Summer may still linger on the calendar, but September always feels like a fresh beginning. As vacation ends, children prepare for school, churches return to familiar rhythms, and ordinary routines resume, we discover that God often does God’s finest work in the everyday moments of life. Join me as we begin a new series of reflections exploring the quiet holiness hidden in backpacks, coffee mugs, autumn mornings, church pews, and the simple patterns that shape our days. Perhaps this season will help us see that Christ has been waiting for us in the ordinary all along.
Tag Archives: Prayer
The Gospel According to the Park Bench
Sometimes the most sacred places aren’t grand cathedrals—they’re ordinary park benches where life slows down just enough for us to notice God’s presence. In this light-hearted reflection filled with gentle humour and hope, discover how a simple place to sit can become an invitation to rest, listen, pray, and encounter the grace that has been quietly waiting beside you all along.
The Spirituality of the Wind Chime
Wind chimes cannot make music on their own—they simply remain open to the breeze. In much the same way, the Christian life is less about striving and more about remaining available to the gentle movement of the Holy Spirit. The Spirituality of the Wind Chime is a light-hearted summer reflection on Ordinary Time, discovering how God often creates the most beautiful music through ordinary lives that are willing to be moved by grace.
The Gospel According to the Shade Tree
When summer’s heat drives us beneath the cool shelter of a shade tree, we discover more than relief—we discover a glimpse of God’s grace. In this light-hearted reflection, The Gospel According to the Shade Tree, Rev. Don Davidson explores how God’s mercy welcomes everyone, why spiritual growth is more like an oak than a weed, and how some of life’s holiest moments are found simply by slowing down long enough to rest in the shade.
The Gospel According to the Rain Barrel
Some of God’s greatest work happens quietly, one gentle shower of grace at a time. Like a humble rain barrel waiting beneath the downspout, our souls are called to remain open, ready to receive the blessings God sends each ordinary day. In this light-hearted reflection, discover how the Gospel can be found in one of the simplest fixtures of a summer garden.
The Spirituality of Opening Every Window
Fresh air has a remarkable way of changing a house. Throw open every window, and suddenly the whole place seems to breathe again. Perhaps our souls need the same treatment. In this light-hearted reflection, discover how an ordinary summer ritual becomes a gentle invitation to let the Holy Spirit clear away what has grown stale and fill our lives with fresh grace, hope, and joy.
The Spiritual Discipline of Reading on the Porch
What if reading on the porch is more than a pleasant summer pastime? Perhaps it is a spiritual discipline that teaches us to slow down, pay attention, and rediscover God’s presence in ordinary moments. In a season that celebrates growth, this light-hearted reflection invites us to receive the gift of rest, one page—and one peaceful afternoon—at a time.
The Theology of Sidewalk Chalk
There is something wonderfully hopeful about children’s sidewalk chalk. They pour imagination onto concrete knowing full well that the next rain will wash it away—and then they simply begin again. In this light-hearted summer reflection, discover what colourful driveways, disappearing masterpieces, and the Gospel can teach us about joy, grace, and living faithfully in the present moment.
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.
Saturday Night Theology: The Great Liturgical Scavenger Hunt
Even parish priests know the Saturday scramble—sermons, stoles, microphones, and the occasional missing stapler! Beneath the humour, though, lies a deeper truth: God does some of God’s best work in quiet preparation. This light-hearted reflection explores how getting ready for Sunday can also be an invitation to prepare our hearts to receive the grace that has already gone ahead of us.