Why would a child tell a teacher before they tell a parent about their gender and sexuality? It actually makes total sense. It is a very vulnerable and scary thing in our society to name that you might be something other than male or female, cisgender and heterosexual. Children hear attacks all the time on LGBTQ+ people. So it is easier to tell a teacher. If the teacher rejects them or tells them it is nonsense, they will have a new teacher next year. But if they tell their parents and their parents reject them, then that is the most...

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...

We have the power to slow and end this pandemic – and that power is love of neighbour. Jesus asked of his disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you.” It is out of love for one another, following Jesus’ example, that we follow the protocols that will limit the spread of COVID. We are absolutely sure that Jesus, if here today, would wear a mask. We’ve been asked, as faith leaders in the province, by Dr. Hinshaw to share her message and request that people put extra effort into following the protocols:   -        all of us who are...

Please wear a mask when you are in stores or the pharmacy or other public buildings. When you wear a mask, you are showing love for your neighbour and your community.       This coronavirus wants us to act individually. What we need to do, in order to eradicate this virus, is see ourselves as a community, working together, rather than as individuals with our own ideas, opinions and willingness to take risks.   The wisdom that Jesus taught, out of his Jewish faith, was that we are to love our neighbour as ourselves, love our enemies and love the...

I grew up with picture books with children who were white-skinned, usually with blond hair, though sometimes with brown. The families in the books always had two parents, one male and one female. What we see and experience repeatedly as children becomes what we consider normal. This sense of what is normal is formed at a very young age and shapes our assumptions and biases going forward. It is possible to keep expanding what one considers normal, but it takes intention and effort.   That’s why it is so important that we choose books for our children that expand their understandings...

Gracious God, …we know that your heart echoes with the sorrow of our pain, and so, we bring to you all that is in our hearts today…   These are opening words from a prayer of thanksgiving and concern that I often use during a funeral service. These words come to mind as I sit with the recent and current events unfolding since the murder of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis/St. Paul on May 25, 2020.   There is so much sorrow and pain in this death. It echoes in God’s heart and it renders the human heart broken. Actually, words...

June 20th is coming. In High River and area that is a significant date. Anyone who experienced the Flood of 2013 will never forget this date. In fact, it is woven into the fibre of our being and of our community. This year we come to the June 20th date while living in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are noticing that you are feeling a bit more nervous and alarmed as June 20th approaches, you are not alone. There are good reasons for people in this community to feel more on edge this spring – and it has...

How long, o Lord, how long?  Why is this happening to us, o God?  Those questions come easily to our lips as the weeks and months tick by since our world was turned upside down by this particular coronavirus.  We are struggling with being separated from loved ones and friends, with keeping businesses going and with trying to avoid catching the virus.  Our personal worlds have become very small, living inside a small bubble of safety.   Yet, the other question I believe we must ask is, “What is God revealing to us during this pandemic?”  Now I don’t mean that...

For ten weeks now, we’ve been instructed to shelter at home and physically distance from anyone not in our home bubble.  Our minds are filled with the images of the worst of the pandemic in other countries that showed us why we must heed the daily warnings of our own health officials.  We’ve taken the warnings to heart.  Home is safe.  Out there in the world is the virus.  Wash hands.  Don’t touch your face. Keep six feet (2 metes) distance from others. After ten weeks, these precautions are now starting to be ingrained in our lives.   As we shelter...

Give your children the gift of prayer. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give them - a gift that will last a lifetime. Prayer is a place to rest when we are overwhelmed. In prayer, we lean into God when we are sad or frustrated or feeling alone. Our kids need us, and they also need to know that they can turn to God in prayer.   Prayer is a place to express every emotion. We don’t have to edit those emotions or be nice to God. We can tell God everything and anything, and know that God...