From ‘I think’ to ‘We think’
What do you do when you’re not sure what to do? This was the topic of conversation as a friend and I met around his table this summer. He was talking about his children who were starting out in life. They were facing the usual challenges of children, mortgage and jobs. We remarked on how…
Peter’s Letter to Canadian Christians
To the friends living in the colonized lands of the Salish, Mi’kmaq and Innu. This is Peter, follower of the poor Christ, in prison on the West Coast. I write because the time is urgent. Some say, “The end of the world is at hand” (I Peter 4:7). Some say, “Eternity is being determined now.”…
Living in the best of times
The church in North America is shrinking. We see signs of it everywhere. God is pruning back his church. We have a choice to frantically hold on to all that is dying or to pay attention to what Jesus is doing and join in with his new growth initiatives. It is difficult to remember that…
Experiencing God
When my youngest son “graduated” from Grade 5 in June 2000, his class took a special year-end trip to Toronto. I was working as a school bus driver at the time—we lived in Ontario then—and I drove the bus. The highlight of the trip was attending The Lion King live at the Princess of Wales…
What did I get myself into?
Swirling around with ideas of strategy, focus, and “We used to do it this way,” change is messy. Grappling with the in-between is messy. Living in the liminal space between what was and what will be is messy, yet here we are, wondering, “What did I get myself into?” In acting, “being in the moment”…
Regionalism is coming. No thanks!
I’m more and more dismayed by the regionalizing trajectory we seem to be on. From national and international politics to neighbourhoods and churches, it feels like we are contracting our boundaries rather than expanding. To be honest, it’s not so bad working in a silo. In fact, there are advantages. One can have real relationships…
Lost in transition
I have been thinking a lot about transition. Since early 2017, transition has been the theme of my life. When the expiry date of my work visa in the U.S. was nearing, and there was no clear path or short timeline to a new visa, my husband Allan and I faced many decisions about what…
CommonWord connections
Here are five ways to remain connected with CommonWord in our new regional church model: 1. Keep reading Many of us love a leisurely read on a summer beach blanket or in a hammock. Our 10th annual summer reading list might help you locate that perfect warm weather read. Or if summer is your chance…
Living into all our relations
In these recent years of walking with our Indigenous neighbours, I have been both blessed and intrigued by the words of encouragement often expressed at the end of a talk: “All my relations.” My understandings of this saying come mostly from the reflections of Richard Wagamese, the Ojibway author of the book Indian Horse,…
The racism around us
I like to think Canada is a progressive country, and discrimination is on the decline, but I’ve had a reality check. Recently, a group home caregiver, a Liberian woman, told me of her challenges with a difficult client who often wanders from the home. She has had to run after this client to keep her…
