A version of this material will form my 2023 Christmas Eve Sermon at St. Stephen’s, Summerland. 7 p.m. is you’re in the hood. Everyone likes receiving Christmas cards—at least most people do. See my comments elsewhere. For many, the traditional Christmas card is now replaced by the annual newsletter—my own tend to go on a... Continue Reading →
Not your typical Christmas Card
Prior to returning to Summerland where Kathie and I lived and worked from 1994-2005 we needed to make a decision. Would we have our mail re-directed to our new address? I thought it was a waste of money; Kathie, however, wanted the service. So we now receive correspondence from gutter cleaners and weed removal services;... Continue Reading →
Never say Never
Our “little book”: Partnership as Mission: Essays in Memory of Ellie Johnson is now published and available for sale. Kenneth Gray, Maylanne Maybee, EditorsWipf and Stock Publishers; 288 pagesAvailable in softcover, e-book, and hardcover Now through December 19, on sale at 40%off. Visit our publisher, Wipf and Stock and use the code JOY23 to receive... Continue Reading →
A secret Garden – Shh . . .
Christine Timmerman, Yarram, Victoria, Australia The Yarram Share Garden located behind the Anglican Church in Yarram and has a special secret name. One that I will share with you, but you must remember it’s a secret. The real name of the plots of veggies, rampant pumpkins and gracious garlic is, “The Free Garden.” And by... Continue Reading →
You will publish one day – A lifelong dream has come true
PARTNERSHIP AS MISSIONEssays in Memory of Ellie JohnsonEdited by Kenneth Gray and Maylanne MaybeeForeword by James Boyles Wipf and Stock PUBLISHER LINK My favourite English teacher was John Smallbridge. He taught me with a dozen others in a creative writing seminar at what was then the University of Western Ontario in 1981. During our first... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis’s presence at COP-28 climate conference in Dubai is “without precedence”
Gerard O’Connell November 06, 2023 in America: The Jesuit Review Judge Mohamed Abdel Salam meets Pope Francis at the Vatican on May 29, 2023 (Vatican Media) We can but hope that the Pope’s presence at COP-28 will provide leadership and incentive to move our economy and environmental practices towards sustainable levels. I am further pleased... Continue Reading →
Funding and filling the food bank
Shared by Kamloops’ good guy Rick Windjack, one who knows the street and the world of the poor really well, and originally posted on Facebook by Tricia Anne Meyer in 2001, here on some tips on what works and what does not work when we contribute to local food banks everywhere. Thanks Rick for the... Continue Reading →
A Letter, concerning “The Letter” – A must-see during the 2023 Season of Creation
Good friends, Greetings from the fire-ravaged BC interior, and the unceded land of the original people of the Okanagan, the Syilx. Some of you are part of the Johnson book project (now at the publisher copy-editing stage!); others are local St. Stephen’s Summerland leaders. Some are members of the Social and Ecological Justice working group... Continue Reading →
To everything there is a season – The courage in endings — OR Every ending marks a beginning
Beautiful reredos at Trinity Church in Park Rapids, MN A story told by the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota // Edited for clarity by kjg Today, a large congregation of laity and clergy from around central and northern Minnesota crowded into Trinity Church in Park Rapids for a final Eucharist, for the de-consecration of the building.... Continue Reading →
The Joy of Being an Elder: A Reflection from General Synod 2023
Every three years the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada meets in person for essential business, for the sharing of information and reports, for the election of officers and standing committees, for worship and prayer, and for social networking and a good deal of fun. The energy created by the presence of wisdom,... Continue Reading →