Many thanks to Lay Minister, Mandy Bath of St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Kaslo BC for sharing her sermon from Sept 209, 2026 We start with a Questionnaire by Wendell Berry: How much poison are you willing to eat for the success of the free market and global trade? Please name your preferred poisons. For the... Continue Reading →
“Discipline and constant work are the whetstones upon which the dull knife of talent is honed” — Stephen King, on writing
[KJG - I have never read a Stephen King novel. Volunteering at a church book sale however, I see that many, many readers have enjoyed his suspenseful, narrative horror. I did enjoy the movie “Stand by Me,” that was based on his novella, “The Body.” Very much. And for the record, the adjurement towards hard... Continue Reading →
“You must go at your life with a broadax” — Remembering Annie Dillard
Daniel Lewis, Sept. 16, 2026 The New York Times Annie Dillard, who as a young American writer walked into the woods and came out with a Pulitzer Prize-winning book on the wonders and horrors of creation, the modern classic “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,” died on Tuesday at her home in South Wellfleet, Mass. She was... Continue Reading →
“Walking into a living universe”
A reflection from the late John O’Donohue For the First Day of the Season of Creation 2026 Also our first experience of the Feast Day of Creation in the calendar of the Christian Church Listen to John’s beautiful reflection here https://vimeo.com/203378234?fl=pl&fe=cm Video transcript: I'm John O'Donohue. I'm a writer. I live here in the west... Continue Reading →
What is “enough” anyway? What would a ‘degrowth church’ look like?
by James Adair, BROADVIEW, Aug. 6, 2026 [I find the concepts below compelling. As churches often claim they are cocunter-cultural to my eye they simply mirror the capitalist culture that surrounds and feeds them . How often have I preached on the Parable of the shrewd Manager trying to avoid praising the servant who took... Continue Reading →
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers” — More from Anne Lamott
[Some differences between my experiences (and my spelling) with those of Anne Lamott. Still, great words here.] [Anne Lamott] August, ugh, not my favorite month. If I were God’s West Coast representative, I would not have scheduled it, and gone directly from the heat blasts of July—which we would endure with only once or twice... Continue Reading →
‘I Deeply Believe Dogs Have Superpowers and Secrets’
Prompted by a fierce attachment to his own pet, Paul Yoon wrote a harrowing yet hopeful novel, set during wartime, told from a canine perspective. By Pamela Newton, in the New York Times, Aug. 2, 2026 For visuals by Erik Tanner visit the link with the full article above. Oscar, a sweet, lumbering 70-pound lab... Continue Reading →
We are living through one of history’s greatest paradoxes — in Canada
The Politics of Isolation CHARLIE ANGUS / THE RESISTANCE / Substack / JUL 31 There have been countless books written about the political crisis of our time, but one small book stands out. Hyperpolitics, by Belgian historian Anton Jäger, puts forward the thesis that the dramatic failure of left and centrist politics is rooted in... Continue Reading →
Wild, Wide, and Deep
[Ken Gray] An excellent reflection from Carmen Lansdowne, theologian and former Moderator of the United Church of Canada. Returned from a conference hosted by The International Association for Mission Studies which gathers scholars who have spent their careers thinking about what it means for the church to go outward — and, just as often, repenting... Continue Reading →
Wisdom, about wisdom in the riper years of life
Podcast: Theologian Ronald Rolheiser talks about a spirituality for our wisdom years by John Dear, July 13, 2026 in the National Catholic Reporter On this week's episode of "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast," I speak with writer and theologian Oblate Fr. Ronald Rolheiser about his latest book,Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years,... Continue Reading →