When I was a kid in Sunday school I remember singing the song, with actions, about the wise man and the foolish man. Based on the parable in Matthew 7:24-27, the song tells the story about the wise man building his house upon the rock and the foolish man building his house upon the sand. The rains came down and the floods came up. The wise man’s house stood firm, the foolish man’s house came tumbling down. As I read this now, what strikes me is the awareness that storms c

In May of 1981 I was ordained a minister in the American Baptist Churches of America at a church in Wayne Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. On May 24, 2009, my ordination was recognized and I was officially welcomed as a minister of word, sacrament and pastoral care in the United Church of Canada at a regional celebration in Langley, BC. This Sunday will mark 17 years since I officially became a part of United Church family. At the time I had absolutely no idea that in the

Today, May 14, is Moose Hide Campaign Day which began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. It has since grown into a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians focused on ending gender-based violence. Born out of sorrow and grief, the Campaign began over 10 years ago along the Highway of Tears where many indigenous girls and young women simply disappeared. The Campaign today

Today is the last day of April, 2026. I have nine more Sundays left before I retire on June 28th. Last night I attended the April Church Council Meeting. I only have two more such meetings left before the Council takes a leave for the summer and resumes in the fall with their new minister. As I write this I am aware that I am feeling a mixture of relief and sadness. I am relieved that my time here as your minister is coming to a close. I have been in this role far longe

Thanks to Rob McPhee, our 50th Anniversary Book is now published and being distributed. Looking back over the last 50 years, 1976 – 2026, evoked a myriad of wonderful stories and memories. The scripture reading for this coming Sunday describes the early church as a community where everyone shared whatever they had, and none went without. It reminded me of some of the old hippie communes back in the 60’s and 70’s where a large home or farm was shared by many people and all

I am writing these Ponderings on April 15 th , and there is a skiff of fresh snow on the ground. Our niece sent us pictures of a recent visit her family made to Butchart Gardens near Victoria. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming and spring was clearly in the air. This time of year a part of me longs for the resurrection of spring. Yet on the Prairies, including in Edmonton, I am always amazed that when it rains or even when it snows, people often say, “Well, yo

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday and it is always a challenge for a minister and/or for a church to decide how to deal with this day. When I grew up in the church, mothers always received recognition and sometimes a flower on Mother’s Day. But over the years traditions have shifted and changed. This happened partly because some people had horrible, even abusive mothers, or mothers who abandoned them. It is hard to pretend that all mothers are the source of comfort, love

The psalmist proclaims, "There may be tears for the night, but joy comes in the morning." In many ways this passage reflects our Holy Week journey. Today, Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus celebrating Passover, and what we now call the Last Supper, with his disciples in which he predicts that one will betray him. They then go out where Jesus enters into agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. On Friday we remember Jesus' crucifixion, death and burial. Thursday and Frid