“In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be taxed….all went to their own towns to be registered.  Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place...

Photo: David Robertson   Rev. David: I have always found deep meaning and comfort in the mystery of Emmanuel—God with Us. The simple and graceful lines of the artist in this nativity by Amos Pewter capture expressions of love, wonder and adoration. Joseph’s out-stretched hand gesturing to the child has a “I-see-it-but-I-don’t-quite-believe-it, but… look! at this beautiful child.” It is hard to believe—that God comes to us, to be close to us, to be embodied in human form in such a gracious and vulnerable way.   Mary’s hands cover her heart and convey gratitude and blessing. Indeed, how deep is the...

 Photo: David Robertson David: I’ve always been a lover of the morning sky—that time between sleep and awake. It’s even more significant during the winter when the night is long and cold. For that reason, the morning light is welcome and full of promise for me. The morning star(s) can still be seen in the west as the day star, our sun rises in the east. I have the feeling that the light is always with me and never leaves me. It’s comforting. And it’s beautiful. The Prophet Isaiah says, “Do not fear, I am with you” (Is.10:41). When I...

Jesus -- The Way          Photos: Susan Lukey   Susan:  I’m fascinated by paths, in the woods or a cow-path along a fence.  Just like life, these paths don’t have a clear destination, leaving much to the imagination about where they are going. They are not level or straight paths.  Perhaps that is why I like the image of Jesus as the Way.  Like the first followers of Jesus, I gravitate to calling myself a follower of The Way rather than Christian because I think that was the intent of Jesus.  He modelled and taught a radical, challenging...

For Advent, David and I chose four images of Jesus, found some of our photos to reflect the image and then each wrote a short piece on that image of Jesus.  We'll share one in each of the four weeks of Advent. Jesus, the Light of the World   Photo: Susan Lukey   La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Basilica, Barcelona, Spain    Rev. Susan: We paused in awe as we entered La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. The colours were incredible.  How did the builders achieve such brilliance? Then we realized that it was the sunlight streaming through the stained glass that...

Why?  It’s the first question a toddler learns to ask, and once they learn that question, it never stops.  Why is the sky blue?  Why do I have to wear socks? Why do puppies bark? Their world has opened up and curiosity has sprung forth.  Why? Why? Why?  And if we dare to provide an answer, it will usually lead to another why question.    Why do I have to wear socks?   Because you need to keep your feet warm.    Why do I need to keep my feet warm?   Because it is cold outside.   Why is it...

Do I have to believe in God in order to come to church? That’s a good question, which leads to several more questions, but first a simple answer – No! You don’t have to believe in God in order to come to church.   There are many reasons that you alone, or with your family, might choose to come to church. You might come because you long for a community around. You might wish to be part of a group of people from many generations. You might come because you know people who are involved and want to spend time with...

Sometimes it is one big thing that hits us.  Sometimes it is numerous small things.  Out of it, we are left angry at life, angry at God, just plain angry.  We can feel the anger simmering underneath.  We may try to contain it and manage it.  At times, it may burst forth unwanted, at our children, our spouse, a friend or a store clerk.  Life isn’t fair – we want to cry.  This isn’t how I planned for things to go.  I’ve worked so hard and tried so hard but what’s the use.    The anger may be caused by current...

I put out the 1,000 things dare last week! How did you do? How far did you get alone, or with others, in naming 1,000 things for which you are grateful?   What I’ve learned is that naming that for which I’m thankful takes time. The second thing I learned is that it is easy to start dismissing things – the eraser on my pencil, is that worth being thankful for? Well of course it is. Imagine life without an eraser.   It took me about half an hour to put down the first 50 things on paper (though some people...

I dare you! I dare you to name 1,000 things you are thankful for this weekend. Make it a family and/or friends activity. Go for it. Often we say, “Oh, I have so much to be thankful for.” And we might name 2 or 5 or 10 things. But really we do have SO MUCH to be thankful for.   Gratitude is a counter-cultural practice in our society. I am so tired of hearing hate-filled messages directed at politicians and leaders of all sorts. I am so tired of hearing criticism of almost everything in our society. And, sadly, I find myself...