Summer festivals are more than food trucks, music, and lawn chairs. They remind us that God created us for community, friendship, and shared joy. Sometimes grace arrives in the most unexpected places—perhaps even disguised as strawberry shortcake.
Tag Archives: Christian living
The Curious Collection of Saints
The Church is one of the few places where people gather who, under ordinary circumstances, might never have found themselves sitting in the same room. Yet week after week, God performs the quiet miracle of turning a room full of strangers into a family. In a world organized around preference and convenience, the Church teaches us how to belong to people we did not choose—and in doing so, teaches us something about the heart of God.
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 Gospel According to the Ice Cream Cone
Some gifts simply cannot be saved for later. Summer afternoons, conversations with friends, the laughter of family, and ice cream cones all share one thing in common: they are meant to be enjoyed while they are here. Perhaps the Gospel has something to teach us about being fully present to the gifts God places before us today.
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.
The Theology of the Seventh-Inning Stretch
What can a summer baseball game teach us about faith? More than you might imagine. From cheering strangers to the quiet rhythm of ordinary innings, this lighthearted reflection discovers that God’s Kingdom often grows not through dramatic moments, but through small acts of faithfulness, community, and grace. Pull up a seat at the ballpark and discover why the ordinary may be where God does some of his finest work.
The Neighbourhood Ministry of Lemonade Stands
What if changing your community were as simple as buying a child’s lemonade, waving to a neighbour, or offering a word of encouragement? In the green season of Ordinary Time, God reminds us that the Kingdom often grows through the smallest acts of kindness. This light-hearted summer reflection explores how ordinary people quietly become extraordinary influences, one simple gesture at a time.
The Gospel According to Dragonflies
Dragonflies seem to dance through the summer air with effortless joy, reminding us that God’s creation is filled with beauty, wonder, and generous grace. In this light-hearted reflection, discover how one tiny creature can teach us to slow down, notice the miracles all around us, and embrace the quiet joy of Ordinary Time.
The Gospel According to the Window Fan
Summer invites us to open the windows and let fresh air into our homes. Perhaps it also invites us to let God clear away a little stale air from our hearts. Sometimes spiritual growth is less about adding something new and more about letting go of what no longer belongs.
The Gospel According to the Alarm Clock
There are certain sounds in life that inspire immediate joy. The laughter of a child. The call of a loon across a northern lake. The sound of a barbecue being opened on a summer evening. And then there is the alarm clock on a Monday morning. The alarm clock occupies a somewhat different category. Now,Continue reading “The Gospel According to the Alarm Clock”