Author Archives: deandondavidson

I had a lovely conversation yesterday with a parishioner from one of my former parishes. She said, “I read your recent blog post, and it got me thinking about the incredible fellowship we had back then — there was so much fun and laughter during those years.” And she was right. Those were good years.Continue reading “The Joy of Getting Out of the Way”

On rummage sales, pancake suppers, and the quiet holiness of community service It has often been said that if you really want to know the heart of a parish, don’t start in the sanctuary — go straight to the basement. There, amid the aroma of coffee that has been brewing since the Trudeau era (theContinue reading “The Gospel According to the Church Basement”

Every so often, someone corners me after church with the kind of expression usually reserved for discovering that the casserole at a potluck was, in fact, made from last year’s leftovers. “Why,” they ask, “do we still read the Old Testament in church? Couldn’t we just skip to the good stuff — the parables, theContinue reading “Why We Still Read the Old Testament in Church”

If you’ve ever driven in a new city without GPS, you’ll know the feeling of being lost before you’ve even left the parking lot. The streets all look the same, the signs are confusing, and you soon discover that “Maple Street” appears in at least three different neighbourhoods. Then comes the inevitable U-turn, and perhapsContinue reading “The Church Calendar as a Spiritual GPS”

Today, across Canada, we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a day to pause, to remember, to lament, and to commit ourselves again to the work of healing and justice with Indigenous peoples. At the heart of this day is the truth of the Residential School system and its devastating legacy.Continue reading “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Bearing Witness, Walking Together”

Every Sunday, like clockwork, we stand and say one of the Creeds. For most of my career in ministry, Nicene Creed usually, sometimes the Apostles’, and on high occasions, we might even dust off the Athanasian — though I suspect if we tried that one, half the congregation would faint from lack of oxygen beforeContinue reading “Why I Keep Saying the Creeds”

I have often wondered what would happen if Jesus were to turn up at one of our parish potluck suppers. Not dressed in flowing robes and sandals, but in the ordinary clothes of someone who had just gotten off the bus, carrying a Tupperware container of something unidentifiable. Would we rush forward with a warmContinue reading “Hospitality at the Edges: Welcoming Without Conditions”

One of the most curious things about Anglican worship (and, truth be told, about most liturgical traditions) is the sheer number of times we say the same things over and over again. If you have ever sat through a service thinking, “Didn’t we just pray that a minute ago?” — the answer is almost certainlyContinue reading “The Spiritual Power of Repetition in Liturgy”

Theologians have written weighty tomes about God’s presence in the cosmos, about divine transcendence and immanence, and about mysteries so vast that the average parishioner might begin to wish they had just stayed home with a nice cup of tea. But I’ve discovered, over many years in ministry, that God is not nearly as elusiveContinue reading “Neighbourhood Theology: Discovering God on Your Street”

There is a curious truth that I have noticed about pilgrimage: everyone talks about the walking, the blisters, the weight of the backpack, the long days on the dusty road, and the blessed arrival at Santiago de Compostela. What we don’t talk about quite as much is what happens after you arrive—when the scallop shellContinue reading “Arriving at Santiago: What Happens After the Pilgrimage Ends”