A congregation of the United Church of Canada
It was lovely. Last week, our pastoral visiting team hosted a tea party at the church. They invited all the folks who are among our most senior members, many of whom are usually unable to attend worship in-person due to…
My colleagues and I had a special celebration at our weekly coffee chat this week. We decided to celebrate our ‘ordiversaries’. An ‘ordiversary’ is the anniversary of one’s ordination. Until very recently all ordinations and commissionings took place at regional…
I am currently mesmerized by a piece of music. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it’s a wonderful gift. The music is a new release by singer/songwriter Paul Simon. It’s called “Seven Psalms.” No, he isn’t setting…
Tomorrow I will be officiating at a funeral for a lady from Trinity United (not Faith United). Most Noticings readers will know that Trinity was a church in nearby Bowmanville that closed in June of last year. Without their ‘home’…
As you may recall, my life is currently in a self-imposed state of chaos. We are doing a large-scale renovation of our kitchen and ensuite bath. When we purchased our home almost two years ago we knew we’d need to…
Like countless other Canadians, and people worldwide, I spent much of Tuesday listening to Gordon Lightfoot music, and feeling a little sad. I learned the news of his passing on Monday evening, and instantly I was taken back to when…
My house is chaos these days. We invited it. We have just begun a large-scale renovation of our kitchen and our ensuite bath. In for a penny, in for a pound (or several pounds, as the case may be). We…
Most ministers serve in solo ministries so it is very important for us to carve out time for connecting with colleagues. I get together for coffee every Monday morning with just such a group. As with any group, over the…
Spring has sprung! Easter sunrise service was a little chilly, but it was almost as if we heralded in Spring with the words, “He is risen! He is risen indeed!” because within a couple of hours it warmed up to…
Needless to say, Holy Week is a stressful stretch for ministers. It’s by far our heaviest week of the entire year, with services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunrise, in addition to the usual Sunday fare. But more…