A short while ago, a person who is very dear to me said that she sometimes questions the adequacy of her faith. Amidst all the busyness of life, all the many struggles and issues that she and we all have to face, her faith sometimes gets … Read more

The other day when I took the dogs for their early morning walk, the fog was thick. I could barely see across the street, and I was even worried that oncoming traffic might not see me or my four-footed friends. But by the time we were on … Read more

Christmas morning is probably one of the most emotion-laden mornings of the year. For many, it is a happy time of smiling children, presents under the tree, and stockings to open. For others, it might be a difficult time of depression or … Read more

Do you practice an active faith? I try to, but I admit that I don't always succeed. Advent provides a good example. The other day, I was thinking about the idea of anticipation and how, during Advent, we look forward with anticipation … Read more

Throughout my career, I was involved in many projects. Some were small, lasting a few hours or days, involving few people, and having little financial impact. Some were enormous, lasting months or years, involving large teams of people, … Read more

Think back to the last time you experienced a thunderstorm. Think of the lightning, and then the thunder — sometimes, a low rumbling sound a long way off, and other times, a loud, terrifying CRACK when the storm is near. What did you … Read more

One recent Sunday morning, our worship leader began the service with an apology. She said that in delivering the message the week before, she had confused two Bible stories, placing a character from one into the other. Someone from the … Read more

What do you think of worship? Or maybe the question should be, "Do you think about worship at all?" There are many passages in the Bible that speak to the different facets of worship. Some focus on the aspect of praise, others on the idea … Read more

I recently attended the funeral of a man who was a true person of faith, who had seemingly ministered to others his whole life — both in and out of ordained ministry. During his message, the eulogist spoke of the profound impact that … Read more

Do you make new year's resolutions? I do. As I think of those resolutions in the first few hours, days, and weeks of a new year, I often hear the words of a particular song playing in my head: "Day by Day", a song from the 1971 Stephen … Read more

In an Advent liturgy presented in our church, one word leaped off the page at me: "Expectations". That word rattled around in my brain for the rest of the service. What was so special about that word? As I reflected, I realized that I … Read more

Shortly after seven o'clock each morning, I take our dogs for a walk. One day this past weekend, one of my sisters, who was staying the weekend, joined me. That was fun for all of us: she and I enjoyed watching our animals, and they … Read more

A few days ago, I attended a funeral for the father of a woman with whom I used to work. This woman's family doesn't live near me, so it was quite a long drive to get to the funeral; the return trip was about 730 kilometres (450 miles). It … Read more

Recently, I had the opportunity to worship in one of the churches that my mother and I used to visit together. It was an early morning service, and the small church — no more than a chapel, really — was nearly empty when I arrived. I … Read more

A couple of nights ago, we were awakened by a great commotion outside. Coyotes were in the area — probably in the field behind our house — yipping and howling and carrying on. There were also clear sounds of an animal in distress. That … Read more

I always seem to have had a far-flung circle of family, friends, and colleagues. I grew up in Ontario and still have two sisters nearby, but two siblings and both my parents moved to the west coast many years ago. My parents emigrated … Read more

In our church, there is a cross at the front of the sanctuary. The cross is bare for most of the year, but during Lent, it is draped in a purple cloth. Now, it is draped in white, in honour of the risen Christ. The changing colours of the … Read more

The evening that Jesus shared His last Passover meal with His disciples was an evening full of remarkable events. From the washing of feet to the treachery of Judas, it was an evening that would change lives, and change history. One of … Read more

I have always had a challenge understanding the idea of "infinity". Even as a child in science and math class, I had difficulty grasping infinite time or infinite space. So, too, with the love of God: I've heard many ministers and Sunday … Read more

I live in the country, on the outskirts of a village of about 1,300 people. Our house is on a main road leading into the village, and although there are street lights in the village, they end just before our house. When I take the dogs … Read more

Every year as Advent arrives, I hear the song, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord", from the musical Godspell, playing over and over in my head. It's a loud, happy, euphoric song, and that's appropriate: what could be more joy-inducing … Read more

One of my brothers-in-law has had some serious health issues this year. He has spent many weeks in hospital, endured innumerable tests, and undergone several surgeries. After many attempts at resolution, all of which were ultimately … Read more

I've written two previous devotionals on the London transit service's slogan, "Every Journey Matters", the first focusing on the word "Every" and the second on the word "Journey". A reader of the Daily wrote to me recently and … Read more

Many people get tied up with big questions like "What is the meaning of life?" or "What is my life's purpose?" These questions are difficult enough that many people give up trying to answer! But there's an easier, and I think more … Read more

I was recently on holiday in London, England, and as I was standing in Paddington Station, I noticed a poster for Transport for London, the city's transit service. Their slogan is "Every Journey Matters". Immediately, I was struck by the … Read more

On a recent evening, rehearsing with our community church choir, our director had us sing "Help!" by the Beatles. All of us, being "of a certain age", knew the words pretty much by heart. After we had sung it through once, she commented … Read more

Have you ever found yourself listening to something — maybe you've heard it many times before — and noticing something entirely new and unexpected? I had that experience on a recent Sunday. We were singing Hymn of Promise, written by … Read more

Some weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a day-long video workshop on a sensitive topic that can be divisive and difficult for some people to talk about. So the opportunity to discuss it with others in a safe environment … Read more

Early on Easter morning, I was out walking with our dog, a morning ritual that I have come to enjoy as much as she does. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and cold, and we were out very early, so we were able to watch the sun rise on our … Read more

As I write this, we are preparing for our worship services for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. One of our music directors has asked me to do a reading, essentially a spoken word version of a song from Jesus Christ Superstar, which I … Read more