‘Tell God I say yes’
They come through the church door into the foyer. My limited vision can make out only their forms, but I recognize them, desperate folks who stop by on occasion to check out the food supplies available that day. “Felix” and “Norma” (pseudonyms) accept my invitation to sit in my office. Felix, as usual, squats nearest…
Allow a little child to lead you
My good memories of Thanksgiving 2019 will be focused on children. On Oct. 13, I preached a sermon at Grace Mennonite in Prince Albert. Church culture has me arriving an hour before the service. It’s a 100-kilometre drive. I will encounter four or five folks creating bulletins, making coffee, setting out cookies, trying out offertories…
A burning issue
In Elise Epp’s “Clothes to match your values,” she pointed out the ecological harm posed by the overuse of highly processed leather products. I immediately felt warm . . . and righteous. That bears explanation. I have a small business venture called Blind Guy Welding. I create whimsical metal sculptures for fun and occasionally for profit.…
Parable of the ‘phone’ incident
A woman I’ll call Adelle stops by the church from time to time, looking for food or for a ride to another part of the city. My congregation has supplied me with non-perishable food, toiletry items, and, in colder seasons, toques, socks and mitts, for just such occasions. There was a time when Adelle hadn’t…
Leon’s ‘fifth step’ to sobriety
Throughout my years of ministry, being involved in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Step program has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. No, I am not an addict. But at times I’m called on to help addicts through their “fifth step.” The fifth step of the program comes after the “stepper” has…
Millie, my lions and me
In early June, a sermon was delivered by a mother-daughter team in Tiefengrund Rosenort Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan. The daughter, Abby, is 12. From time to time, the growing whiteness of my hair and whiskers seems to dictate that I offer opinions about how we do church. About how we obsess over smoothness and perfect…
No ‘happy clappy Christians’ for Blake
My friend Blake Rooks died in early May. He was large, unkempt, unhealthy, opinionated and occasionally rude. He was an atheist. His kidneys didn’t work. He loved people. He carried a measure of English charm. All of these were qualities, along with others, that made him important in my life. One of Blake’s stories included…
In court with ‘Clifford’
Recently, I attended a provincial court session. A released offender friend, “Clifford” (a pseudonym), had messed up rather significantly. It wasn’t a violent offence, but it was the third breach of his conditions. It was a reasonable assumption that the system would not see Clifford’s actions as “cute.” It had been a while. The business…
Holiness doesn’t demand perfection
Towards the end of 2006, I burned out as a full-time minister. I had failed to find adequate supports for my introverted spirit in an extroverted role. I chose not attend the church while it made decisions about future directions and leadership. With a bit of a shock, I realized during the year away from…
‘I think I saw yellow’
I drove to the nursing home to visit a dear old friend. She was sleeping when I entered her room, so I pulled up a chair to wait. Waiting would not be a chore. As I gazed at her visage, relaxed in sleep, I explored memories of our friendship over several years. My friend had some…
