Last Saturday morning at the annual meeting of the East-Central Ontario Regional Council (ECORC) of the United Church, our day was started by Dorothy Taylor, an Elder of the White Porcupine clan of Curve Lake First Nation. Wearing just a taste of the beautiful beadwork that spoke of her First Nations ancestry, Dorothy greeted us…
Today’s morning thoughts. Sometimes when I read a familiar passage of the Bible, it speaks in a surprising new way. This is my reflection on Acts 4:5-12 NIV (I’ve copied them and placed then at the bottom of this reflection) Jesus disciple, Peter, was asked by the religious leaders, “By what power do you say…
This morning Tom and I attended “Good Friday” worship service at our church. But what exactly is “good” about this day? As Reverend Cathy led us through the violent and painful story of Jesus’ arrest, interrogation and crucifixion. Singing t he hymn “Were you there?” and hearing current readings helped us make made the connections…
Image by Almeida from Pixabay The Season of Lent – Why? Many of us have lives so busy we often feel overwhelmed. Too many of us believe we have no choice. We just keep on keeping on. Some are like pet hamsters who run on treadmills, hard as they can, but go nowhere. Now that’s drudgery. For…
Image by Enoch111 from Pixabay In today’s world, we struggle with making commitments. The Covid pandemic has taught us that even with the best intentions, we can’t always fulfil our responsibilities. Parenting is a lifetime love commitment that many of us make willingly. With God’s help we love our children, even when, they are the source of our…
A New Name, Please Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay Often, when we go to a gathering, we receive a blank sticky label on which we write our name. Perhaps that label already has our name on it. Nametags make it easier for people, those organizing and those participating. Remembering a whole lot of new names at once…
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay February brings thoughts of Valentine’s Day and love. The Bible compares love to a rope, strongest and healthiest with three strands. Jesus identified those three strands as love for God, love for one another and love for one’s self. Each person makes their own choice about love of God. Let’s consider the other…
Today, with no pressing tasks beckoning, I settled down into my comfy chair. My mind immediately went to my trusty companion, my worn and duct taped Bible, Eugene Peterson’s, The Message. I flipped through its thin pages and fine print. I chose to stop at the book of Luke. And why not? Luke…