I hope to see some of you this Tuesday April 9th at 12:00 Noon in the Fellowship Hall for JOY Lunch. A light lunch served for $10. There is still time to register (we need to know numbers, so we have enough food). If you plan to attend, please contact Ann asap at: 902 455 0521 ext 227 abradley@bethanyunitedchurch.ca

When I came to Bethany many were worried, I would come with an aggressive “progressive agenda”. But I want people to “own” their faith, not adopt my views based on bullying and shame. My approach to change is to share the stories of others, invite listeners to ponder “Where is God in all of this”. But if some persist in…

I had coffee with a NSCC student, she was hoping to be a street navigator. She called all the street navigators in HRM. I was the only one to call her back. I explained, “most navigators deal with crisis, they run to the immediate challenge, leave the longer-term scheduling for another day.” In my specific job, in North Dartmouth…

You know the story, The Parable of the Good Samaritan. A man fell into the hands of robbers, who beat him, leaving him for dead. A priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan saw him, was moved with compassion…

Congratulations to our own Nathan Mills, goalie for the Halifax Macs, who defeated Dartmouth Steele Subaru 2-1 in a series deciding game 5 to capture the league/provincial championship. Nathan was named playoff MVP, after leading the playoffs in GAA and save percentage, while tying for most wins.

I have not mentioned this topic since I made the announcement on March 17th and followed it up with a blog the next day. But I feel there are still people who read this blog who don’t know where I am going on July 1st (those who asked me were told). The only reason I did not mention the church by name was this…

Several people told wrote me about our choir appearing on CTV News, here is a clip: (note, before the choir, one minute of gas price stories: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video/c2895029-news-and-weather-update--april-1--2024

April 1st holds significance for me, for two reasons. 1) It is Vince’s 90th birthday. We celebrated on Sunday, sang “Happy Birthday” and later shared a cake in his honour. See this great photo taken by Bonnie Sue.

When I read John 20, Mary mistaking Jesus for the gardener, I think of the movie, Being There. “Chance the gardener,” a man who has never left his sheltered home is constantly mistaken for being, “Chauncy de Gardener,” a brilliant visionary who only speaks in deceptively simplistic parables. The twist to the movie is the last scene…

On this Holy Saturday I share two verses from Psalm 31 You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your namesake leads me and guides me, Take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

You have likely heard me reference Clarence Jordan before. In college, Jordan studied agriculture, pursuing his vision of improving the plight of poor farmers. His struggle of conscience eventually led him to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he managed yet another degree…

‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Christ’s last words on the cross in the accounts of Matthew and Mark fuse a tender, intimate address, ‘my God’, with the deep despair of abandonment. The question is not, ‘have you forsaken me?’; nor is the question directed to a third party, ‘why has that God forsaken me’…

As we move through Holy Week, the most sacred part of our Christian story, I once again encourage you to consider reading, The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Final Days in Jerusalem, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan.

Sunday School update and news: Our children have been working very hard this year on their quilt, and we are excited to announce that the top is fully assembled, and we will begin tying the quilt on Easter Sunday! We’ll also be working on our raised garden beds so they’re ready for planting when it’s warm enough for our seedlings to go outside…

The three photos I attach here were taken by Karen Finley. Karen captures people’s faces like few others. Over these 8 ½ years at Bethany I will occasionally receive photos from Karen, often from an event several years before, where the subjects look “amazing”. I will send these photos to those in the picture, and the response is always…

In 2006, John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg wrote The Last Week. The book begins: “Two processions entered Jerusalem on a spring day in the year 30. One was a peasant procession, the other an imperial procession. From the east, Jesus rode a donkey down the Mouth of Olives, cheered by his followers.

I can honestly say, I wish others, all others, the very best in life. There is no one on this earth, no one who has ever lived on this earth, I did not wish anything but the best. I don’t know how I arrived at this outlook, it did not come from my parenting or friends. I would like to say it came from my Christian faith, but I there are Sundays…

It’s a busy weekend ahead. A tip of the hat to Tina Gascon and Mary MacKay who took the news of the Shrove Tuesday supper cancellation (weather) in stride. On Saturday (sold out) there is a Trivia-Cast Away the Winter Blues-Brunch in the Hall, their brainchild. I am a server. I came to our Affirming Meeting last night…

I have a strange relationship with the word “normal”. Most of the things I enjoy in life would be categorized for someone my age and gender as “normal”. The clothes I wear, the music I listen to, the food I eat, all very conventional for my demographic. And yet…when I do make choices that are not “normal” I get strange looks, questions.

We have two funerals coming this week at Bethany, one for Donald Urquhart and another for Valerie Bancroft. I will send you links for both obituaries later in the week. Please keep both families in your prayers. Many will remember Rollie and Shirley Urquhart, they were once very involved at Bethany, later moved to PEI.