I just finished my evening Facebook Live post and during the post, I read a poem written by Steve Garnaas-Holmes.  This particular poem reflects for the essence of what community, especially a faith community is - connected regardless of distance.

No Distance

In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body  (1 Corinthians 12.13)

Our social distancing is an illusion.

We are one.  There is no distance. No gap.

Isolated in your apartment, you belong.

 

You breath and it fills my lungs.

You weep and my heart is broken.

We are one body in many places.

 

Greetings friends,

We are in an interesting time, not only for the church but for the nation as a whole.  Every aspect of our lives have been touched by the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, some in more subtle ways than others.  For Sunset, the affect has been major.  In an effort to slow the progression of the virus and to protect the vulnerable in our community, the hard decision to suspend worship and all church activities was made.  Truth be told, it feels a bit like a Lenten journey of sorts... out in the wildnerness, on our own,

So, some of you know that I have been taking a year long course on Intergenerational Faith Formation.  I am learning about the importance for intergenerational, cross generational, age specific and family focused learning.  I've been doing this class for 8 weeks, and while I have learned some new things, I have noticed that Sunset does fairly well at some aspects of intergenerational activities.  Our worship life (which can be considered intergenerational faith formation) is rich and good. It is our strength.  We have good age specific programs, especially for our children and older adults.  But we struggle with equipping

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We didn't mark Ash Wednesday at Sunset this year, but I know other congregations did.  Sometimes its helpful to remind ourselves or find out for the first time what it is we are marking when we set aside days like Ash Wednesday... I stumbled across this brief video from the United Methodist Church video series "Chuck Knows Church" which kind of breaks down what it is we do when we are marked with a cross made from the ashes of last years palm branches.

Chuck Knows Church - Ash Wednesday

This coming Sunday, we will explore the story

Tuesday we will gather together at Sunset to enjoy community and PANCAKES!! It's Shrove Tuesday which is followed by Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of our Lenten Journey.  Let's be clear, we are totally on board with the Pancake celebration, but we don't do much with Wednesday.  Tradition states that the palm branches from the year before are burned down to ash, and then Wednesday we take them and mark each other with a sign of the cross as a way of confession and blessing.  Some United Churches do this ritual... We haven't done it at Sunset since I

Tuesday we will gather together at Sunset to enjoy community and PANCAKES!! It's Shrove Tuesday which is followed by Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of our Lenten Journey.  Let's be clear, we are totally on board with the Pancake celebration, but we don't do much with Wednesday.  Tradition states that the palm branches from the year before are burned down to ash, and then Wednesday we take them and mark each other with a sign of the cross as a way of confession and blessing.  Some United Churches do this ritual... We haven't done it at Sunset since I

'We always did say 'Never again,' but it did happen again. It's unbelievable,' Holocaust survivor says

This is a quote from a CBC news article about the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue where 11 people lost thier lives. These people died in the one place that should be safe, that was safe.  One man, driven by hate and intolerance, armed with a gun, opened fire on a gathering of faithful people going about their business.  One man, convinced that his race is the only true and rightful one, decided that a group of older people, unarmed and

It's October... hard to believe but it's true.  Life in the church is full steam ahead with meetings, gatherings, worship, activities, Sunday School, choir, coffee gatherings and people!  It's a busy place around here some days!  Other days I have to admit that I revel in the quite of my office (which has moved, if you didn't know that already.  I am now very happily situated in the back office next to what had been Kathy's office).   There is lots going on here, so I am hoping you are reading your weekly emails and writing down the dates of events

Confession:  I have neglected to post over the summer.... I have excuses:  low to no internet access at the cottage, a week of intense meetings at General Council 43, more time in an internet low zone, and then back to work, juggling working and having kids home.  Regardless, there has been no activity here.  And I am kind of sorry/not sorry about that.  When I was away at the cottage, I tried really hard to limit the amount of screen time and work time I had there.  It's hard not to check email and facebook to see what's going on,

This video was on my facebook feed this morning.  I have to admit that I have watched this snippet about ten times, and each time I see it the power of it hits me over and over again.  This is one of the most honest, most human responses I have seen in the media around what the Current US administration is doing to migrant families.  The whole idea that a powerful government could possibly think that it would be a good decision to separate already vulnerable families so that infants and children are housed in places separate from their parents

I was at Conference Annual meeting two weeks ago, and over one of the lunch hours, I attended a caucus for Affirming Churches and Churches in the Affirming process.  It was amazing to me to sit in a circle of folk who represented congregations that  had made the commitment to be a safe place for the LGBTQ+, and I was amazed that even though I haven't been ministering with an Affirming congregation for very long, I was welcomed and included... which, thinking about it now, makes total sense given the basic tenet of Affirming is to create and maintain a

This coming Sunday it's Mother's Day.  That day when calls are made, flowers are delivered, and Moms are pampered.  Except at Sunset.  At Sunset this week, it's Christian Family Sunday.  I know some congregations mark Mother's Day, there are flowers and prayers and sermons reflecting on the mothering roles in our lives. Except at Sunset.  At Sunset this week, we will not give flowers, or talk about Mothers -- at least we won't talk about only mothers...

It's Christian Family Sunday.  A day to celebrate and honour the great family that is created by our common faith in Jesus and

Every Sunday, or at least on the Sundays I remember, I try to welcome both the regulars and the newcomers.  Often, I say something on behalf of the congregation like: "welcome, we're glad you're here."  I am glad that every person sitting in the chairs got up that morning and walked through the church doors to join the community for worship.  I am thrilled that week after week faces become more familiar and there is a good energy bouncing around our space.  But I also know, that for the most part, we all know each other.  Or at least all

It's been a hard couple of weeks for many of us.  We seem to be surrounded by death, injury and deep hurt.  For me, personally, it really feels that way.  As a minister, death is not a stranger.  I officiate funerals, I sit with the dying, I accompany families when life support is ended, and I journey with people as they make plans to celebrate a life.  I have buried a child, a teen, and a mother, plus various elders.  Conversations about dying are not unusal in my house.  But these last two weeks have really taken its toll for

These were words written by Saskatchewan Conference President Krystal Sheremeta.  On Friday, the world shifted sideways for so many people here in the province of Saskatchewan.  Krystal can attest to that, as she ministers with the people of Nipawin, the town that was to host the semi-final hockey game that the Humbolt Broncos were on their way to when the unthinkable happened.  

We struggle to find the words to express our pain, to express our support for those closest to the loss in the wake of the death of 15 people and the physical injury of 14 others.  We try

I posted this cartoon the other day on our Facebook page:

I posted it in the wake of another American school shooting.  Sometimes, in the aftermath of such a violent and tragic act, I can get a little prideful in being Canadian.  Nothing could ever happen like that here.  Canada is a safe place, a safe place for my children who can go to school each and every day with relative confidence about their safety.  They practice code whites and hid in closets and bathrooms, huddled together, pretending that there is a potientally dangerous stranger in the building.  But that's

Bedtime in our house is probably much like any other family.  There are snacks, stories, procrastination, kisses and finally closing the door on another day.  Sometimes though, during the bedtime routine, little questions of life poke their way through and need to be pondered.  Last night, it came from a conversation with my daughter.  This is her grade 6 year, and it's a time of transition both physically and emotionally.  We've had conversations recently about friendship and what it means to be a good friend.  Last night we were talking about the difference between "good time" friends and "long time"

Two weeks ago I was in the process transforming an empty work space into a comfortably, welcoming office space.  As I was unpacking, I realized that each book, each candle, each piece of paper and little knick knack had a story, had a connection with the years I have spent in ministry.  One accumulates a lot of stuff in 15 years of ministry.  These things, though, are part of my ministry, and tell the story of who I am as minister, and who the churches I have worked with are.  I can't take the people with me, but their connection