A Grassroots Movements Among Lutherans

Today we recognize the extraordinary work of Canadian Lutheran world relief. A grassroots movement started by Lutherans in Canada in March 1946 in response to the needs for relief and refuge following the Second World War.   Thousands of refugees were assisted in finding a new home in Canada.   As...

Season of Creation Sunday

Hello dear children of God,

Do any of you like to help make food creations in the kitchen? Do you pull a chair or stool up to the counter so you can work alongside a grown up? Maybe you like to measure the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, butter and baking powder for pancakes like my kids. Maybe some of you are at the...

Season of Creation

Mark 10:2-16

You may remember the hydro blackout in summer of 2003. Many homes were without power for up to two days.  Do you remember what you were doing? At the time I was a young teacher in my early twenties on summer break staying with my parents. And on that weekend I had a side gig of preparing the meal for my...

This Sunday we honour and remember residential school survivors and families and those who never came home.

James often sounds like what could be called

“Mother’s advice”,

Something anyone might remember their mother saying to them:

Like:

Be careful who you spend time with.

Watch your tongue.

Be kind to others.

Mark 8:27-38

The Gospel opens with Jesus in conversation with the people, Who do people say that I am? He asks of his followers. 

I am reminded of a poem penned by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while in a prison. He compares the exulted way in which others sometimes see and speak of him, with the more uncertain and vulnerable way he sees himself....

When someone says something horrible one is often too shocked to know what to say. So what does the woman respond?

Does she insult him back, and tell him to go back where he came from, back to the sticks, back to the backwoods of Galilee?

Does she confront him and say “how dare you call me a dog”?

Anger, in certain circumstances, is completely justified. 

But it shouldn’t lead.

It should follow listening, and talking, and dialoguing.

Feeding the 5000

The crowd gathered. It was a big crowd gathered near Jesus.  Or as close as they could get.  The hillside full. Five thousand people, John’s Gospel says. And that’s likely just counting the men. A crowd that could fill the Aud at or beyond capacity. 

On the grass, the people came together. The place...

I could just play it safe and hoard my privilege to myself, 

or I could make myself more vulnerable and take some risks, 

potentially take some flak by standing up a little for those people who rate lower on the privilege scale: women, LGBT, People of Colour, 

because they have to endure harassment and discrimination on a scale that I never have had to experience.