"Fast before the feast!" my mother would say, as she put Christmas Eve supper on the table: codfish cakes, or her heavenly homemade baked beans. Both dishes I secretly preferred to turkey! "Fast before the feast!" Prepare the way! Not … Read more
Last night was Sunday School Pageant night. My daughter, Maggie, played Mary. It was her second year in the role! It made me think of a Christmas Eve 12 years ago, when her mother, "great with child", was a last-minute … Read more
We made it this far! 15 Years! Praise God! Was there ever any doubt we'd make it? Well… Today is our anniversary! 15 years ago we were crazy students, rolling from exams and essays right into a wedding. "What a … Read more
Can you feel it? The air is electric with promise as Jesus begins his ministry. "The kingdom of God is at hand!" Literally, so close you can reach out and (almost) touch it! Every Advent we read these words. Do … Read more
My 11 year old daughter has her Christmas list sorted by category, and colour-coded for degree of desire or need. The farmers in my congregations are wishing for a few nights of good, hard frost to set the clay in … Read more
Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding, "Christ is nigh!" it seems to say. The words of that hymn could be about John the Baptist, or about Isaiah, as we read his words in Advent light. What do the words mean … Read more
What is your dream, this December, this Advent season? What Christmas miracle would you like to see? It would be like a dream if we could wake up on Christmas morning to news that all the fighting had ended, all … Read more
A friend of mine, who is a minister, had struggled for some time with a deteriorating marriage. Finally, one Saturday night, she had decided that it was indeed over. The dream of a blissful marriage was gone forever. She determined … Read more
What does this Season mean to you? Is it buying a live tree all green and trim; but perhaps a bit thin, or is your tree all silver and tinsel flocked white or artificial? Did you buy it at Eatons, … Read more
Who is this Child, we sing? He who was born this night, manger for bed, born to abject poverty, while we, the well fed, flex ballistic missile might, but laud Him as newborn King. His praises loudly sing, while the … Read more