Since the last blog the memorial garden has changed from the site of one hopeful tulip to clusters of them; red ones, pink ones, striped and white variegated ones, clusters of daffodils, and some sort of white bloom that looks like a star. There is more expectation as the peonies have re-emerged, and the rose bush is reaching up to the sun.It is not only the garden that shows promise, two weeks ago some folks gathered with Bill the past chair, Vicki our office administrator and me to walk a...

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Gardens nurtured by hard work, vision

 

I love spring. On the long winter days when the sky was an unrelenting grey, I would look out the office window to the Memorial Garden and think, not now—but soon. Soon the snow will be gone, soon the sky will be blue and soon there will be green growth.

 

Now the time has come and to my surprise and delight I am seeing much more than I ever imagined. As I came here in August, the garden flowers were already spent and I falsely concluded that the ...

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Celebrating Earth day in the church fits seamlessly into our theology of the sacred trust we hold with God for the earth. Our new creed includes the words, “to live in respect with creation”. It is wonderful that we can join members of the greater community to preserve the health of the planet and consequently human health. 

At John Black the memorial garden bridges the buildings set apart for worship and community activity.  This silent sacred space is continually changing as the garde...

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In this second week of April, children are being towed in wagons and older ones talk about getting the training wheels off their bikes. Lake folks are getting their cabins ready for a wonderful summer of sun and friends, while gardeners are restless waiting to turn to soil and plant some newly discovered seeds.    

 

This is a time of hope and excitement. Easter in our church is also a time of newness and growth. New people have joined the M&P and leadership team, and this year you will not...

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I forget when I look at the cross that silently looms above us on the wall of the sanctuary, how noisy and busy Jesus entry into Jerusalem and the passion really was.

The Gospels of course are focused on Jesus unexpectedly, riding on a donkey rather than some mighty steed as a conquering hero. A few years ago I climbed mountains in France and Spain, and no matter how high I ascended on the narrow paths I could see the tracks of donkeys.  I turned sometimes ” belly in”  to the rock face,...

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You never know what to expect when you begin a study of any kind.  I was a wee bit worried that the Lenten Book,  I Am Listening was not as challenging as some hoped. I was wrong. It is true it is not a study of scripture but it is indeed a study of what scripture describes – relationships, our relationship to God and to each other. After a short page meditation each day’s devotional leaves a question to ponder.  “Recall a time you were in the “dusty wilderness” and yet found joy.�...

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I am no longer sure of the jargon— is it right to say- What’s up with lent, or do we get down with lent? In the past lent has been seen as a downer, with  heads  bent and ashes  placed on our foreheads.  Pretzels the present day snack food, originally began as a Lenten food, made of no fat and oven baked, formed in the shape of a person with arms crossed in prayerful humility.  Abstinence was the norm, with a no fat diet, there would be no doughnuts (yes it’s interesting- roll up the ri...

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   Oh my the time flew by... It seems like just last month that I arrived at JBM, but it's been 3 years!  So many faces, and names, and memories shared.  As I've been cleaning my office this past month, packing, deciding what to gift, what to take with me, what to discard, emailing farewell messages,  I realize that this is simply LIfe calling me forward again.
   I'm quite used to moving - my father's (change in) vocation had our family moving every 3-4 years.  My own change(s) in vocation ha...
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            Over the summer, myself (Cody) and Evelyn (my 6 year old) were visiting Lake Superior. There was a beautiful storm on the American side of the lake and we were on the Canadian beach watching the waves roll in. A massive wave struck the beach and we were suddenly in 3 feet of water, the current aggressively drawing us toward the lake. We left the beach immediately and dried off. The danger was minor and the trouble was solved with a towel and new pants. In that moment of fear thoug...
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I was googling "Lenten Journey" the other day.  A long-stanidng tradition to use the 6 pre-spring, pre-Easter, weeks to ask who am I?  what are my roots for daily living?  how do I nourish my spirit, what makes me me?  How is my "me" connected to other "me"s?  Anyways, in my internet wandering I came across a great line:
Going to Church makes you a Christian about as much as sleeping in a garage makes you a car.

Got me thinking.  What does make a person Christian?  Does it matter? Is "Christia...
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Every once in a while we find ourselves reading John's gospel stories of Jesus. They are so very different from other version!  I wonder why that is? I wonder are we talking about the same person? John’s Gospel needs more investigating of its uniqueness as a Biblical resource for our faith.   John’s accounts of the Jesus story are very different and distinctive…just like some of your faith stories are different from the person next to you. 

In the beginning of the Bible, in the firs...

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We asked folks involved in the West Broadway Community Ministry (WBCM) 2 questions: 
    Where do you find the light of God/Christ/the Spirit at WBCM?
    How is your fiath affected by your ministry/volunteer work there?
These are 2 of the responses.
 
   "The first question is easy to answer.  I see Christ everyday in the volunteers who come from the West Broadway community.  People who have volunteered at WBCM for years. There are several others that volunteer every day the drop-in is open.  Do...
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I was chatting with a friend of mine the other day, and I wondered out loud: What's the difference between spirutal well-being (or spiritual health) and emotional well-being?  Is there a difference?    Does it matter?  Although we did decide that one's spiritual well-being was necessary to an overall balance of life, we didn't come to a conclusion about the spirit/emotional questions. What are your insights? 
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   In Quebec, where I grew up, it was common to ask when meeting someone for the first time:  "how are you called?"  Somehow that feels seems more "real"  to me.  After all, a name is given by someone else; what I "call myself" expresses the essence of who I understand myself to be.  But it matters - just look at all the Baby Name books that are out there!
    It must make a differnce because I used my spouse's name for a while but shed it because it "didn't fit me".   I have friends who call ...
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Bill Corkum’s Reflection on…faith and music
 
Christmas Season can be the Music Season for many people, and for people of faith good music and singing stirs inspiration, sometimes inspiring stronger and deeper than good feelings. Here’s what I recently discovered of music’s power.
 
Taize is a Christian community in France that promotes peace, and where daily worship includes short musical selections, often repeated. People come from all over the world to Taize for its community life and ...
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  We've got 2 new signs happening here this week. One says  "Celebrating JC at the Heart of JB" and the other is a freshly painted United Church Crest  (Thank you John and Tony.)   How do we celebrate JC?   Maybe it's worth asking: Who is JC to you?  
The crest reminds us that each of us is endowed with a divine spirit -- that's the Dove; so you are my teacher: who is JC to you? and how do you find and celebrate this in our community at JB? 
* submitted by Heather  Sandilands...
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