High River United Church is officially an Affirming Church. That means that we have gone through a process set out by AFFIRM UNITED that helped us commit to being an intentionally inclusive community.  Here is the High River United Church Affirming statement:   Rooted in the love of God and grounded in the teaching of Jesus, High River United Church is a community of help, home and hope. In the spirit of Jesus' radical love we open our hearts and doors to be a safe community where no one feels alone. We celebrate all people in the full spectrum of gender identity,...

I wonder, if like me, you are noticing a disquieting “hum” around us and the planet? The best I can do is describe it like a subtle static buzz that is causing many of us to feel slightly off—out of whack, or something like that. I know that we’re all doing the very best we can to hold on, to grasp at some form of “normal” during these times and yet, despite our best efforts we can’t quite avoid the “hum”. I wonder, what can Advent offer us this year that serves to quiet such a disquieting hum?   One thing...

Next year, we said.  Next year, we’ll be back to normal.  That was our dream as we locked down and limited our gatherings for Christmas 2020.  Next year!   But here we are a year later, and life is not back to “normal.”  Vaccinations have provided a bit more freedom and a bit more security.  But a new variant has been identified and unsettled things.   We are not fully open, fully gathering, no worries in the world.  It’s just another pandemic Christmas.  Oh my!   This is the time when we really need the Christmas story – not the warm fuzzy...

 I have no doubt about that. Jesus would wear a mask. There are two reasons that I am certain that Jesus would wear a mask if he were here today in the midst of this pandemic.   First, Jesus declared that the second greatest commandment is “Love your neighbour as your self.” Wearing a mask is about loving your neighbour. If you have COVID and are asymptomatic and if you do not wear a mask, then you are spreading the virus to your neighbours, friends and family members. They could become very sick and possibly die from the disease, or they could...

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 We are hearing much weariness in people as this pandemic continues with numbers rising and warnings of stricter measures.  We wonder about how much more we can take.  We yearn to see family and friends without worrying about safety protocols.  We long to anticipate a Christmas as we’ve enjoyed in previous years, even as we know this Christmas will be different.  We wish to be rid of masks and distancing and hand-cleansing, and most of all the fear and worry that vibrates within us. ...

This week we are remembering those who served and those who are currently serving our country through the Canadian Armed Forces. We remember their family members and friends, especially those who are grieving the loss of one who served.   We remember those armed forces members who continue to suffer physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually after their service to this country, those for whom depression & post-traumatic stress is a daily reality for themselves & their families.   We remember civilians bombed and driven from their homes, and refugees living in camps, longing for a new life.          ...

There was snow on the ground this week. We are grateful that it held off for so long, compared to last year. It allowed us more time to be outdoors for safe distanced connecting. But now the snow reminds us that winter is around the corner (though there will still be some warmer times). There is a weariness to this all – masks, hand-sanitizing, physical distancing, staying in small cohorts of people and not being able to engage freely with friends and even extended family.   Yet, we have no more control over the pandemic than we do over the weather....

  I’m tired of all this. I don’t want to hear another word about pandemic or COVID. But that’s not the way it works. I can turn off the news, but that doesn’t end the pandemic. I can ignore the case numbers, but they still are what they are. It doesn’t matter to COVID-19 whether we are tired of it or not. It is a virus and it will spread as long as we provide it the means to do so. It does not get tired of doing so.   I was thinking of those who lived through the first...

This is a season of discontent. Nothing feels quite right. Whether in our jobs or in our family relationships (outside of our bubble), it just doesn’t quite feel like we are doing the job we want to be doing. As teachers, nurses, doctors, ministers, store clerks and also as grandparents, neighbours and friends, almost everything that comes so naturally to us, in how we do our job and how we relate to those around us, is now restricted or requires numerous protocols. It is exhausting and frustrating. It leaves us feeling so dis-satisfied and discontented.  When we feel this way, the...

We like to think of ourselves as individuals. We speak freely of individual rights. We hear people declare that they are “self-made.” But those are all stories we tell ourselves, especially here in North America. We quickly claim our “individual rights” without always considering our responsibilities to others.    No one is self-made. No matter how talented, intelligent or savvy a person may be, what they achieve is dependent upon the previous work, support and knowledge provided by others. Steve Jobs or Bill Gates could not have achieved what they have with computers without Thomas Edison developing the light bulb, for...