Bang! The familiar sound of a summer screen door once meant neighbours dropping by, children racing in and out, and homes that always seemed ready for one more guest. In this lighthearted reflection, Rev. Don Davidson explores how that simple summer sound still has something to teach us about hospitality, belonging, and the Gospel’s invitation to leave the door—and our hearts—open.
Tag Archives: Anglican Priest
The Great Canadian Porch Visit
What if one of the holiest moments of your week isn’t found in a grand event, but in an unexpected conversation on a neighbour’s porch? In a world that prizes efficiency, the simple gift of lingering with another person may be one of God’s quietest ways of building community. A light-hearted reflection on neighbourliness, holy interruptions, and the grace found in ordinary summer afternoons.
The Theology of the Empty Hammock
Why is it so hard to do… nothing? From humorous attempts to conquer a hammock to treasured memories of the Brazilian Amazon, this reflection explores the surprising spiritual wisdom of rest. Perhaps the soul grows best not by accomplishing more, but by learning to be still long enough for grace to catch up with us.
The Gospel According to the Neighbour’s Garden Hose
There is something wonderfully ordinary about a summer evening when neighbours appear with garden hoses, watering cans, and just enough time for a conversation over the fence. In this light-hearted reflection, discover how God often does some of God’s best work in the most unexpected places—and why even a chat about tomatoes might become holy ground. Ordinary Time invites us to notice that the Kingdom often blooms beside the petunias.
The Gospel According to the Ice Cream Truck
Every neighbourhood knows the sound—that slightly out-of-tune melody drifting down the street, sending children racing toward the ice cream truck. In this light-hearted summer reflection, discover what frozen treats, joyful interruptions, and a little Stephen Leacock-style humour can teach us about the surprising ways God’s grace arrives in ordinary life. Sometimes the Kingdom of God is closer than we think… and sometimes it comes with sprinkles.
The Gospel According to a Rainy Saturday
What if a rainy summer Saturday isn’t a disappointment at all, but an invitation?
In this light-hearted reflection, Rev. Don Davidson explores the quiet gifts hidden beneath grey skies: steaming mugs of tea, puddles waiting to be enjoyed, unhurried conversations, and the surprising freedom that comes when our carefully made plans are washed away. With gentle humour and a reminder that God’s grace arrives in every kind of weather, this Ordinary Time meditation invites us to rediscover joy—not because life is perfect, but because God is present in every season.
The Gospel According to the Riverbank
Most of us spend our days rushing from one responsibility to the next. Yet a simple walk beside a river or along a lakeshore can remind us of something essential: not everything important requires effort. Sometimes spiritual growth begins with paying attention. In this light-hearted reflection, Rev. Don Davidson explores the quiet wisdom of flowing water, the gift of slowing down, and the surprising ways God meets us in ordinary summer moments.
In Praise of Summer Saturdays
Summer Saturdays have a way of exposing our complicated relationship with rest. We begin the day with ambitious plans, detailed lists, and noble intentions. Yet somewhere between the first coffee and the second, the afternoon slips away. Perhaps that isn’t failure at all. Perhaps God, who rested on the seventh day, is reminding us that life is not measured solely by what we accomplish. Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is sit in the shade, listen to the birds, and remember that we are human beings—not human doings.
Hallway Ministry
Sometimes God’s most important ministry begins after the service is over. What seemed like a simple miscalculation at a nursing home Eucharist became a beautiful reminder that God’s grace is never wasted. A handful of unexpected encounters in ordinary hallways revealed how Christ’s love always overflows beyond our carefully planned programmes, reaching exactly those who need him most.
The Annual Battle with Mosquitoes
Summer inevitably brings the annual battle with mosquitoes. While we may never win the war against those tiny buzzing nuisances, they remind us of something important: life’s greatest challenge is often not the big crises but the small irritations that test our patience every day. This light-hearted reflection explores how God’s grace helps us keep our joy, laugh at ourselves, and never let life’s little annoyances steal the beauty of an ordinary summer evening.