day 25, Jesus Says Keep Searching).

Of course, we can entertain any other comments or questions you have for those of you that have the book and are reading through other parts as well.

The popular link for Day 23, the trailer for the movie Inside Out, is

https://youtu.be/yRUAzGQ3nSY?si=eVTfjXQfTE3VqGnO 

The popular link for Day 25, a conversation with Rachel Joyce, the author of the book "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" is 

https://youtu.be/WyAjO1wQ0x4?si=M7V8Vh1ZVIw0xLrk 

Also, the book was turned into a movie in 2023, and you can see the trailer here:

https://youtu.be/xeSrRrA4dXw?si=f2VZsr_TYEAwPCtF 

It's a great book, and a wonderful movie with the amazing British actor Jim Broadbent as Harold, in case you are looking for something inspirational to read or watch this weekend.

Hope to see many of you on Sunday.

Blessings

Martha

Picnic and Prayer ... and Parables, Prayers and Promises

I have heard that one should never google oneself … maybe because you might not like what you find. Or maybe because there’s misinformation.

When Ann and I decided to use a few of my reflections from the UCC 2017 Lenten study book “Parables, Prayers and Promises” as the basis for conversation for the Picnic and Prayer series that begins on Monday, I thought I would just check and see what’s out there about it. The whole endeavour began when a friend from St. John’s United Church told me just before this year’s Good Friday service began that she was enjoying re-reading the book during Lent. And I thought “really? That’s funny … isn’t it kind of dated?” Apparently not.

The book is out of print. It was out of print before Lent 2017 was over. The UCC must print a very limited number of their publications, but it has always been available as an e-book, and still is available in that format at UCRD, Amazon, and Indigo for around $6.00.

https://ucrdstore.ca/products/parables-prayers-and-promises-daily-devotions-on-jesus-e-book?srsltid=AfmBOorvgmGkTPnRiNQe0-gigzaeC2FeKN4Ha9EGNF_DL4GNzr6yESgb

A few years ago I got a call from a faith leader in Ontario that was doing a study on the book.

I continue to be amazed and very curious at the independent life the book seems to lead.

Anyway … I ended up googling “Parables, Prayers and Promises” and I was surprised to find this come up – it was AI generated:

“Parables, Prayers, and Promises: Daily Devotions on Jesus (eBook) is a Lenten resource by Martha Martin providing 40 days of reflections, anecdotes, and prayers to deepen one's connection with Jesus. The book connects the parables of Jesus to daily life, offering a blend of wit, wisdom, and spiritual guidance.”

Wow, I thought … “that’s kind of flattering”. A deeper search led me to a review from my very good friend Paul Hutchinson from Northern Ireland when he wrote a short review about the book on the Corrymeela Centre’s website. As Paul points out, there are a few reflections from my time spent as a volunteer with the community in 2011. You can read the review at:

https://www.corrymeela.org/news/113/parables-prayers-promises-by-martha

Some of the stories and anecdotes may sound familiar … they are stories from my life that I have told over the years in sermons, bible studies and blogs. Obviously we won’t be doing all of the reflections in the book during our time with Picnic and Prayer. Ann and I have chosen a couple to reflect on each week. The format includes references to music, youtube videos, poetry, and movies. All forms of popular culture. Which, for those who know me, know that’s a huge part of my life and how I make sense of the world around me.

Here are a couple of the links that are referenced in the first few reflections just to peak your curiosity:

(more P’s … Peter Rollins The Power of Parable)

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Power+of+Parable+Peter+Rollins

(from Bruce Almighty, God explains miracles to Bruce)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akrcYSLRluA

(How to Be Alone - Andrea Dorfman and Tanya Davis)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs

If you are not an e-reader, you can get a copy of each week’s reflections emailed to you, or you can pick up a hard copy at the back of the church on Sundays or by dropping by the office during the week on office hours. And if you sign up for the study, I will send out a weekly email with some of the links that are in the book.

The whole story of how the book came to be is an interesting one, which I will share briefly at our first session. It was written over 6 months during the fall and winter of 2015/16 during the height of my ruptured Achilles tendon saga.

It is interesting, and sometimes a bit disconcerting to google oneself. I did find in one item that came up about the book that it referred to a completely different author’s profile … a Martha Martin who lives in Ontario, is an award-winning teacher-librarian (not true) and calls herself the Book Babe (definitely not true). Oh well … beware of imposters.

This Sunday is Pentecost … the birthday of the church. We will be celebrating the day with a few special activities with the children, a very short sermon, and the sacrament of communion. We are inviting folks to wear red … or orange … or yellow to represent the flames of the Spirit that the early church experienced. We will also be blessing our good news leaves from the Lenten and Easter seasons so they can be released to bless the world … and we will be placing new symbols on our tree. We hope you can join us.

Blessings

Martha

Mother's Day

This weekend is Mother’s Day. Mostly my feelings about Mother’s Day are captured well in a column that Anne Lamott wrote many years ago. She reposts it every year, but warns it is “ONLY for those of you who dread the holiday, dread having strangers, cashiers and waiters exclaim cheerfully, mindlessly, “Happy Mother’s Day!”. Be warned. Although my experience tells me over the years that many women do approach mother’s day with dread and sadness, and I have always wrestled with the mixed feelings that the weekend raises.

You can find Lamott’s column at: https://www.salon.com/2010/05/08/hate_mothers_day_anne_lamott/

However, this week I had a lovely surprise from Alana … with a Facebook comment “was lovely to see this come up again! A story about Martha Martin and me.” She reposted an article from Broadview (formerly the United Church Observer) from 2020 about us … “When daughters follow their mothers into ministry …”

https://broadview.org/mother-daughter-minister-pairs/

I hadn’t read the article in awhile and I did find myself feeling quite energized and proud, and profoundly grateful. For all of it … the struggles and hard times, and also the hundreds of joy filled minutes. All of it. The incredible privilege of being in ministry … in its many forms … and the delight it has been when I get to do it with my daughter.

It’s been a week filled with both awe and sadness as I have prepared for funerals for 3 strong women of faith at Bethany. 3 funerals in 8 days is hard work it turns out. Not just for me, but for all the staff that are involved. But it’s a drop in the bucket to the hard work and contributions that these 3 women have left this faith community. It has also been inspiring. And it has been an honour to have been a very small part of their journeys, and to have worked with their daughters in planning the services. It has been a privilege to be a witness to their lives.

Glenda Reader, Harriet King, and Ruth Chisolm. Mother's Day will be a bittersweet day for their families this year.

Below is a picture of all my kids with their partners.

With much gratitude.

Martha

Let's go to the movies ...

May 1, 2026

Mostly this week I just want to flag a couple of movies … movies that might lift your spirits as much as they did mine. Both are still in theatres.

So do yourself a favour and treat yourself to the movies this week.

The first one is Project Hail Mary, with Ryan Gosling. It’s long … over two and a half hours. But it’s worth it for the laughs, the sense of awe at the sheer wonder of the cinematography on the big screen. Based on the best selling 2021 book of the same name by Andy Weir, the movie scores an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here’s the trailer:

Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0XN3-n-2Lo

And I am sure you can find many clips online. Here is a well written review which gives a great overview:

https://artsfuse.org/325954/film-review-project-hail-mary-the-sweet-smell-of-science-fiction-wonder/

The second movie I want to recommend, also in theatres now, is I Swear, a 2025 British biographical comedy-drama. It is based on the true life story of John Davidson, a Scottish man with severe Tourette syndrome who was the subject of the 1989 television documentary John’s Not Mad.

Here’s the trailer, but warning … the language is very salty (because it is true to John Davidson’s life story).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeWqQN3snCU

And a review from The Guardian: https://share.google/HSQ8zOFjN220J0DwY

Again, there’s lots online about the real John Davidson, which I find fascinating. The movie is at the same time heartbreaking, funny, uplifting and inspirational. And, I learned a lot about Tourette Syndrome.

Both movies left me feeling inspired and hopeful. Which quite honestly are characteristics that are often hard to find these days.

Perhaps they will find their way into a sermon or two in the next couple of months.

Happy watching.

blessings,

Martha

Sheep

This is the time of year I get memory posts from Facebook (well, honestly, I get them all year long) but the ones at this time make me particularly nostalgic. It’s the time of year when I get reminders of the trips I took to Corrymeela with church and community groups … late April/early May. The student trips were always during the winter university break in February, and the community group trips were in May.

In all, I took over 100 people over to experience and learn about the Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Northern Ireland. Every trip was exhausting … (I have a pattern …) but thanks to wonderful co-leaders, Alana Martin, Diana Ginn from the Law School at Dalhousie, and Paul Hutchinson from NI, we would pull it off.

I never really had a connection to sheep growing up. Why would I? I grew up in Toronto. But in the three months I spent at Corrymeela in 2011, I lived in the volunteer house, in a very tiny room, and shared space over that summer with over 100 other volunteers – mostly young adults . That, too, was a bit exhausting. But every time I stepped out the door of Coventry (the volunteer house) this was my view:

And I would breathe in, offer gratitude for this opportunity to spend time in this amazing place, centre myself, and carry on.

These are two excerpts (with pictures) from one trip with a church group (St. John’s and Edgewood-Oxford at the time) in May, 2015:

What is it about baby lambs that turn everyone into a little puddle of mush? This is the time of year for it ... they are everywhere, including the adjacent field at Corrymeela. The scene of a field full of sheep which greeted me every morning when  I lived here for three months was always very comforting. I was surprised this morning to see a bunch of the little ones all together, exploring and playing. Usually they seem to stay pretty close to their mothers. Find a baby lamb, and the mother is nearby. I guess there was a feeling of safety on both parts - mother and offspring, for them to be straying a bit. (Corrymeela Diaries, 2015)

Thursday when we returned to Corrymeela from Belfast we saw that one of the baby sheep had found a way through the fence and was by the side of the road, desperately trying to find a way back through to unite with its "tribe". Presumably it's mother was the sheep right on the other side, clearly distressed and trying to encourage the little one to find a way back through. There was even a crowd of other sheep nearby, concerned for what was happening. Happily, with a bit of human encouragement and shepherding, it found its way through. (Corrymeela Diaries, 2015).

Between my reminder Facebook posts and my sister, I have been thinking about sheep. So when I received the two boxes of felted animals and figures from my sister I was naturally drawn to the several sheep in the collection. A few weeks ago I offered to sell some of her pieces at the Springtide sale next week.

Below are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of her talent. Having visited her in March, I can attest that they were starting to take over her house. My sister is very talented. She also does commissions. She reproduces felted scenes from pictures, and also felted cats and dogs from favourite pet pictures.

Please drop by the table of Fairy Lake Felts at the Springtide Sale. (Fairy Lake is the lake at the end of the main street in Southampton, Ontario).

But I might have to fight you for the sheep.

Sunday we celebrate Earth Day and Camping Sunday. Ann and I will share some delightful stories from climate change activists and historical figures. And Shawn will lead us in a delightful activity during the All ages time.

Hope to see you there.

Martha

Paradox

I don’t have much in me this week to write about. I have been careening from one event and meeting to another without much time to think in between.

 I thought things might calm down a bit after Easter … but it actually seems that things are even busier as things that were bumped during Lent have risen to the top.

 But … that’s the nature of this faith community. It is a busy place. And, even though it can be exhausting, it is also energizing. It is a paradox. I am at the same time exhausted and energized.

 I am reading Brene Brown’s latest book Strong Ground with several clergy friends these past few months. (https://brenebrown.com/book/strong-ground/ )

 Her chapter on paradox was particularly relevant for me at this time, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it this week. She explains it in this video, link is below. If you have 13 minutes, it is well worth a watch … Brown explains the basic premise of her latest book, (subtitled The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit) and talks about paradox … the skill of holding seemingly contradictory ideas at the same time.

https://youtu.be/5ZcHQUH32hg?si=mIDlf1chVfKyeL7I

In the mean time … I am trying to hold the anxiety that some members have openly expressed in the past few weeks about our finances, and the need to “do something” and make a plan to address this, while I am also energized by some of the activities going on in the community, represented by a few pictures that Dana has posted on social media in the past few months.

I see the Spirit moving so clearly in these moments. And today, I am, in addition to preparing for the morning worship service tomorrow, also preparing for hosting an HRM youth event for upwards of 45 youth and their leaders who will gather at Bethany tomorrow evening.

There are other events coming up … in the next two weeks, representatives from our Social Justice Working Group and its previous configuration the Affirming Committee have been invited by two of our cluster churches to tell our affirming story from the past several years.

As we look ahead there are teams of folks working on a Camp Kidston Bean Supper fundraiser on April 25, Louisa and her team are very busy as they prepare for the Springtide Sale May 2, and Shawn and many others are rehearsing for the Cabaret on April 29th.

Tomorrow, we will explore the story from Luke 24 about the Emmaus, and you will hear   that Jesus meets us where we are. I will look for him somewhere in the middle between exhausted and energized.

Wendall and Ruby, aging and change

A group of us gathered on Thursday at lunch to have a conversation about The Upending of Wendall Forbes by David Guiliano. We always start our book conversations with a quick go around … thumbs up or thumbs down? Everyone there gave the book an enthusiastic thumbs up. Here’s a description of the book:

“In his latest novel, David Giuliano delivers a warm, funny, and deeply human story about aging, resilience, and the surprising ways life can be renewed. Wendall and Ruby Forbes are grappling with sleepless nights, loneliness, and the unsettling fear that Ruby may be showing signs of dementia. Just when the weight of these worries threatens to overwhelm them, a fierce blizzard sweeps through their small town and transforms their quiet home into an unexpected sanctuary.

The storm brings with it an unforgettable cast of strangers: an Indigenous Colombian refugee and his partner, a young man on an accidental quest, a teenage activist and her younger brother, and even a sleep consultant all the way from Indianapolis. Each arrives with their own hopes and burdens, and together they create a household buzzing with stories, laughter, and surprising revelations. With warmth and sharp insight, Giuliano shows how chance encounters can spur renewal and remind people of the bonds that sustain them.”

You can read more, including an interview with David Guiliano at:

https://open-book.ca/News/A-Snowstorm-Sets-Upon-a-Small-Town-and-Reveals-the-Powerful-Bonds-of-Community-in-THE-UPENDING-OF-WENDALL-FORBES

You can also find a Youtube interview with David Guiliano at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqDVQsYYaxk 

The book was both sad and funny, poignant, insightful, and thought provoking. Many of us there related to the themes of aging and change. I know I certainly did.

Three years ago this month I told the congregation of Kingston Road United Church in the east end of Toronto that I had made the difficult decision to leave, after being their lead minister for 5 years. I started with KRU as a supply minister for 5 months, and ended up staying for 5 years as their permanent minister. I seem to have a pattern of doing this … in 2014 I went to St. John’s to fill in after Linda Yates left … and ended up staying as their Intentional Interim Minister for 4 years, leaving in 2018.

My intention in 2023 was to retire, come back to Halifax and never work in a church again. (Note: my spiritual director has asked me on several occasions … “Do you realize how many times you have told me you are leaving the church?”) It had been a wonderful 5 years at KRU, and we did great ministry together. But I was tired, burned out after leading them through the Covid years, and missing family. It was time to come home. And I was just turning 70 … surely my days in ministry were over? I was ending on a high, (but very tired) note.

Well … you have no doubt heard the saying … “if you want to make God laugh, tell her your plans.” Nine months later … I landed at Bethany – part time at first and then full time. And I got hooked … by all the things that were happening, by the wonderful staff team, in the way that I was welcomed and affirmed, in the way that my skills and experience seemed to match many of the current needs of the congregation. So I stayed and we named some particular projects we could work on that would hopefully set you up well for a new spiritual leader.

Those projects took a bit longer than expected. There has been much progress … but there is still much to do. But then – there always is in a faith community. Every faith community. The reality is that a faith community is always changing.

My hope was that I would be able to stay until your new leader came – hopefully by September 1, but I had said to the leadership that I wouldn’t leave you in the lurch and would be open to extending that if the search took a bit longer.

Turns out that was a bit ambitious. After much discernment, I have decided that I will be leaving Bethany, after a short extension of my present appointment which ends on April 30, at the end of June. Turns out, like Wendall and Ruby Forbes, I have to slow down. Full time work is not for me anymore. The past year has taken a bit of a toll, both mentally and physically. This was not an easy decision to make. And for a number of reasons, it was one I had to make alone, which isn’t really my style. But as I sit with it, I know it’s the right one.

It hurts my soul to see the worry in my daughter’s eyes when she sees my wobbly walking over uneven ground. Or listens to one of my rants about something which didn’t used to bother me … or at least let it get to me as much. My patience is very thin. I see that same worry sometimes in my colleagues’ faces … which is touching and appreciated. And humbling. I don’t have the capacity to be the leader that I want to be – and – also like Wendall and Ruby – I have to face my limitations. And be open to the surprises along the way. Which I seem to be losing my capacity to do.

And so … we still have things to do in the next couple of months … and we have plans. There is much happening at Bethany, as usual. And these are exciting times. And, these past nearly 2 years have been a great blessing in my life which I never could have imagined.

And … there is still good news in the world. I can’t believe how invested I was in Artemis II’s return to earth. As always, Anne Lamott’s column this week lifted my spirits (will repost below) … and also reminded me of a wisdom story I know as “Good News, Bad News” … perhaps I will read it to you all someday … and Brian Shields sent me a couple of wonderful songs on youtube this week.

See you Sunday when we will be exploring the story of “Doubting” Thomas. And also, “The Girl with Big, Big Questions.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os6sqWg93og

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN6zSez_d1c

Anne Lamott’s column yesterday:

”There is so much evil and heartbreak happening right now. Whenever something especially hideous happens, and I won't name names, I first think, "These are end times, Children," but then I remind myself of an old Buddhist story about a farmer whose fences are broken down by wild horses.” … read more at:

https://open.substack.com/pub/annelamott/p/today-dc2?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Holy Saturday

This is a picture of myself and the three clergy from our neighbouring United Churches, from left to right, Rhonda Schofield from St. John’s, Kathleen Anderson from Hope, and Angela MacLean from Hillside, after last night’s Good Friday service at Bethany. Although it had been a very serious and contemplative service, It’s possible we were all smiling because the service was over. Perhaps they are smiles of relief. And companionship. It is no small task to plan a joint service with participants from four congregations, but from the feedback it looks like we are getting pretty good at it.

The music from the massed choir was spectacular. At the end of the service, which was an adapted liturgy from Sanctified Art, it called for a “strepitus.” I had to look that up on the google machine. It is a Latin term meaning a harsh noise, loud crash, or uproar, most famously used in the liturgical service of Tenebrae … to represent the earthquake that occurred upon the death of Jesus … generally created by slamming books or rattling pews.”

Shawn and I discussed at length how we might incorporate the “strepitus” into the service. In the end, we decided a loud noise on the organ would be the best option. I think it was very powerful the way it worked out.

Today is often called Holy Saturday … the in between time … in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. When Jesus’ friends were stunned and overcome with grief. They didn’t know the end of the story, like we do.

This is a picture of a sculpture at the Spiritual Life Centre in Wichita, Kansas. Called “Resurrection”, it is made of Vermont white marble and African black granite. It was created by Jerzy Kenar and George Kurjanowicz, if you look closely you can see that it is actually a fountain – there is water trickling out of the crack in the granite slab unto the ground.

Professor Elizabeth Johnson says that … “In Matthew, an earthquake occurs at the moment that Jesus breathes his last, splitting open rocks and releasing the bodies of saints from their tombs … So also, an earthquake accompanies the descent of the angel from heaven to roll away the stone, witnessed by Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary,” … The shaking of the earth is an appropriate parallel for the way that the events of Good Friday and Easter morning shake the very foundations of everything once thought to be secure.

We have grown so accustomed to celebrating Easter with beautiful flowers and joyful music that we tend to forget what an unsettling, confusing, frightening day it must have been for those who first experienced these events. … The earth-shaking news of the resurrection is unsettling, even frightening; it shatters all our human attempts at security and jolts us into the unfamiliar territory of God’s new creation. In Jesus, the reign of God breaks open everything that seemed fixed and immovable -- even death and stone-cold tombs.”[1]

That’s why I love the picture of this sculpture. I first saw it many years ago in an Arts and Worship resource, and think of it every Easter. It reminds me of the full story.

And when you are ready for a delightful take on Easter by kids, I am reposting a video I shared last year of an intergenerational interpretation of the Easter story.

https://youtu.be/wdn1R90kX9A?si=vxBEED_T89fav6M4

Tomorrow we will gather (some of us at 6:45 am at Hillside!) to celebrate the good news that in fact … death did not win. There may or may not be a knock knock joke or two … and I’ll be addressing the perennial questions posed by 3 year old Isla in the following video … 

Did Jesus like chocolate? Was the Easter bunny in the Bible?

https://youtu.be/4Xgk6g-ovjM?si=c2pZdxFh6x49Qq44

Blessings

Martha

[1] http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3876

Take up your cross ...

The picture is the cross at the top of the hill at Corrymeela. An amazing place to bring your morning coffee or evening tea and ponder the wonders of life. The land on the horizon is Scotland.

Again, in this busy week, I am plagiarizing myself and borrowing part of a reflection from my 2017 UCC Lenten devotional Parables, Prayers and Promises, Daily Devotions on Jesus.

On this Good Friday, when we remember the inhumanity of this day over two thousand years ago, this is a reflection that ponders the meaning of the phrase “take up your cross and follow Jesus”.

Scripture: Matthew 10:37-39

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

“What does it mean to take up the cross and follow Jesus? I was never drawn to the symbol of the cross as a Christian symbol. I remember hearing years ago that the comedian Lenny Bruce once said that wearing a cross was like wearing an electric chair, meaning that in ancient times the cross was a symbol of execution, just as an electric chair is today for North Americans. It does give one a bit of pause for thought.

A quick bit of research shows that in fact crosses are very old. The oldest examples of their depiction have been found engraved on flat pebbles in a cave in the French Pyrenees dating from 10,000 BC. There are many examples of pre-Christian crosses depicted in Eastern and Western cultures across the world.

In the mid 1990s I became familiar with the beautiful painted crosses of El Salvador. These crosses originated in the 1960s and 70s, when people fled the brutal persecutions in El Salvador and lived in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. Here they tried to reconcile the pain and horror of their experience with their strong Christian faith. They thought of all the things that brought hope and meaning to their lives and then painted them in bright colours on wooden crosses.  In these crosses, we see pain and sorrow, but also hope, devotion, and daily life.

I now find that I have a collection of crosses – Irish turf crosses from Ireland, crosses from Mexico, Cuba, Peru, even one I painted at a youth vigil years ago. I began to realize that crosses not only reminded people of execution, oppression, pain, and suffering, but they could also tell stories of transformation, hope, and life.

We all have our crosses to bear. How many times have you heard that said? I’ve heard it many times, and always thought of it as a burdensome, painful activity. But what if it means something different, or if at least that’s not the complete picture?”

After I re-read this reflection today, I began to reflect on my own collection of crosses. After my first purchase about 25 years ago, a large and small cross from El Salvador (pictured) that I found at an international chaplains’ conference, I found myself kind of collecting crosses that were unusual, or that at least I found interesting. Kind of like my nativity scene collection at Christmas.

I did have several made of Irish turf, but I think I have given them away. One was a replica of the great high cross of Muirdach, and one exactly like it sits in the centre of the worship space at the Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Northern Ireland. The original, carved in stone sometime in the 9th or 10th Century, stands 19 feet high near Monasterboice in Ireland. It’s many panels on both the front and the back have carvings with biblical stories and themes from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

I have one that Alana brought back for me from Mexico.  Although it is made of clay, it is similar to the Salvadoran ones in the vibrant colours of that area of the world, and with the signs of life depicted. Another one of my favourites is one that I painted during a confirmation activity many years ago.

I began to realize that crosses could not only remind people of execution, oppression, pain, and suffering, but could also tell stories of transformation, hope, and life. And that even the worst humanity has to offer cannot destroy the love of God in the world.

As with all of my reflections in the devotional, it was paired with a video clip. I had forgotten about this one. It was from a BBC series called The Rev, which is about a young priest ministering in East London at St. Saviour in the Marshes. Rev. Adam Smallbone balances the needs of true believers, street people, drug addicts, and social climbers, along with the pressures from his Archdeacon to increase the income and size of his congregation. It also stars Olivia Coleman as Adam’s wife.

This clip is from the third season, and Adam has reached a low point in his career. It is Holy Week, he has been accused of misconduct by a co-worker, and there is now an investigation into him. He has just carried a heavy cross through the city streets to a neighbouring congregation that has asked to borrow it. The clip is called Rev meets God. (spoiler … Liam Neeson plays God …)

https://youtu.be/9Yo-UYCoZ9o?si=TgGRJZhRDR_FmWG-

Questions for reflection:

What does it mean to you to take up the cross and follow Jesus?

What do you take up? What do you leave behind?

I hope to see some of you this evening at our Good Friday service with Hillside, Hope and St. John’s. Tomorrow, I will post some musings about Holy Saturday … and include links to a couple of videos that might make you smile … one I posted last year and a new one. Stay tuned.

Corrymeela at sunset

Parade or Protest? and kitchen conversations with the mod ...

This week’s theme in our Sanctified Art worship series, Tell Me Something Good is:

the good news is … inspiring us to act. 

The scripture passage is the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem – the story we always hear on Palm Sunday. It is also referred to as Passion Sunday, and the liturgical colour is red, and it marks the beginning of Holy Week.

Ever since theologians Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, wrote “The Last Week” in 2006, folks have asked the question “was Palm Sunday a parade or a protest?” Actually, I suspect folks in the know have been asking that question for a bit longer …

Borg and Crossan suggest that in fact there were two processions into Jerusalem that day … one from the western gate, and Jesus and his followers from the eastern gate.

The procession at the western gate would have been the imperial Roman army, marching into the city on war horses to keep the peace and maintain order during the Jewish festival of Passover, when the population of the city would swell from 50,000 to 200,000. And the procession from the eastern gate was of Jesus, on a donkey, and his followers. Parade … or protest?

I will talk more about this on Sunday. It probably won’t surprise you when I say that I definitely fall into the “protest” camp. Jesus was turning the symbols of imperial Rome and kingship upside down.

We don’t have to look too far to see similar protests today. Many of these have involved faithful Christians who see it as their duty to speak up for those who are being punished by unfair laws, budget cuts, wars, and the silencing of voices and dissent. At the Nova Scotia legislature this week we have seen several protests. In my social media today I saw a clip of Rev. Beth Hayward from Bedford United Church speaking to the Legislative Council yesterday. You can see her 5 minute presentation on youtube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT_XHo3X8H8

There was another rally outside Province House this afternoon, called the “All Hands on Deck Rally”, and many of my colleagues announced on social media that they were attending.

Tomorrow, there is another “No Kings Rally” in the US, which promises that it will be the biggest protest in US history, with more than 3,100 events planned nationwide to protest the actions and policies of the US government.

Part of being a follower of Jesus means, as we have been exploring during these past 6 weeks of Lent, taking action. Wherever we are, however we can, with the resources we have on hand. There are many ways to do this.

I confess to not following the Moderator’s Kitchen conversations during Lent. This is a six-part video series exploring faith, food, and the power of invitation, hosted by The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberly Heath.

Drawing inspiration and recipes from the United Church’s Lenten devotional, Bless Break Share: Recipes for Faithful Living, these are videos with guests from across the church, including book contributors, United Church youth, and the Moderator’s own family. 

You can find them all at:

https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/organization-and-governance/moderator/right-rev-dr-kimberly-heath-45th-moderator/kitchen-conversations

I took some time today to catch up with several of the videos, and will watch them all in the next couple of days. In week two, King Julez/Julian Rose talks with the Moderator about their experience at the pro-Palestinian protest encampment at the University of Toronto, and providing spiritual care and community in moments of crisis. They also discuss their experience participating in the A Place at the Table photo for the United Church’s centennial last summer, all while cooking a delicious broccoli frittata based on a recipe from Bless Break Share.  

“A group of us came together and we thought, what more of a time will people be in crisis and needing each other and needing a way to encounter God and the sacred than at a protest?”  —King Julez/Julian Rose 

You can watch the video (and get the recipe!) at:

https://united-church.ca/blogs/round-table/kitchen-conversations-moderator-episode-2-frittata-julez

In our bulletin this week you will find a list of Holy Week services next week, which we are sharing with our friends at St. John’s, Hillside and Hope United churches. We hope you can join us.

Blessings as we enter this most holiest of weeks.

Martha

PS … on a completely unrelated note … Let’s go Blue Jays! Guess what we're doing tonight …

Whose voices can be heard?

This week’s theme in our Sanctified Art worship series, Tell Me Something Good is

the good news is … rooted in justice, mercy, and faithfulness

The scripture passage is from the 8th chapter of the Gospel of John – the story about the woman who was caught in adultery. One commentator recounted that she had seen the story renamed “the woman saved from stoning.” I kind of like that title better.

I would be remiss as a Christian leader, in my opinion, if I didn’t address the elephant in the room (at least in my room) this week – the ongoing issue of sexual assault in the news these past months about the Epstein files, and more recently the allegations in the past two days against Cesar Chavez, American labour leader and civil rights activist.

I’m afraid I can’t look away and unsee the connections between the scripture story and what I see in the world, and in my life.

So here is a warning. This is the topic of my blog this week – not in specific details, but in general … and some thoughts about what seems to be an accepted characteristic of society for millennia. My comments may cause discomfort … and it is understandable if some don’t want to read them. For me, I have come to understand that it is my duty to reflect on both personal experience and what I have learned, observed and read about over the past several decades. And, I think that many have been silent for too long … many for good reason. And if we are talking about mercy, justice and faithfulness, what is our Christian responsibility to bring about change?

However, some of you might want to look away now.

For those who haven’t heard the specifics of the Chavez story, this article from The Guardian pretty much sums up what has happened in the past 48 hours.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/20/cesar-chavez-legacy-rape-allegations

I didn’t know much about Cesar Chavez before Thursday … just that he was an icon in the American farmers workers’ movement.

To say that this has rendered me speechless is a bit of an understatement. And angry. And sad. And then the cycle starts up again. Speechless, angry, sad. And I wondered why it was bothering me so … and what specifically I, as a spiritual leader was to say about it, if anything. Just another male icon fallen from grace, right?

Just like Noam Chomsky, revered American academic, philosopher and linguist (including by myself), who has been named in the Epstein files, and has defended Epstein in correspondence that has been uncovered. Or Jean Vanier, founder of the international L’Arche Community, who in 2020 was named as a sexual abuser of 6 women between 1970 and 2005. Or hymnwriter David Haas, who wrote my absolute favourite hymn in Voices United (896 Blest are They), and in 2020 had dozens of women accuse him of sexual misconduct spanning several decades. Or Deepak Chopra, also named in the Epstein files, or Sakkyong Mipham Rinpoche, former leader of the Shambhala community accused of sexual misconduct. And it goes on and on … nothing new here right?

I also want to hold up Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who in 2024, waived her right to anonymity as the victim in a multiple rape case. Between 2011 and 2020, she had been drugged and raped by her husband Dominique and dozens of other men while she was unconscious, mostly in the couple's home. The case attracted international media attention and Gisèle's courage and determination to speak out on behalf of all victims of sexual assault won her international support and admiration. Her husband and forty-nine co-defendants were found guilty in December, 2025. Pelicot published a memoir in February of 2026.

I guess something snapped in me this week.

Perhaps it was after the thoughtful and heartfelt conversations in the Faith Study this week exploring the idea that the woman in the story could well have been a victim of assault, coercion, or desperation … we don’t know anything about her story. And the first question that someone asked about the story was “where was the man?” The story tells us that “she was caught in the act” … as Amy-Jill Levine says, it takes (at least) 2 to commit adultery. Somehow the man has escaped punishment and judgement, blame and shame.

Perhaps it was reading Dolores Huertas’ story. Huertas co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) with Chavez. At the age of 96, she finally decided it was time to come forward to tell her story – about the two sexual assaults that she experienced by Chavez, both resulting in a child that she gave up for adoption. She said she kept quiet all this time because she didn’t want to harm the farmworkers movement she spent her entire life fighting for, and she knew she wouldn’t be believed. After all these years she finally said it is time to tell my story.

Perhaps it was inevitable that I would finally get to my own mother’s story. I have lived with it for nearly 40 years … but this week it felt like I was seeing it anew. At the age of 63 she disclosed to me that she had been sexually abused as a child on an ongoing basis. But she didn’t tell anyone. Until she told my sister and I. We were both sworn to secrecy. We didn’t do very well on that front. There were cousins (we had 35) who were starting to put the story together and guessed the truth, which we confirmed. Turns out it was much more widespread than we imagined,. A man that was considered a saint in the family. It still enrages me, and explains so much about my mother.

That’s her in the sketch above. My cousin did it for me a few years ago from an old photograph. It reminds me of the little girl who had no voice and no power. And of the patriarchy that continues to abuse with impunity. Maybe by writing this I have claimed a bit of her power back … and her voice. Maybe that’s a small gift to her - to add her voice to the millions through history who have experienced helplessness, fear, and isolation. I can only hope and pray that might be true.

As for the sermon on Sunday – the focus will be, as the theme suggests, on justice, mercy and faithfulness, and on the cleverness of Jesus to outwit his antagonizers once again. And it will be short … because we have an Annual Meeting to get to … and there is lots to celebrate (see the Impact Report!!!).

And of course … we will be continuing to name the good news in our midst with our children - a highlight for me during these Lenten services.

Blessings

Martha

Seeds of Hope in Bloom

This Sunday we enter into the fourth Sunday of Lent. Our theme, under the overall theme of “Tell Me Something Good” … is “the good news is … protection and care for the vulnerable.”

We explore two scripture passages, one from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 19 (which for us, might be called “Jesus and the children, part 2”) and a passage from the book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Scriptures that instructs the people of God to look after the vulnerable … the aliens, the widows, the orphans among them.

I first started to become aware of what we might call “world affairs” when I went to work for a small branch office of a world wide NGO in the 1980s. It was a two person office – my boss and I. I learned so much from her. She coached and encouraged me … engaged me in endless discussions that expanded my mind immeasurably.

She affirmed some of my intuitions about the world that I wasn’t savvy enough to articulate, and helped me grow in my understanding and confidence. When I told her that I often heard people say things like “if you redistributed all the wealth in the world so that everyone had the same, it would not be too long before it was all back to the way it was, with some having a lot, and many not having anything”… that it was human nature to want power and be greedy and to have more than one needed.

I didn’t want to believe that. I wanted to believe that there was a better way. I still do.

She told me that as long as you could find one story, one situation, one example of people sharing, helping, being in community and supporting one another, that proved that theory (that human nature was about greed and power) wrong. I have always hung on to that way of thinking.

Last week while we were in St. Thomas I watched Alana get ready for a GO Project March Break camp in Thunder Bay. You can read more about the GO Project Youth Mission Projects at https://thegoproject.ca/youth-march-break/

She is traveling tomorrow with 8 youth from Southern Ontario to St. Paul’s United Church in Thunder Bay. There she will join with 12 youth and their leaders. For 6 days they will visit mission sites, build community, cook, worship, discern, discuss, have fun, and dream together.

One of the youth leaders from Thunder Bay was a climate change motivator (a GO/national office summer program) previously and was instrumental in leading the charge in getting the March Break program underway. But the community’s history goes back further than that … and some of it’s origin story is told in this wonderful summary from the UCC Foundation. Be sure to watch the 4 minute video in the article:

https://unitedchurchfoundation.ca/seeds-of-hope-in-bloom-st-pauls-inter-cultural-immigrant-community-of-faith/

I am inspired by this story of hope and good news … and how communities can respond to changing contexts and needs in their communities. And, what can happen when people aren’t afraid of each other.

And speaking of inspiring stories … I usually do a sermon series over the winter on the main contenders for the Oscars. There just wasn’t the opportunity to do that this year … but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been watching. Here is a great summary of the main contenders, with lots of links to online podcasts and articles.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/academy-award-predictions-2026-9.7126185

The ones we have appreciated watching (even though they may have been challenging at times!) that have the most buzz are One Battle After Another, Sinners, Hamnet and Marty Supreme. Still on our must see list are Sentimental Value and Train Dreams … and, Alana and Matt say we must see KPop Demons.

See you Sunday!

Martha

My week in pictures ...

As promised … a few pictures from the week. The first few are of Murphy … we invaded his space and he let us know it was a slight inconvenience… but he was mostly good natured about it all.

He loved to find his way to our bed … especially when the sun was shining on it …

Entertained my nephew Ben (who lives in London) Friday evening.

One of the worst drives EVER … nearly two hours straight of low lying fog on the drive from St. Thomas to Southampton. I didn’t realize at the time that we were all holding our breath THE WHOLE TIME, including Matt, our driver. Never seen anything like it.

Jenny’s … or, on the website “Chantry Breezes Bed and Breakfast” … right on the main street, and steps away from the Southampton Beach. Have been staying there and enjoying Jenny and Don’s hospitality for nearly 20 years. Below that is Jenny and I.

Mindy (my sister) and Robin

no walking on the beach this week … unless you have snowshoes I guess … ice had just come out from the river. Still pretty breathtaking …

That's all for now … Friday I will talk about my favourite movies of 2025 in preparation for the Academy Award Show on Sunday.

Christ of the Breadlines

Here is the image of Christ of the Breadlines done by Fritz Eichenberg. You can find out more about the artist at:

Fritz Eichenberg — Relief: A Journal of Art and Faith

Lessons from a Dancing Guy

This is the time of year when staff and volunteer leaders in the churches are working round the clock to product an Annual Report in preparation for the Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting for Bethany will happen after our worship service on March 22.

Much is going on behind the scenes, including reviewing the past year (the written reports) and setting the stage for the following year – preparing this year’s budget, asking folks to serve on committees, groups and ministry teams and setting goals and priorities for the coming year. In my observation it is a stressful and exhausting time for everyone.

That’s why I was so delighted when Dana reminded me of a youtube video from many years ago that I have shown many times in worship services, small study groups, and meetings. But not for awhile because I had forgotten all about it.

It is from a TED Talk, and it’s called Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy. It’s just under 3 minutes, is rather tongue in cheek, and contains some things to think about.

https://youtu.be/fW8amMCVAJQ

The narrator says at the end: “Let’s recap what we learned:

If you are a version of the shirtless dancing guy, all alone, remember the importance of nurturing your first few followers as equals, making everything clearly about the movement, not you. Be public. Be easy to follow!

But the biggest lesson here — did you catch it? Leadership is over-glorified.

Yes it started with the shirtless guy, and he’ll get all the credit, but you saw what really happened:

It was the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader.

There is no movement without the first follower. We’re told we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective. The best way to make a movement, if you really care, is to courageously follow and show others how to follow. When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in.”

As I have been reflecting on this “wisdom” over the past 24 hours it has occurred to me that in the richness of our lives, it is likely we can identify with each of the roles named at some point in our lives … the lone nut (the dancing shirtless guy), the first follower, and the rest of the followers. I guess the wisdom comes from knowing when to assume each role. 

The bottom line (as I see it) is … a movement (as the early church most certainly was … and should be now) needs all of the roles working as a team. Especially during times of change and upheaval, which, let’s face it, is pretty much all the time.

This Sunday, we explore two stories of Jesus – from Luke 7, a woman anointing Jesus’ feet at a dinner party, and his lesson to the disciples from Matthew 25 that “whenever you do this to the least of these, you do it for me.”

I will be reading the story of Emma Lazarus to the children. Emma was an American author who wrote the poem that is engraved on the Statue of Liberty “give me your tired, your poor …”  

Emma's Poem: The Voice of the statue of Liberty by Linda Glaser & Claire A. Nivola

I am away from March 3-11 … Pat and I actually have time off together so will be travelling to St. Thomas to visit Alana, Matt and Murphy. We will also take a trip up to Southampton to visit my sister, (along with their two HUGE dogs Molly and Barkley) and stay at our favourite B&B (Chantry Breezes Bed and Breakfast). Perhaps we will even get a chance to walk the snowy beach.

You may get a few pictures.

Rev. Linda Yates will be guest preacher on March 8. 

In the meantime … don’t forget to “Tell me something good …” and continue to fill our Good News Tree with good news … the God moments in your lives.

Blessings

Martha

Chocolat and Lent

The movie Chocolat is about a town that is held together very tightly by the Compte de Renaud, the mayor of the town, who insists that everyone undergo rigorous misery and self-denial, as he does, during Lent. Into the town comes Vianne and her daughter Anouk to open up a chocolaterie. For many years I led a weekly study during Lent, both at the university and in the congregation, based on the movie. I used a wonderful little  book called “Chocolate for Lent.” As the resource says, the movie is about “Lent verses chocolate.” But, it’s really about much more.

In fact, the movie is about how Vianne becomes a catalyst for many of the townspeople to re-examine their own lives, to discover what’s really important, and to live in a different way. And, that brings about healing, healing for the individuals and the whole town, and even for Vianne herself.

 Artist and theologian Jan Richardson says that both the book, upon which the movie is based, and the movie, “… offer a narrative that beckons us to see the effects of clinging so fiercely to a practice that we miss the point of it … the mayor’s grip on his Lenten fast is so ferocious but so fundamentally empty that he falls helpless before it. We see a fierce clinging in other characters as well, their lives shaped around practices that keep them insulated and sometimes alienated from one another, and from their own selves. For most of the folks in the story, slamming against their beloved walls finally causes them to crumble, opening them to an experience of mercy, reconciliation, and release.”[1]

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent – the forty days before Easter. For Christians, it’s a time to remember what we hold important, what we hold dear about our faith, to examine our own habits and rituals. Are they life-giving to us, to those around us? What is it that we cling to?

The old stereotypes of the season, no longer hold. Giving up something to be miserable or to show how strong you are is not what it’s about. My spouse used to tongue in cheek declare that he was giving up scotch mints for Lent … perhaps a bit of a protest against his own religious education. In fact, I don’t think I ever saw him eat a scotch mint.

Can we think metaphorically about fasting? Can we fast from judgment, from greed, from scarcity, from fear? Can we fast from lies, gossip, anxiety, apathy, discontent … Perhaps we can feast instead on compassion, on sharing, on abundance, on peace, on truth, on praise, on patience … on kindness, on engagement.  We could fast on noise, and feast on silence. Fast on discouragement, feast on hope. Fast on hatred, feast on love.

I used to say that in the busyness of the season, I gave up all my spiritual practices for Lent.  Every year I try to do a little better … and that’s what Lent is about. The chance to try again. I am always comforted by a little reading from Maya Angelou. She says:

“Many things continue to amaze me, even well into the sixth decade of my life. I’m startled or taken aback when people walk up to me and tell me they are Christians. My first response is the question, “Already?” It seems to me a lifelong endeavour to try to live the life of a Christian. I believe that is also true for the Buddhist, for the Muslim, for the Jainist, for the Jew, and for the Taoist who try to live their beliefs. The idyllic condition cannot be arrived at and held on to eternally. It is in the search itself that one finds the ecstacy.”[2]

Our Lenten worship materials this year, again from the folks at Sanctified Art, tell us in their introduction:

“Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. As we crafted this series, we studied what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice.

At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all. Jesus’ words are easily distorted and sanitized in our modern world. Following Jesus leads to a richer, more expansive life, but it’s not necessarily comfortable.

Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news?

This Lent, let us remember that the good news really is good news. It is joyful—like fine wine saved for celebration. It grows like a mustard seed and smells like perfume poured from an alabaster jar. It tastes like bread passed endlessly through a hungry crowd. It sounds like laughter and feels like mercy. The good news is alive in the world. We hope this series will provide fertile ground for conversation and worship, rooting our hearts and lives in the expansive goodness of God. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward.

May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good.”

We will also celebrate the sacrament of communion, and begin a new, all ages activity that we will add to each week.

At our faith study the other night we learned about “Godwinks” … kind of like what I was calling “God moments” last week in my sermon. Our Lenten practice over the next 7 weeks will be to name the Godwinks … the God moments … the GOOD NEWS … in our lives each week. This might get you into the spirit of that …

https://www.today.com/parents/teens/students-share-good-news-viral-video-rcna243046

(Note: if you scroll down a bit and watch the video in the article/ comments instead of the shorter clip from The Today Show you will see more students and won't be interrupted by the hosts).

Below is a reading I found many years ago and then turned into a word cloud. It is a wonderful reminder of how we might approach the next 40 days …

Blessings in these first days of Lent

Martha

A Special Lenten Fast from South America

Give up harsh words: use generous ones.

Give up unhappiness: take up gratitude.

Give up anger: take up gentleness and patience.

Give up pessimism: take up hope and optimism.

Give up worrying: take up trust in God.

Give up complaining: value what you have.

Give up stress: take up prayer.

Give up judging others: discover Jesus within them.

Give up sorrow and bitterness: fill your heart with joy.

Give up selfishness: take up compassion for others.

Give up being unforgiving: learn reconciliation.

Give up words: fill yourself with silence,

                                and listen to others.

        (from Making the Sign of the Cross, Janet Hodgson,

Canterbury Press, p. 80)

[1] http://paintedprayerbook.com/2008/02/05/ash-wednesday

[2] Ash Wednesday – Cultural Resources, Nessette Falu, Rice University, Houston, TX

Tell Me Something Good ...

Next week we begin Lent … a season of reflection as we prepare for Holy Week and the death and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

Once again, your ministry team will be using worship, study, and resources for all ages from the folks at Sanctified Art. Here’s their introduction to Lent and to the materials.

“Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. As we crafted this series, we studied what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all.

Jesus’ words are easily distorted and sanitized in our modern world. Following Jesus leads to a richer, more expansive life, but it’s not necessarily comfortable. Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news?

This Lent, let us remember that the good news really is good news. It is joyful—like fine wine saved for celebration. It grows like a mustard seed and smells like perfume poured from an alabaster jar. It tastes like bread passed endlessly through a hungry crowd. It sounds like laughter and feels like mercy. The good news is alive in the world.

We hope this series will provide fertile ground for conversation and worship, rooting our hearts and lives in the expansive goodness of God. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward. May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good.”

The creators recommend some advanced reading and watching for worship leaders. They include books and youtube conversations with well known authors. One of the ones they recommend before we begin the series is a short column on Substack by one of the theological reflectors for “Tell Me Something Good” which I think helps to orient folks to the themes and conversations we will be having.

“We All Must Be Evangelists: Exorcising Bad Christian Takes for the Sake of Good News” by Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail.

A Liberated Life: Musings from Rev. Lizzie. Published on Substack. July 6, 2025.

(8) We All Must Be Evangelists - by Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail

There are lots of events next week as we begin the Season of Lent … a Pancake supper on Tuesday, our Lenten Faith Study begins Wednesday evening at 7 pm (the Reflection journals will be available for picking up or ordering on Sunday), and there is an Ash Wednesday service at Hope United at 7 pm for those that might be looking for one. Details of all the events will be in the bulletin and on our website.

Of course our hearts are broken and the country is in shock after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, BC this week. Most politicians have put aside their posturing and come together to support the community in its grief.

However, there are some folks that are using this tragedy to spread misinformation about and hatred against the trans community, and I would urge everyone to seek out reliable news sources, and not succumb to the blatant lies being spread on social media. Below are two articles, one from CTV and one from the Globe and Mail that offer the facts, and articulate the damage done to the trans community when misinformation is spread.

After Tumbler Ridge shooting, false claims about trans people spread online - The Globe and Mail

Tumbler Ridge shooting: False claims on trans people spread

Religious Literacy

The guest speaker for next week’s Joy Lunch had to unexpectedly cancel this week, and Ann asked me if I had any ideas of guest speakers who might be able to step in.

After much thinking, I really didn't have an idea. However, I remembered that I used to do an interactive workshop about religious literacy, and why it’s important. If you want to know what religious literacy is, here’s a wonderful 3 minute video from a number of years ago. I think the topic is still very relevant.

https://youtu.be/HsKcm59CHUU?si=BDoGdEzz-zo3Befa

After reading two of Stephen Prothero’s books, (God is Not One and Religious Literacy) I pitched an interview with him to the Observer (now Broadview). I was chair of the Board of Directors at the time, so I might have had a bit of an “in” with the Editor. Anyway, they sent me down to Boston where I spent a lovely couple of hours in his office doing the interview.

The interview is still online in the Broadview archives. You can find it at:

Stephen Prothero, scholar, says Americans are religiously illiterate | Broadview Magazine

I said to Ann I could pull a few activities and revisit my notes to put a short presentation together. Ann agreed it was a timely subject. I hope you agree!

Alana Martin is here this weekend to help us think through our approach to children’s, youth and young adult ministry. We had a wonderful few hours last night in conversation with the young adults in our midst. Now, I am just getting ready to fly out the door for the workshop she will offer to Bethany (and other interested folks in our Region).

You will get a chance to hear her tomorrow, when she will offer the sermon/reflection. She will also be leading the time with all ages, and will be reading this book to the children if you want to check it out.

💖 Kid's Book Read Aloud: WHEN GOD MADE YOU by Matthew Paul Turner with Mr. K's Storyland

 Have a blessed weekend!

Martha

Saving Jesus and The Boss

We are having some wonderful discussions at our Wednesday evening faith study.

Here is a story from Session 1 …

“Let us Gather Shoes Together!”

“Another irony is that Jesus didn’t intend to start a new religion, so much as to reform certain elements of his own faith tradition. Although it seems ridiculous to even have to mention it, it has to be said again and again: Jesus was Jewish. All his companions were Jewish. That cannot be overemphasized. They were faithful Jews, steeped in the Torah and practiced in the ways of ancient Hebrew traditions. You can find precedence for much of what Jesus taught in Hebrew Scripture, and throughout his life he was faithful to the spirit (if not the letter) of Jewish law.

So you could argue that Jesus—like Martin Luther and John Wesley after him— didn’t set out to start something new so much as to reform something old. Theologian John Cobb says that Jesus “took the Jewish tradition and transformed it, developed it in such a way that it became available to the Gentiles.” What is startling is just how fast and how many new movements sprang from Jesus’ life and teachings and the stories of his death and resurrection.

Monty Python’s movie, “The Life of Brian,” follows the life of a hapless peasant named Brian. From the day of his birth (on the same block that Jesus was born), he is constantly mistaken for the Messiah, and nothing he says or does seems to deter those who are determined to follow him. One memorable scene shows how people then (and now) seem willing to follow just about anyone. Brian’s disciples quickly plunge into a debate over the finer details of following Brian: “Hold up the sandal, as He has commanded us!”

“It is a shoe! It is a shoe!”

“It's a sandal!”

“No, it isn't!”

“Cast it away!”

“Put it on!”

“Clear off!”

Ridiculous? But true. We run around claiming to have the whole truth. We’ve got the right way! Believe like us, or else! Turn or burn! It’s the tribal “us vs. them” mob mentality deeply ingrained in us. After all, we want to be on the winning side.” [1]

You can see the hilarious scene at The Shoe Is The Sign - The Beginning

In our weekly Wednesday evening sessions, we are continuing to explore the process how The Bible came to be over hundreds of years. And also, how much it has been misrepresented and misinterpreted over those hundreds of years.

This past Wednesday we ended up spending quite a bit of time in conversation about the true teachings of Jesus, (and how we know what they might be), the issue of integrity as followers of Jesus, and how and when do we find our voices to speak out when we see injustice, and challenge folks that misrepresent our faith. The question was asked “When did people lose their integrity.”

Of course, we got around to speaking about what is going on in Minneapolis as it seems those in power seem to be doubling down as far as misrepresenting and falsifying the truth.

These conversations were floating around in my mind this week as I read about the following in my news feeds:

On Wednesday January 28, the legendary rocker Bruce Springstean released a protest song titled “Streets of Minneapolis” in reaction to the protests and the violence. In only a matter of hours, the track has become a quick bestseller. In just 2 days it has over 4 million hits on YouTube. Have a listen …

Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Lyric Video)

After I listened to it I, thought … “wow … that’s pretty hard to find words that rhyme with Minneapolis” … as usual, Springsteen seems to have hit the mark again with his timely anthems.

Talk show host Stephen Colbert thought the same thing. “You really don’t want Bruce Springsteen to write a song about your streets, not even Sesame,” Colbert joked. He called the song “poignant and powerful” and also asked: “Do you know how hard it is to rhyme with Minneapolis?” Colbert said the song “sends a powerful message” as Springsteen was “as American as it gets”.[2]

Also, I heard about celebrity chef Martha Stewart, who took to social media last Monday to reveal that, at the urging of her granddaughter, she decided to condemn both the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents against migrants and against peaceful protesters demonstrating in the streets of the Minnesota city.

"Granddaughter Jude wrote me a note yesterday I took it to heart and posted the above," Stewart, 84, wrote on Instagram Jan. 26 alongside a screenshot of the message. "I'm not sure it's excusable to not being speaking up right now," Jude wrote in a message to Stewart, according to the photo.[3]

And lastly, I heard Nicole Wallace on MSNBC interview someone who was commenting on what’s going on in Minneapolis who, when Wallace asked about the people of Minneapolis and how, despite threats were still showing up to protest. She said that even with threats, even though folks are worried about being attacked, assaulted, even killed by ICE or CDP, it is an incredible testament to the people of Minneapolis and St. Paul that in these sub-zero temperatures they are coming out. They are opening up warming centres for their neighbours, they are taking care of their neighbours, we are seeing some of the best of America. She went on to say that as an American she could no longer say that she felt safe going out and protesting, that she no longer felt she knew what the response would be by the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security.

And, this just came into my inbox … from Broadview, a story about a Lutheran Church in Minneapolis that is doing just that … stepping up to help their neighbours.

This Minneapolis church is providing frontline help amid ICE operations | Broadview Magazine

 So, enjoy The Boss, (I’ve already watched it a few times!), and may these stories give you courage to find your voices to speak up in your own circles, and most importantly, to not lose hope. They have done that for me.

This Sunday, we explore one of my favourite biblical stories, the encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well. And I heard it through the grapevine that the Sunday School is baking again!

Blessings, and hope

Martha

[1] Saving Jesus Redux © 2010 livingthequestions.com, LLC Jesus through the ages

[2] Colbert on Springsteen’s anti-ICE song: ‘Do you know how hard it is to rhyme with Minneapolis?’ | Late-night TV roundup | The Guardian

[3] Martha Stewart condemns ICE crackdown after urging from granddaughter

Clusters

I told Dana Friday morning that I couldn’t think of anything to write about in my blog. All morning (at least up until that point) I had been thinking, pessimistically, “I’ve got nothing.”

Dana said … “write about Alana’s visit”.

Nepotism alert. My daughter, Alana Martin, is coming to Bethany to do a Regional Workshop on Children’s Spirituality, to facilitate an evening with our young adults, and will preach on Sunday morning.

“Well”, I thought, “that’s not a bad idea”.

Often I get ideas for my blog from looking at old pictures of my kids. They have always been my inspiration for writing. I found one that spoke to me. I texted Alana to see if it was ok to share a picture from her childhood. She said “ha ha ha I don’t mind. What does it have to do with me coming next week? (insert emoji here) … or is this a proud mother kind of thing?”

Without even thinking I responded “Exactly. Who knows what future leaders lurk in the little bodies of our children and youth?”

This was the picture that spoke to me … I said to her “Looks like you were born to lead.”

We were on a boat in Ketch Harbour, where her grandparents lived. She certainly looks like she is holding court … or perhaps trying to distract me from my tendency to be seasick every time I get on the water. It even looks like she has liturgical garb on.

Alana has worked for the GO Project for over 15 years. The GO Project is a UCC National Program that provides resources, curriculum, camp experiences, leadership training, and support to congregations for Children, Youth and Young Adults. She began as one of the young adult leaders in the summer program, became a program leader, and for the last 5 years has been the Minister to the GO Project. The program has changed tremendously since it began nearly 20 years ago as an intensive 10 day summer program in several places across Canada.

To be clear, I was involved in supporting the GO Project summer camp experiences here in Halifax long before Alana got involved. As I like to remind her sometimes. I support the program because I have seen the difference it makes in the lives of young people, and in the lives of congregations.

One of the four priorities that I was tasked with when my position was extended last May was to “explore ways of reaching out to younger generations.” Well, I couldn’t imagine a better way of figuring out how to do that than by contacting the GO Project to see what was going on out there.

It turns out that last summer Alana had hired Bethany’s own Kyla Mills to help her conduct research on the evolution and present state of Children’s Ministry in the UCC. Louisa, Ann, Dana and I talked and decided to spend some time with Alana in conversation last fall, and were so fascinated by some of the research she and Kyla did that we asked her to come for a weekend in the winter so we could take a deeper dive.

The workshop on Saturday morning is not only for those working directly with our young people. It is also to give leaders at Bethany (and any other congregations in the area), parents, and any interested in this topic, some ideas about how things have changed over many decades, and how a faith community can support a culture of welcome, nurture, and relationship building across generations. And that’s the responsibility of everyone in the faith community.

There are other things on the go as well.

Ann, Louisa and I attended a webinar this week about “Working with Gen Z´… those young people born between 1997-2012. We had some illuminating and insightful conversations which we will be eager to share and put into practice. And, we recognized that we have some serious adapting to do in order to not only mentor this generation but also to make the space for them to offer their many gifts to the community on their terms. We also need to recognize and make space for the concerns and passions about the world that this generation embodies.

Dana took several of our youth to Bedford United Church last Sunday night for a monthly United Church gathering called “What’s the Point? HRM Youth Cluster”. Apparently all had a wonderful time and they look forward to the next one. Pictures below.

The idea of “clusters” is one that was imagined when the UCC restructured it’s governance and organizational structure in 2019. The idea is that clusters of UCC folk in different congregations, would gather to share ideas, cooperate and work together on specific projects or topics, recognizing that all communities of faith are experiencing dwindling resources to do those things on their own.

Just in the past year Bethany has been part of a cluster of North End United churches (Hillside, Hope and St. John’s along with Bethany) to offer joint services and programs. Bethany hosted the 100th Anniversary service last June, and Hilliside hosted a Blue Christmas service. Plans are under way for joint Lenten services (Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday) and also some special events and programs. Next Sunday St. John’s hosts a special event with Dr. Henry Bishop in honour of Black History Month, and on Feb. 7 Bethany will host a workshop with the GO Project.

Dana is part of a cluster of staff in the Region called the Administry Group. We are also part of an Affirming Ministry Cluster in HRM.

The idea of clusters is long overdue. Those attending from Bethany are finding both inspiration and support as we share stories and imagine what can be done together.

Well, I guess I had some things to say after all.

And yes, I will own the nepotism and pride when we welcome Alana to our community Feb. 6-8. She used to get mildly frustrated when she started working in the national structures that many folks would ask her “are you Martha Martin’s daughter?” That’s totally flipped in the past 5 years or so … now … more often than not, folks ask me “Are you Alana Martin’s mother?” I don’t mind. Another proud mother moment.