As I was writing my sermon on the topic of “enough” today … I realize that I often share this wonderful video … which I can’t really do in worship tomorrow for a number of reasons. But take a look - it’s the best way I know to enter the theme for tomorrow … it’s actually in Voices United … #131.
The Maccabeats - Dayenu - Passover - דיינו
Dayeinu!
Well … after a bit of soul searching I am posting 2 pictures … from 47 years ago. Pat and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. I posted the picture on Facebook (which I have posted before) and I was astounded by the response … I got nearly 100 “likes” … which is a lot for me. And many comments. But I know many of you aren’t on Facebook. I felt compelled to share it today … wondering if it might lead to a reflection. And, it did.
My own comment when I posted the picture was “how did that happen?” Seems like a minute ago … and yet also an eternity since it happened. My brother-in-law, our best man, posted “Happy Anniversary, you wild and crazy kids.”
The picture below is when I sang what was then “my signature song” with a couple of the folks that made up the band at the reception. That’s my dad in the back playing his gut bucket. Oh my …
The song, as I remember was “Some Day Soon” … by Ian Tyson, made popular by Judy Collins. (“there’s a young man that I know, his age is 21 …”) It was especially meaningful that day …
I have been thinking a lot about that day this past month – the folks that are no longer with us, the joys, the challenges, the changes, the life that we created. Who knew what awaited us over the course of the next many decades.
Donnie Moore from McGinty sang Stan Rogers’ “45 Years From Now” at our wedding ceremony at my home church, Islington United Church, where I would return 7 years later for the funeral of my dad, and 39 years later when I saw my daughter, who was working at Islington with the GO Project, preach a sermon one summer. That was definitely high on the “feelings” chart!
(1131) Stan Rogers - 45 Years - YouTube
Over the past couple of weeks I have been reflecting a lot about those two young adults in the wedding picture. Pat was only 21. And I was 25. Yup, we were wild and crazy kids. And yes, I am an “older woman.”
We had no business getting married. Neither one of us had a permanent job … we barely knew each other – we hadn’t even been together for a year yet. And within another 14 months we would be parents. It boggles my mind. But we had a lot of love around us, and a lot of people as part of our community.
Yes … wild and crazy kids indeed. It was several more years after Christopher was born before I would step foot in a church as (what was called then I think) “a seeker” … looking for a spiritual home. I started “church shopping” with what I knew … the United Church of Canada. Other than my wedding and my dad’s funeral, I hadn’t darkened the doors of a church (other than weddings and funerals in my husband’s Roman Catholic family) in almost 16 years. I found a church home at Fairview United Church, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What brought me back? Well … I think it was a hunger for meaning. The feeling that there was something bigger than myself in the world that I couldn’t quite explain or understand that I wanted to explore. I was a new parent trying to find a way. And I found a church home that welcomed me and eventually – certainly not right away, but it didn’t take long – I found places, and a strong leader who encouraged me, to offer my gifts to the community.
I was interested to see this news item last Friday which I found fascinating.
Why Gen Z is Leading a Religious Resurgence | Your Morning
One of my named priorities during my time here is to “reach out to younger generations”, and Louisa, Ann, Dana and I have been talking and brainstorming about ways to do this. It appears there may be a ready made crowd out there if we can find ways to reach out, be relevant, and offer a listening ear to what younger generations might really be looking for. I live in hope. Goodness knows we need to provide an alternative voice to some of the other more divisive, judgemental and even hateful voices in the world today.
This Sunday we will celebrate World Wide Communion Sunday … always celebrated on the first Sunday of October. Christians all over the world will be celebrating this special moment when we remember the teachings of Jesus and how he lived his life. Despite what some voices might claim, Jesus taught that there is enough for all, that diversity is a blessing, and that no one is excluded from the love of God. Nobody.
Not even two wild and crazy kids who don’t go to church anymore.
And that’s what we celebrate on World Wide Communion Sunday. Hope to see you there!
Today … some random thoughts and ideas that have been rattling around my brain this week …
The image today is from a Bethany United Church member, Kathy Brown. During these weeks when we are exploring the idea of stewardship as being about something bigger than money … or, as Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell put it in last week’s video “my life as a steward”, we are also highlighting some of the gifts, talents and stories of people and groups at Bethany United Church.
Kathy has many talents, and one of them is that she paints watercolours. You can check out her website at Kathy Brown Fine Art. When Kathy heard about the title of our Faith Study Painting the Stars, she emailed me and said “Painting the Stars is what I do.” … and sent me a selection of her paintings, which I find quite stunning. She has generously offered her paintings to be used during this time, and there will be another one as the image on our bulletin this week. Thank you Kathy!
And, speaking of Painting the Stars, we started our faith study this week, which is all about exploring the relationship between science and religion. It’s pretty fascinating, and I think it’s safe to say it is unlike any “bible study” you may have taken before.
I was approached this week by someone in the community who would prefer to meet in person during the daytime. I would be happy to offer an additional session during the daytime if there were several of you that are interested in that. Send me an email at marthamartin2687@gmail.com and let me know if there is a day that you would prefer, and whether you would prefer morning or early afternoon and we’ll find a time that works.
Next week we also begin a monthly book study on Thursdays at noon called “Talking about God.” Don’t be mistaken … these will not be heavy theological volumes … but accessible books by current authors and speakers - Anne Lamott, Nadia Bolz Weber, Brian McLaren, Rachel Held Evans, Diana Butler Bass - there are many to choose from. Many of them I will have used in groups before, and I have found them to open up conversations of meaning and understanding. They also, in my opinion, break the stereotype of what (some think) it means to “think theologically”.
Our first book, which I chose specifically because next week is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, we will take a look at David A. Robertson’s 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk With Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing. I spoke a bit about this book in one of my sermons back in June, and you can find a recent Broadview interview with Robertson at Your beginner’s guide to living out reconciliation — one week at a time | Broadview Magazine
Also, remember that we have a copy of the book in the office if you want to borrow it. I think it’s a pretty quick read, and even if you haven’t finished the book (that’s always one of my rules for the book club … that you don’t need to have finished the book to come to the discussion … but you also have to be prepared for spoilers …) please feel free to come along. There are lots of great ideas about how individuals and groups can really begin to live out what we say we believe.
Finally, last week Pat and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the new documentary “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery”, which you can watch on CBC Gem. Lots of great tidbits about the music industry, the role of women, and Halifax’s own Sarah MacLaughlin. And how this particular event (Lilith Fair) changed the music industry. Here are a couple of articles about it.
5 things we learned from the documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery | CBC Music
The Lilith Fair doc isn't just a very good movie — it's also very good for the soul | CBC Arts
See you Sunday!
A funny thing happened at a United Church gathering of clergy and lay people on Wednesday night.
Myself and five others from Bethany were at a meeting at St. John’s United Church on Stanley St. We had gathered, with representatives from 4 other UCC churches, under the leadership of Rev. Robyn Brown-Hewitt from Bermuda-Nova Scotia Regional Council, to share stories about our communities and explore possible ways of collaboration and partnerships around programming, activities and ministries.
There were about 16 of us around the circle, sharing things to celebrate in our communities, and hopes, challenges, and dreams for the future. As I sat in the circle, my gaze fell on a picture on the wall. “That’s my picture”, I thought. I looked at it, a bit stunned. I thought I had lost that picture.
Let me explain.
Some of you will be aware that St. John’s and I have a long history. I began working for St. John’s in 1996 as their Youth and Family Minister, at 12 hours a week. At the time, I was also the Ecumenical Chaplain (part-time) at Mount Saint Vincent University. I held that position at St. John’s until 2003, when I left to become the UCC Chaplain at Dalhousie University. I did both chaplaincy jobs until 2006, when I left both chaplaincy positions to take up a new position – a shared ministry position between St. Andrew’s United Church and St. John’s United Church with the title “Minister of Education and Pastoral Care” (or something like that!) That lasted until 2009, when, for a number of reasons relating to the nature of the position, I left the St. John’s piece of the position. Then, in 2010, I went back to Dalhousie as the UCC Chaplain, where I stayed until 2015. I continued at St. Andrew’s until 2013, when I left St. Andrew’s.
In 2015, I was officially back at St. John’s (where I had been offering supply ministry since the fall of 2014) as their Intentional Interim Minister until the summer of 2018.
Keeping up? I get dizzy just thinking about it all.
In the course of all those positions, I had a number of offices. Including a home office, I had as many as 3 offices at the same time. When I moved to Toronto I took a lot of stuff, books, pictures, etc. but when I moved back in 2023 I tried to do a bit of a purge. I also left a lot of my favourites, like a few treasured books, pictures, etc with Alana, never thinking I would need them again. I also left a lot of stuff in the basement in 2018 when I went to Toronto. When I brought the pared down collection home in 2023 I dumped it with all with the other stuff in the basement.
Last fall, I was looking for a few things to put on the walls at Bethany for the short time I thought I would be there. (!) And I wondered … where is the picture that Sarah and Megan brought me back from Africa that I had framed? These were two students that I had worked with in many different capacities over the years, and they were also in the young adult spiritual direction group that I facilitated. They traveled to Africa and brought me back a rolled up painting on a piece of cloth, knowing how much I loved seeing different representations of the Last Supper, and Jesus from different cultures.
I looked everywhere for it. I texted Alana … “did I give you the picture that Sarah and Megan gave me?” but I was pretty sure I didn’t even take it to Toronto …
I resigned myself to the possibility that I had left it behind somewhere … given the number of offices I had inhabited. I wondered if I had left it at St. John’s, but at the Conservatory I didn’t even have a permanent office so I couldn’t make that fit. Then, I just felt sad …and mad at myself for being careless with the picture.
And there it was on the wall on Wednesday night. I wondered if I should even say anything. Without thinking, I blurted out “that’s my picture” … still a bit stunned to see it again. “Is that yours?” asked Rhonda, the minister at St. John’s. “I think so” … “I’m not sure” …
During the break Rhonda took it off the wall (I’m glad she did that!) and let me examine it. Yes, it was definitely mine. I must have hung it in the general office and then forgot that it was there when I left in 2018.
I sat the rest of the night with the picture beside me, slightly embarrassed and feeling that I had to explain that I normally didn’t walk into other church’s sanctuaries and just take pictures off the wall. I did feel like I had won some kind of a door prize.
So that’s the story of the new picture you will see in my office. I felt badly for St. John’s, but Rhonda assured me that there was a collection of others that they could choose from to replace it on the bare wall. I am over the moon to finally have it back … it holds so many memories.
Speaking of gratitude, this week in worship we begin our 5 week Stewardship Education program. And, as I have said (and will continue to say …) stewardship is not just about money. The program is called “Discipleship is Stewardship” and we begin with a focus this week on the spiritual practice of gratitude. The children will be in each week to help us as we move through these weeks exploring the different themes of what it means to live our lives as disciples of Jesus.
We hope you can join us … either in person or online.
The news keeps getting worse. I would love to be able to turn away, go back to bed and hide under a large blanket, but I don’t feel that’s very responsible for a preacher who is supposed to offer words of hope every week. Words of encouragement like “you are a beloved child of God.” How do I even do that when there is so much evil and malice in the world?
Well, as I continue to say … it really is a spiritual practice. In the last few years I have been constantly berating myself for letting go of the spiritual practices that have strengthened and carried me over the years … specifically daily meditation (very sporadic now) and journaling (never), and group prayer several times a week. Instead, I find I am one of those who spends an inordinate amount of time scrolling through social media.
And yes, often it is depressing. But more and more I am finding odd and quirky stories of hope, resilience and community that uplift me and remind me that humankind is capable of goodness … and kindness … and even laughter.
So if it’s delusional to think of my semi addiction to social media as a spiritual practice, so be it. “Look for the helpers” as Mr. Rogers said.
A few stories and reflections from this week …
There is lots out there as we once again mark the anniversary of 9/11 … 24 years ago. It’s one of those moments in history when those of us, even young people, who are old enough to remember are able to recall in fine detail exactly where they were that day. I was on my hands and knees in the chapel in Evaristus Hall at Mount Saint Vincent University, crafting a huge labyrinth with a Canadian Tire tarp and duct tape. I took a break and walked down to my office to find the whole Student Affairs Department crowded around a fuzzy black and white TV set just as a plane hit the second tower.
Within several hours we were informed that it was all hands on deck … a planeload of passengers would be arriving at the university, cots and supplies were being delivered to the Multipurpose Room and the Red Cross and volunteers were mobilizing teams of people to provide services to several hundred people for who knows how long. It all seems a bit surreal looking back.
Ten years later I was in Corrymeela, planning a 10th anniversary prayer service in the chapel with one of the American long term volunteers. I remember telling that story and also showing pictures of the parked planes in Gander. No one believed me. Now of course, we have Come From Away, the amazing (and hilarious!) story of how a small community came together to welcome approximately 7,000 visitors on that day. If you haven’t seen that play yet, which has traveled the world, I suggest you immediately get a ticket to Neptune for the production next spring. I have seen it twice – including taking my good friend from Northern Ireland when he visited Toronto a few years ago. It is an amazing story.
This week I read about Roselle and Salty … two guide dogs that calmly led dozens of people to safety. You can see videos and read their stories on (guess what) social media … here’s Roselle’s story:
Guide Dog Roselle Helped Her Blind Owner Escape 9/11
Social media also helped me understand more fully a story that Ann told me this week. I got back from lunch with a colleague and she came into my office to consult with me about something, and walked over to the window. “Did you see what happened?” Which I hadn't.
She said “A crow got hit by a car. It was obviously dead. Within a very short time the overhead lines were filled with crows making an awful racket. It was very upsetting.” We both looked out the window. The crow’s body was gone.
The story continued to slosh around in the back of my mind for a couple of days. I was remembering something. As I was looking at the notes I make on my phone for when I get the start of an idea about what to write about in my blog I saw the words “when a crow dies …”
I googled those words. Sure enough, videos, stories … you can spend hours reading about it, or watching videos. Scientists have done PhDs studying it. Try it. I texted Ann.
“I think what you saw was a crow funeral” I said. She got back to me. “Yes” she wrote back after looking it up … “that’s exactly what I saw.”
Look for the helpers. Or for me … sometimes it’s look for the miracles.
Yesterday morning this came across my Facebook from Corrymeela and I immediately shared it. I know many of you aren’t on Facebook so I have reposted here.The community has wonderful poets and theologians that seem to be able to articulate what I am unable to …
“The news today is of violence. An assassination in Utah. Russian military drones in Poland. Missile attacks against peace negotiators in Qatar. The relentless, indescribable hell of conditions in Gaza.
Today is a day to weep with those who weep. And a time to turn to each other not against each other.”
*A prayer in times of violence*
(P ÓTuama)
God of all humanity,
in times of violence
we see how inhuman we can be.
We pray for those who, today, are weighed down by grief.
We pray today for those who, yesterday, were weighed down by grief.
And the day before,
and all the days before the day before.
We pray, too, for those who help us turn towards justice and peace.
Turn us all towards justice and peace
because we need it.
Amen.”
My spiritual director, who knows me well after 14 years, reminded me yesterday of a time several years ago when I was coming to the realization that it was time to “come home.” He reminded me about how lonely and miserable I was in Toronto after living away for 5 years. Might have been in the aftermath of a very cheap makeshift bookcase/home shrine collapse when we were all still mostly working from home during Covid. (pictured above and below, before and after … ) Somehow I rallied and pushed through.
In the fall of 2023, although I had mixed feelings about leaving the congregation that I had grown to love, I knew I had done all that I could, I was tired and burnt out after Covid (as were many faith leaders), and it was time to hand things over … to trust that they would find their strength and that God was still very much working amongst them … and would continue to do so … even after I left!
And, it was also time to turn my full attention (at least for awhile!) to taking care of myself body, mind and spirit.
Since then, it’s been a bit of whirlwind. Sometimes it feels like it’s been the easiest transition I have ever made … and I have made many. Other times … it’s been a slog. Particularly when it comes to aging and facing the truth of what happens physically when we age. I am not sure I was fully prepared for that. Seems almost like a full time job keeping up when you get to a certain age.
There was all the usual stuff that I have been dealing with for years … blood pressure, blood sugars, bad knees, my achilles injury, which all needed attention. Then there was the new stuff … the mild hearing loss that I was absolutely not prepared for … and resisted at first … and then a worsening of one knee and recognizing my propensity to fall. Now I am preparing for cataract surgery sometime in the not too distant future, which I am absolutely terrified of. It is never ending. And yet …
In the midst of my angst and self absorption, I am also acutely aware of my power and privilege, the choices that I have, and the fact that it is all just an accident of birth that I have all that.
I don’t take Ubers often since I came from Toronto, but I do occasionally. In Toronto, it was not uncommon for me to spend up to $300 a month on Ubers during a busy month, traveling from one end of the city to another in the evenings. I justified it by thinking “well, even that is cheaper than a car payment.”
The other morning Pat had the car (he had to be in by 7:45, and was schlepping a bunch of equipment) … and I called an Uber. In Toronto, I would often have the most interesting conversations with Uber drivers, many of them newcomers to Canada. In Halifax, the ride is hardly long enough (8-10 minutes) to get anything going. However, in that short time, the driver and I struck up a conversation. I found out he was a neurologist from Tehran, married to a dentist … with two children aged 14 and 9. He and his wife are both doing what they need to do, including learning English, which I thought was pretty good for only being here for two years, and taking the required courses and upgrades needed to begin to work in their respective professions. When I asked him if he liked Canada, he said “We love it here!” He also said that his children have adjusted well. “Iran is a dictatorship you know”, he said. Yes, I said, I did know. The conversation raised my spirits for the rest of the day. And put me in a place of deep gratitude for so many things that I often take for granted.
It is hard to keep hope alive in these times. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had with many of you about how scary these times are … how upsetting the news is … how much the world has changed. It’s all true. Sometimes, I can hardly believe what is happening in the United States.
I continue to look to trusted writers and authors for wisdom and inspiration. In the past few months I have been following Arlene Dickenson, South African and Canadian businesswoman, investor, author, and television personality. She has written some very inspiring pieces in the past few months, and I became aware of her posts as they became more prominent in response to the early days of the Trump administration. Several days ago she wrote this:
“Anaïs Nin said life shrinks or grows in proportion to one’s courage.
I think about this a lot when I see adults, at any age, settling into smaller and smaller worlds. The same coffee order, the same daily routines. The same conversations with the same people about the same safe topics.
When exactly in our lives does predictability start passing for an accomplishment ? What happens to the curiosity and courage of our youth? Somewhere along the way, we start to mistake routine for wisdom and comfortable circumstances for contentment. It’s a complacency that eventually leads to living in a small room, looking out at life through a window.
What if growing older meant growing larger instead of smaller?”
I was inspired … you can read the rest of the column at Make your world bigger not smaller - by Arlene Dickinson
This week, we will be talking about Creation and climate change … again, could be a depressing topic. Another inspirational piece comes from Rebecca Solnit as she reflects on the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of New Orleans. She ends with “It is a difficult and scary time, but I believe we were made for this.” I will probably refer to this article on Sunday in my reflection. You can read it in its entirety at
And, for pure escapism, may I recommend The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix. I have read all the books by Richard Osmon, and have been waiting in great anticipation for the movie, starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie. I always imagined that if I was lucky enough to make it to a retirement community, I would be a member of the Thursday Murder Club. The movie did not disappoint. Lots of fun and wonderful to see how much fun the actors are having. Here’s the trailer:
The Thursday Murder Club | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
Have a good weekend. See you Sunday. Below is my beautiful office at Kingston Road United Church. Can’t say I don’t miss that …
The end of summer always brings up mixed feelings for me, even though fall is my favourite time of year. Change, transition, excitement about starting fresh, and yet heightened anxiety about “whether I am ready” for the coming busy-ness … it’s all there.
I remember as a teenager the end of summer was always bittersweet. Saying goodbye to summer friends and the carefree activities that come with summer. For a number of years I worked at the top of the mid-way at the Canadian National Exhibition at a Honeydew booth … a stall that sold hot dogs and a weird orange drink. Aside from the stupidity and harassment of many of the male customers (“and what does honey do?”), it was alternately the greatest and worst of summer jobs. I was right in the midst of much excitement, and it was common practice to bargain a free hotdog for a ride on one of the rides, which I would enjoy when my shift was over. As a raging extrovert, I loved meeting and interacting with so many people. However by the end of the two and half weeks of crowds, food smells, (at least it was better than the ice cream booth where I had worked several years before!), ignorant people, and riding the TTC in the early mornings and late evenings, I was ready for it to be over. Which was always what the Labour Day weekend represented during those years. The end of the chaos.
This year, I am excited about some of the new initiatives we have in place at Bethany this fall. These include a worship series beginning in September about discipleship and stewardship. (Prepare to be pleasantly surprised! Spoiler … it’s not just about money!) And a Faith Study called Painting the Stars, which is all about science and religion. And a monthly book study called “Talking About God.” I also look forward to all the usual activities and events that Bethany is well known for … Joy Lunch, concerts, seeing the Sunday School children and youth, and welcoming folks back.
In the meantime, I will finish the series about families this coming Sunday. I saw this wonderful youtube clip with Pete Buttigieg and Stephen Colbert this week which just about sums up what this series has been about:
Pete Buttigieg Claims the "Love of God" Is In His Gay Household
“The love of God is in that household”, Buttigieg says. Isn’t that the truth. This week I will offer several reflections on the life of Jesus, and what he said about family.
I may even talk a bit about a book called “The Book of Longing” by Sue Monk Kidd, a book that imagines what it might have been like to be the wife of Jesus. I have read a number of books by this author (The Secret Life of Bees, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter) and this one did not disappoint. Her scholarship, combined with brilliant storytelling skills, makes it one of my favourite books in recent years.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd | Goodreads
Finally, for those (like me) who have moments of extreme grief and paralysis about the state of the world … here’s Anne Lamott’s latest column. It gave me hope as we go into this Labour Day weekend.
Contributor: 'Summer is ended, and we are not saved.' We're not defeated, either - Los Angeles Times
Have a good one.
For reasons that will become apparent on Sunday, I have been researching what I thought was an Irish song called “The King’s Shilling”.
Many think, as I did, the song is a traditional Irish folk song, but in fact it was written by a Scottish musician, Ian Sinclair in the late 1970s. It is an anti-war song, told from a woman’s perspective.
Good old Wikipedia says that “The King's shilling, sometimes called the Queen's shilling when the sovereign is female, is a historical slang term referring to the … payment of one shilling given to recruits to the armed forces of the UK in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries … To "take the King's shilling" was to agree to serve as a sailor or soldier in the Royal Navy or the British Army. … The practice officially stopped in 1879, although the term is still used informally and there are some cases of it being used still in the early 20th century, albeit largely symbolically.”
There are many youtube versions of the song … but this one, with Irish singer Karan Casey and James Taylor, I found particularly breathtaking. I don’t know why I haven’t heard of Karan Casey before, but I will be looking for her music in the future.
The refrain goes:
Come laddies come, hear the cannons roar Tak the King’s shillig; an we’re aff tae war
In another youtube video, Karan Casey, in her introduction to the song at Celtic Connections 2017 in Glasgow, said that it is an anti-colonial song that has relevance today, and is a call to fight anyone who seeks to diminish the humanity in another human.
Well, that fits, I thought. To see what all this could possibly have to do with anything, you’ll have to tune in on Sunday, or come in person!
Also, this week, I will finish Jenny’s Boy A Newfoundland Childhood, by Wayne Johnston. It’s the fourth of the Canada Reads 2025 books I have read this summer. I might have to stop there, at least for awhile … the wait list for a digital copy from the library for the last one, Watch Out For Her, by Samantha M. Bailey, says it is still 15 weeks away.
I have enjoyed all of the ones I have read … and almost want to go back and watch the Canada Reads episodes again to hear the discussions. Each one becomes my favourite as I am reading it. Jenny’s Boy, as champion Linwood Barclay in the Canada Reads contest said, is both tragic and funny – even hilarious at times. I have actually laughed out loud a number of times. I have read several of his previous books, and am in awe at his survival and resilience!
As I have said several times in my sermons, there are common themes of the four I have read, and they relate well to our conversations about families, resilience, trauma, and the history of Canada. And this week’s theme as well – multigenerational, extended. and chosen families.
A few folks have expressed interest in gathering for a conversation about the Canada Reads books. I will host a conversation in the chapel on Wednesday, August 27 at 2:00 about any of the books … if you have read any, or just one, or if you are just curious, please feel free to join us for an informal and free wheeling conversation about this year’s selections. You can certainly get a sense of all of them by visiting the Canada Reads website, watching some of the discussions or the trailers for each book. (see bulletin insert this week for links).
Blessings on your weekend!
Martha
The above pictures are of the most recent General Council, a picture of the whole group (reminiscent of the photo of the first meeting of the United Church of Canada on June 8, 1925), and some of the youth and young adults at General Council in Calgary from August 7-11. From reading summaries and articles in Broadview magazine and on the United Church website, there was much to celebrate for the commissioners, and also much to challenge them. T
General Council ended on Monday evening with the installation of the Moderator, Rev. Kimberly Heath.
You can read an interview with her at:
New United Church Moderator Kimberly Heath on her vision for the denomination | Broadview Magazine
In particular, this section speaks to me at this time:
Do you think the church needs to change how it’s operating to become more aligned with what God has planned?
KH: “I think that the structure of the church has to follow where the Spirit is moving and not the other way around. How you do that is another story. I don’t have strong answers on particular structural things that need to change, but somehow, we need to change so that we can follow the Spirit. And seeing yesterday in the court, we had a big youth presentation, and they want to be present. They want their voices heard. And so again, it’s like the Spirit is moving in that. How do we make the structure work so that they can have a stronger voice in our church? Same with les ministères en français, and there is life in the Francophone church community. And so again, how do we say, okay, there’s the spirit, there’s the life. Let’s empower and support it.”
The Moderator is talking about the presentation on Saturday evening by youth and young adults. You can read more about it here:
GC45: Youth call out church tokenism. More on the new moderator.
Or, you can watch the whole video starting at around the 8 minute mark, which includes an apology from the Chair of the Business Committee for the experience of youth being marginalized or not listened to during the discussions over the past several days. The testimonies from the youth are very powerful.
GC45 livestream - August 9 6:30pm ET
I will talk more about this on Sunday, when we look at the idea of multiculturalism when it comes to families. And I will explore the many ways that multiculturalism presents itself, including between generations, families of origins and regions of the country.
Here is a summary of General Council on the UCC website:
Have a great weekend folks! See you … either in person or virtually on Sunday.
Today i am reposting an entry from my blog The Corrymeela Diaries. It is from August 12, 2011, when I was midway through my 3 month stay at Corrymeela, and Alana came to visit me for a week. Not only is it a time of reflection for me every year, but also, in light of our sermon series, it ties in with the sermon series about intergenerational trauma, resilience, family of origin and chosen family, and community, grief and support.
August 12, 2011
My mother died today. I can’t even fathom the reality of it, although we have been expecting it for months. And, as with my father, I wasn’t there as she made her transition. Again, as with my father, I did phone her last night and my sister put the phone to her ear ... I told her that Alana and I were together, and we were sending much love her way, and that I loved her. And Mindy said that my mom knew that it was me. It should bring me some comfort, but somehow it doesn’t yet.
Because I missed my father’s passing, it was my deepest wish that I would be with my mother when her time came. But it wasn’t to be ... it was probably a selfish wish anyway. I know that my sister did an amazing job of journeying with her these past days, and months.
And so I am left in a kind of stunned state. I won’t be going home for five weeks – and then we will have a small (very short – she would want that) service of remembrance and bury her ashes with my dad in west Toronto in early October. I am blessed that of all weeks for this to happen, my own daughter is with me this week and we can comfort each other. We are both kind of in shock, but at least hanging on to each other. And I feel all I can do is write something down.
My mother was not a happy person generally. For very real issues which I won’t go into now, she had very low self esteem, which translated into fear and control issues with her daughters. She recognized this later in her life, and we were able to have conversations about it in the past few years. As she was reflecting on her life with Mindy and I when I visited last January, she said that she was happiest when she was painting.
Now get this. She always wanted to be an artist, but was told by her father that she couldn’t attend art school. Her own mother was an artist who taught others to paint. When my grandmother died, my mother began to paint. And paint. And paint. For several years, she produced many paintings – both oil and watercolour. Her own family members, including her five brothers, couldn’t believe the talent she had hidden all these years. And then her sister died. And my mother stopped painting. When I pointed this out to her during our January conversation, she said she hadn’t made that connection.
I only have two of my mom’s paintings ... one is of two small boys in the rain (above) which I know she copied from a photo she had seen ... but I always imagined it was my own boys. Wishful thinking perhaps, that they would have been so tender with each other, helping each other through a rain puddle.
I’ve had the Allison Krauss/Robert Plant song (actually it’s an old traditional song) “Your Long Journey” running through my head since my sister phoned a few hours ago.
God's given us years of happiness here, Now we must part
And as the angels come and call for you
The pains of grief tug at my heart
Oh my darling, My darling
My heart breaks as you take your long journey
Here's a video
Your Long Journey - Alison Krause, Robert Plant
My mom and I had a difficult relationship, but there was love. And my heart breaks that her long journey has been taken, but I also rejoice that she is not in pain anymore, that her brokenness has been made whole, and that she is in the arms of God – whatever that means. Rest in peace, mom. I love you.
As promised, here is the link to the youtube video Ada’s violin. A true story, Very inspirational!
Here are Alana, Matt, Chris, Tiffany, Duncan and Tamara … and Willow … not often all together!!
Just a few thoughts as I ease myself back into things after my second round of vacation. I will share a few pictures at the end of this.
Last night our General Council began in Calgary. You can check out the agenda and main events at the website
45th General Council Opens Aug. 7-11, in Calgary, Alberta | The United Church of Canada
Highlights include an apology delivered to the 2S and LGTBQIA+ communities today, and the election of the Moderator today and tomorrow. This is the first time that the General Council has met in person since 2018, so folks are excited to be together. And there are several groups of youth in attendance, including Youth Forum, the Climate Motivators and Leadership Animators.
I will be continuing the Krazy Kinfolk sermon series this Sunday, with a focus on times of sorrow and grief, and the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In times of trial and challenge, we hope to look to family for support. Mary and Martha were surrounded by their extended family and community after Lazarus died, and it was clear that Jesus was close to the family from their interactions and also from Jesus’ reaction to Lazarus’ death. What can we learn today from this story and what are the implications for the faith community?
Here are a few snapshots of our time in PEI. It was, as the title suggests, blessed chaos. 8 adults and a dog … thank goodness it was a fairly large summer home. We overlooked St. Peter’s Bay, and were just a 5 minute drive from Greenwich beach and National Park. The “kids” got to the spa just 3 minutes away for a morning, we had lots of laughs, conversations, great food and made some good memories. I have a great video of Willow playing frisbee (apparently it was her first time) … she bolted from the door to take part with Duncan and Tamara. Unfortunately the video wouldn’t load on the blog … but feel free to ask to see it the next time you see me. It’s a hoot!
The first day, the task for Pat and Duncan was to put the new BBQ together … took most of the morning. But as you can see … well worth the efforts!
Willow getting a bit of love from Tamara
One of the many crib games during the week.
Birthday celebration (mine) at the Golden Dory, just down the road from the cottage.
I love it when the universe sends me a message.
For decades, I have often quoted the phrase “living the questions” in studies that I lead, sermons, and even general conversations. I thought it came from the extremely successful folks that founded the Living the Questions program, a very successful DVD based study from the US that started about 15 years ago. The program began in order to offer a more progressive side of Christianity, and particularly to offer an alternative to the more theologically conservative but very successful Alpha program from the UK.
We used many configurations of the program at St. Andrew’s and St. John’s … Living the Questions, Saving Jesus, The Jesus Fatwa, First Light, Eclipsing Empire, Painting the Stars … I think we did them all. You can find out more at Home - Living the Questions
Folks loved it. They were engaged, surprised, and delighted to discover, and often reshape, basic beliefs and stories of the Christian faith.
I found out yesterday that in fact, the phrase is from Rainer Maria Rilke, in his collection Letters to a Young Poet, written over 100 years ago. Rilke wrote:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
I heard that yesterday as I was listening to the latest On Being Podcast … a tribute to the great author, teacher, Buddhist scholar, and philosopher of ecology Joanna Macy, who died this past week at the age of 96.
This is from her obituary: “A widely beloved teacher, Joanna Macy was a powerful prophetic voice in global movements for peace, justice, and ecology. As a leading environmental activist and prolific writer, she synthesized principles of Buddhism, systems theory and deep ecology philosophy. With The Work That Reconnects, Macy created a groundbreaking framework and potent workshop methodology for deepening ecological connection, transformation, and empowerment. This experiential group work helped hundreds of thousands of people take action on behalf of a more sustainable world. Macy often emphasized, “If the world is to be healed through human efforts, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people whose love for this life is even greater than their fear.”[1]
I have encountered Joanna Macy’s teachings and writings many times over the years. I even have one of her books on my bookshelf. You can find many youtube videos of Joanna and many online articles.
I was transfixed as I listened to Krista Tippet's interview with Macy from 2021 about her latest book, a new translation of Letters to a Young Poet. You can listen to the podcast, or read the transcript, at Home | The On Being Project
It is well worth the investment of an hour … I came away feeling inspired and full of gratitude and hope.
About the living the questions Rilke quote, Macy says: “What a wonderful way to relate to uncertainty.”
Fellow Rilke translator Anita Barrows (also in the interview) says: “Yes, yes. And I think, you know, so much, especially in our very consumer-oriented society, where we’re looking for answers all the time, we’re looking for solutions — rapid solutions and neat solutions — [laughs] here we are, being told to live into the questions, to be able then to say, “I don’t know. I have to sit with this. I have to be with it.” It’s a practice that we’re not taught by anything in our society.”
Macy replies: “But it’s the only way to be in the present moment, because when we want to know, “Oh, where’s this heading? Are we heading to war? Are we heading to — can I have it now? Shall I be — can’t I have hope?” All of those things, even the question of hope takes you out of the present moment. And the present moment is the only place you’re really present, the only place where you can actually choose.”
Krista Tippet responds: “You know, I have actually really taken this teaching as a life practice of holding the questions, loving the questions, and of — I’ve taken it as a life practice, with a question — to actually very actively do that: put the question before me, hold it, treasure it, nurture it, walk with it. And I have found that if you are faithful to a question like this, it will be faithful back, right? It will do this thing that he says, which is that you live your way into whatever the form an answer takes.”[2]
Boy, I needed to hear that conversation this week. I am off for another two weeks starting on Sunday. We have a family (amazingly, all 8 of us!) vacation planned at a friend’s cottage in St. Peter’s Bay, PEI. It will no doubt be chaotic, but life giving.
I also seem to have come down with a case of shingles this week. Luckily, it looks like we caught it in time and I was able to get the medication that hopefully reduces the severity. But it explains a lot about the general “unwellness” I have been feeling in the past couple of weeks.
For the next two weeks, I will be reading, listening to podcasts, and (hopefully) sitting in the sun. And enjoying my family. I have read three of the Canada Reads books so far and have loved them all. I wasn’t sure about the winner (spoiler alert) A Two Spirit Journey, but in fact I couldn’t put it down. I had imagined it would be really tough to read … and it was. But it was also uplifting, hopeful and inspiring. And it totally fits into the sermon series about the complexities of families.
And for now … I will practice the art of being “patient toward all that is unsolved in my heart and try to love the questions themselves.”
Blessings, and see you on August 10.
[1] Joanna Macy, Buddhist teacher, environmental activist, dead at 96
[2] Joanna Macy, In Memoriam — Beauty and Wisdom and Courage (and Rilke) to Sustain Us | The On Being Project
My dad was a huge baseball fan. He was a huge sports fan, but baseball I think was his favourite. He desperately hoped for a son. After my sister was born 5 years after me, I suspect my mom said “no more” and my dad gave up on the dream. Somewhere there is a picture of her dressed up in baseball attire at a very early age.
In 1979, he was over the moon when his first grandchild was a boy. I think the Blue Jays hat came with his birth. In Christopher’s first official portrait when he was a few months old, he has a Blue Jays hat on. And of course, there was always baseball on the beach. That’s Chris above, with a baseball bat (or a close facsimile) in his hand from an early age. But it wasn’t one of the sports he ended up playing. He played hockey and soccer.
There is a well known family story that when Chris was finally old enough to be taken to a Blue Jays game (I think he was about 3 or 4 …), which were still being played at Exhibition Stadium, he said after the third inning “Can we go home now gramps?” Dad brought him home. Here’s dad, Chris and Punkin, minus the Jays’ gear.
I have occasionally pondered the symbolism and theology of baseball. A quick google search will suggest that I am not alone.
Sometimes, the subject has found its way into my sermons, especially when they are winning. I will admit to being a bit of a “fair weather fan” … ie when they are winning, which hasn’t been for a long time … although the pictures below will show you that over the last forty some odd years we always made a trip to the Sky Dome/Rogers Centre to see a game whenever we had a family trip to Toronto, which was often.
Sometimes, I have been able to combine United Church and baseball. I was in Toronto when the Jays won the World Series in 1993, their second in a row. The winning game was actually in Toronto. I was attending a UCC meeting of the executive of the Division of Mission in Canada. We were all crowded in a tiny hotel room downtown, watching, and when they won you could literally feel the city erupt. We didn’t get much sleep that night as the city partied.
In 2000, the General Council was held at York University in Toronto, and I was a Steward at the Council. At that time there was usually an afternoon mid-Council where work stopped and there were arranged outings around the city. One was to a Jays game … and then Moderator Bill Phipps threw the opening pitch. That was fun to see!
I loved the 1988 baseball movie Bull Durham. It is the story of three main characters in the world of a minor league baseball team. Aging pitcher Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, Nuke LaLoosh, a hot shot up and coming pitcher, played by Tim Robbins, and Annie Savoy, played by Susan Sarandon. Annie is the woman who comes between them, and who lives her life, in many ways, for baseball. The movie opens with Annie’s monologue, which I have had to heavily edit. She says:
“I believe in the church of baseball. I’ve tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. I’ve worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there’s one hundred and eight beads in a Catholic rosary and there’s one hundred and eight stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn’t work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there’s no guilt in baseball, and it’s never boring, … and this is where I have to leave out a lot of the monologue but you can find it on youtube; the monologue ends with … I’ve tried them all, I really have. And the only church that feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the church of baseball.”[1]
In a 2007 article in Faith and Theology, Kim Fabricus lists 10 reasons why baseball is God’s game. I’ll just give you a couple …
- “The game of ball is glorious” – Walt Whitman.
- Baseball is about coming home. The whole point of the game is to finish where you begin – home plate – and once you are home you are finally safe.
“In my beginning is my end…
Home is where one starts from…
In my end is my beginning.”
(T. S. Eliot, “East Coker”)
- It has its saints – e.g. Lou Gehrig (the Iron Horse) and Jackie Robinson (the first African-American player of the modern era) – and sinners – e.g. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (who took a bribe) and Barry Bonds (who is alleged to have taken steroids).
- Finally, baseball abounds in hope (cf. Romans 15:13): “Next year!” – and, indeed, past-redeeming eschatological promise: “If you build it, he will come” (Field of Dreams).[2]
Pictures below will prove that I have been a Jays fan (even if it is on and off) for many years. And it’s getting pretty exciting now that they are currently in top spot in the American League. The stadium is full again. I’ll be watching this weekend … when I’m not writing my sermon.
In the meantime, I am working my way through the Canada Reads 2025 books. I finished Dandelion this week and loved it. It’s a great story about identity, culture, family, immigration, and home. Next will be Jennie’s Boy by Wayne Johnston, or A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder by Ma-Nee Chacoby and Mary Louisa Plummer, which I have in audio form from the library.
Anyone want to join me in August for a Canada Reads conversation? You can also find all the episodes of this year’s contest on youtube or the CBC’s website. Links are included in last week’s blog. Have a great weekend!
Let’s go Blue Jays!
below are some pictures of family outings through the years … note: in the first picture, for a number of years, after we left Toronto after 2 years in 1988, we continued to see Duncan’s plastic surgeon in Toronto for the further surgeries he needed. Hence the medical tape on his upper lip. The Jays game was something to look forward to after his surgery … plus of course a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame or Gretsky’s restaurant.
At the end of last week I finally made time to watch all the episodes of Canada Reads 2025. The CBC website Canada Reads says that Canada Reads is “… is a "literary Survivor”, with celebrities championing books. Each day, panellists vote to eliminate one book, until a single title is chosen as the title the whole country should read this year.” Each year there is a question to focus the debates, and this year’s question was “what is one book to change the narrative?”
Originally broadcast in March, you can find all kinds of information about the five contenders and their champions on the website. I watched all the episodes on Youtube, but the website gives you a number of ways to watch or listen.
Here are the five trailers for the 2025 contenders. They are lovely to watch.
Canada Reads 2025 book trailers
I try to watch the debates each year. Not only do I always enjoy the debates and information about the books, but I find it’s a unique opportunity to meet five Canadian celebrities from diverse backgrounds (many with whom I am not familiar) in respectful and passionate conversations.
This year was no different. I found many of the themes talked about were themes I intended to touch on in my upcoming sermon series about families in the bible … identity, home, belonging, survival, trauma, loss, loyalty. After I watched all the episodes, I committed to reading at least the top three books this summer and connecting them to my weekly sermons and reflections.
They are (SPOILER ALERT) Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hopper, championed by Heartland actor Michelle Morgan, Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew, championed by pastry chef Said M’Dahoma, and A Two-Spirit Journey, by Ma-Nee Chacaby with Mary Louisa Plummer, championed by podcaster and wellness advocate Shaya Stonechild.
I would also be happy to gather in the garden at Bethany during a lunch hour or two during August to talk about any of the books. Let me know if anyone is interested in a noon hour Canada Reads book club.
As for the sermon series, I am using a book I have had for decades, Krazy Kinfolk, Exploring Dysfunctional families of the Bible, by United Church of Christ minister Barbara J. Essex. Essex says:
“While the Bible is often used as a model for what families ought to look like, those who advocate “family values” fail to realize that biblical families are most often dysfunctional. Biblical families go through many changes in order to survive … We have seen changing attitudes, values, and practices in the Bible as people seek to live out God’s commands in diverse cultural settings – there is no monolithic model for family life in the Bible.”
It is my hope that this exploration will not only be engaging, informational and perhaps even contain a bit of humour, but it will also set us up well to engage in the tasks and priorities that this faith community has named for the coming year.
This Sunday will be an introduction to the series, and we will look at two stories of fathers – one horrible story in the book of Judges (Jephtha and his daughter) and the story of the man with two sons, commonly known as the story of the Prodigal Son. Hope to see you there. Enjoy the weekend!
Today I share mostly pictures … just to prove I actually did have some time away.
It was a great two weeks. A whirlwind of visits, driving, and decisions. Decisions mostly about food … what to eat … where to eat … what time to eat … what kind of ice cream today?. Then, there were decisions to make about what to read (more on that Friday …) and what to do.
And always on a road trip, decisions about how to get where we were going. Turns out I am not the great navigator I used to be … especially when we lose internet (hence google maps) somewhere along the concession roads (Bruce County Number 8?…I think we just passed it …) somewhere between Southampton and Port Stanley. Obviously an area in Southern Ontario with which I am totally unfamiliar. Somehow we got to where we we needed to be. It’s a good thing my friend and I have a 30 plus year friendship to get us through the testy times.
We were rewarded with a beautiful room in a wonderful hotel right on the harbour at Port Stanley, which is a vacation destination on Lake Erie, about 15 minutes from St. Thomas where Matt and Alana live.
Here are some pictures. I will write more on Friday, when I will tell you about the summer sermon series that starts on Sunday and how I will connect it with some of the books I have been reading from the Canada Reads 2025 top five contenders.
Of the three days we spent in Southampton, only one was a certified “beach day.” But we had a great visit with my sister Mindy and her husband Robin and their two gigantic dogs, Mollie and Barkley. We had some great meals together and even got some “retail therapy” in at our favourite Southampton store.
I was also happy to get a visit in to the old cottage. My cousin Sue (pictured below in a recent picture, and one from may years ago … when I was less modest about beachwear and sunscreen was no doubt non-existent!). She graciously showed me around the cottage … don’t think I have been in it for 15 years … and we were able to catch up. Many years ago, in our early 20s, we traveled the UK and Europe together. We connected over the years and also saw each other a lot when I was in Toronto. The front porch is where I would enjoy my morning coffee every morning before the chaos of the day began.
We then got to Port Stanley, about 15 minutes from where Matt and Alana live in St. Thomas. It’s a busy vacation town. We had a beautiful hotel room, right on the waterfront and boardwalk on the harbour. We had a couple of lovely restaurant dinners, one at a beachfront bar where we could watch everyone playing volleyball and staking their place to watch the fireworks later. We went back to the patio at the hotel to watch the fireworks, where it rained a bit … but then saw a spectacular double rainbow!
Back to Toronto on Tuesday and flew home on Wednesday and for the rest of the week enjoyed the backyard sun, a few podcasts, and did some reading. Yesterday we went to Chester to have brunch with Chris and Tiffany at the Kiwi. Chris just got in this past week after 7 weeks on the fishing boat where he was north of Baffin Island. Then had a bit of beach time on the way home.
Martha is taking some time away and will return to her blog on Friday, July 11, 2025.
Travelling mercies.
I ripped my knitting project out last week. Again. For about the 10th time. Since last August I have been trying to make a lacy vest. It is one of Ilga Leja’s patterns. I have known Ilga for years – she has been a member of St. John’s United Church for years and was active in the women’s spirituality group there, a fellow choir member, attended numerous bible studies, and was a colleague in the Atlantic Jubilee Program in Spiritual Guidance at Tatamagouche Centre in 2007.
She is also an extraordinary knitter, and designs many beautiful patterns (which you can find on Ravelry.com). When I saw Ilga at our 100th Anniversary Service on June 8, I told her, tongue in cheek, that I had been cursing her for months. I explained. “Toss it in the bin” she said.” “I can’t do that … I’ve come too far …” was my reply. I will finish this project come hell or high water. This is what it is supposed to look like:
I have completed a number of beautiful items designed by Ilga over the past 15 years. But this one has been challenging. I finally finished the back about 6 weeks ago. Then I started one of the front panels.
Similar in pattern to the back, but just different enough that I kept making mistakes. Miscounting, doing a ssk when it should have been a p2tog. Tried to make up for it. Sometimes I was able to go back a few rows and correct the mistake, but I usually just made it worse. Last week I looked at it for a long time. “Just do it”, I said to myself. So I ripped it out and started the front panel again.
This week, I think I might finally have figured out where I was going off the rails.
There is something utterly devastating, and yet completely refreshing about starting over again. I have done it, on many other projects, dozens of times. And each time, I am surprised at how I feel like such a failure one minute, and then full of hope and determination the next. It’s a clean slate. And I try to look at the pattern with fresh eyes. Sometimes I even have to walk away from it for awhile. With this one, it’s been days, even weeks.
The question is always “can I live with this mistake?” Sometimes I can. But occasionally, I know that in the end, I will feel better if I start over. And yet usually I continue to resist for awhile … even knowing that I will feel better if I just begin again.
When I first started knitting about 20 years ago I was knitting prayer shawls. I had started a prayer shawl ministry at St. Andrew’s and figured I shouldn’t be asking folks to do something I didn’t do myself. My great aunt-Nina, my grandmother’s sister who had the cottage next to my grandmother’s, taught me to knit when I was about 8. She knit all the time. I never quite took to it. I crocheted a lot in my late teens and early 20s, but left that behind in the busyness of life.
The original prayer shawl pattern was a very simple repetitive pattern that I thought “I can do this while I am watching TV at night.” I realized quite quickly that when I was knitting I was not working on some project that I had brought home from one of my two jobs or one of the courses I was taking. It really was a total break from everything else I was doing. I also found that it was quite meditative … sometimes. Not that long ago I read that knitting has been shown to reduce blood pressure. Obviously not my latest project lol.
I did often wonder if any of the dark energy and anxiety from the British mysteries we were always watching crept into the prayer shawls I was knitting. I guess I will never know the answer to that.
Since I took up knitting I have often found myself reflecting on many of life’s experiences through the metaphor of knitting … whether it is unravelling a ball of wool, ripping out a pattern and starting again, trying to figure out what seems like a complicated set of instructions, or just quietly knitting something repetitive.
So, if you ever see me wearing a back lacy vest, you will know that I completed my most recent project. I think I will be ready for a basic scarf or shawl next.
After this Sunday, I am on vacation for two weeks. Tuesday I will travel to Toronto to visit one of my best friends. Then we will go on one of our many road trips … we have taken many over the past 25 years. We will drive north to visit my sister in Southampton, and then to St. Thomas (actually, Port Stanley) to see Alana, Matt and Murphy, and then back to Toronto.
I will see you on July 7.
And yes, I will take my knitting with me.
Blessings on your summer.
These are three shawls that ended up as Christmas gifts Matt gave to his mom, grandmother and uncle’s girlfriend.
One of the great things about being back in Nova Scotia after living in Toronto for 5 years has been re-connecting with friends and colleagues. Rev. Robyn Brown-Hewitt is one of those folks.
Here we are at the North End Baking Company & Cafe yesterday, where we try to meet every couple of months to catch up and check in.
If you don’t know about the North End Bakery on Prescott Street, you should check it out. This is from their website:
“Welcome to North End Baking Co. & Cafe, where every treat is crafted with care, purpose, and inclusivity in mind! We are a gluten-free bakery and café, and many of our items are also dairy-free—because we believe delicious food should be for everyone.
We’re proud to be a social enterprise of Prescott Group, located in the North End of Halifax, Nova Scotia. At our heart, we’re a learning kitchen and café, providing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to build confidence and skills in baking, culinary arts, customer service, and cashiering.
Your support helps create meaningful learning experiences and lasting connections. Thank you for your patience and kindness as our team members grow and thrive. We promise it’s worth the wait!”
Learn more about the North End Bakery and Café at North End Baking Co.
Robyn and I go way back. We first worked together in the summer of 2002 when I was on the Agenda and Planning Committee and Robyn was the chair of the Worship Committee for the General Council in 2003 in Wolfville. When she asked me to be part of the Worship Planning Committee, I jumped at the chance. Any skills I have in creating liturgy and putting together worship services, I learned from Robyn.
For several years Robyn and I traveled together to attend Festival of Homiletics conferences. These are huge 4 day gatherings of preachers from around North America. Every year the keynote speakers are well known theologians and preachers. Robyn and I attended the events in Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville together. If I have any skills in preaching it is because of those conferences and the many different sermons and styles of preaching that we experienced during those times.
In 2013 Robyn, Alana and I traveled together to the Greenbelt Festival in Cheltenham, England. Along with a 20 hour stopover in Iceland, where we had a lovely trip to the Blue Lagoon, we also spent 3 days in London before the festival. Here we are about to see Wicked.
Former United Church Moderator Right Rev. Gary Patterson had a dream of taking 100 people from the United Church of Canada, 50 under 50 years old and 50 over 50 to experience “Greenbelt”, the Christian festival of “artistry, activism and belief.” The Festival has been going for about 50 years, and from the website it looks like it is still going strong. In 2013 there were about 20,000 people in attendance. It was quite a remarkable experience. You can read more at Greenbelt Festival – Somewhere to believe in
Below is a picture of many of us from the UCC … you can find me towards the right in the second row looking over at Alana, who is sitting on the far edge of the picture. Robyn is kneeling, smack dab in the middle, with a black Tshirt with a green design. I believe that immediately in front of me is our current moderator, Rev. Carmen Lansdowne.
Although over the past 10 years or so our busy lives have meant that we haven’t seen each other much, it has been wonderful to reconnect in the past year, share memories, and celebrate our present lives. It is a gift to look back and see how our experiences have woven themselves into the fabric of our lives.
This Sunday we honour Indigenous Day of Prayer. During our Sacred Readings time, we will hear a story called “We Were Alone” by David A. Robertson. There is a youtube video with the author reading this book at (539) David Robertson #Reads2CHEO: When we were alone - YouTube.
I was listening to CBCs Bookends with Mattea Roach as I was driving into Bethany last week. She was interviewing Robertson, and i immediately wanted to follow up for our worship service for June 15. I mentioned it to Ann when I arrived at the church, she said “I have a book that might fit the theme” … ran to her office, and came back with the book. “That’s the one he was talking about!” I said. Funny how things work out. Or, as I like to think, the Spirit at work.
Here's the CBC interview:
I hope you can join us on Sunday as we explore some of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Report, and specifically the ones that are calls for the church. How are we doing at Bethany on this path to reconciliation? How are you doing personally?
