New Year’s Eve invites us to look backward with gratitude and forward with hope, even if we are too tired to stay awake until midnight. With warmth and gentle humour, this reflection explores the quiet ways God’s grace slips into the spaces between celebration and anticipation, reminding us that our future rests not in perfect resolutions, but in the faithful presence of the One who journeys with us into every new beginning.
Tag Archives: Spiritual Growth
The Choir That Braved Hymn 742: A Tale of Musical Courage (Wherein we discover that faith can indeed be measured in measures… of 12/8.)
Some hymns inspire confidence. Others inspire deep breathing, determined smiles, and a collective act of faith from the choir. With affectionate humour, this reflection celebrates the courage of church musicians and congregations alike, discovering that God’s grace is often heard most clearly not in flawless performances, but in faithful voices willing to sing anyway.
Why the Baptismal Font Is Always in the Way— and Why That’s Holy
If the baptismal font sometimes seems to be in the way, perhaps it is because the Church wants us to keep passing by it. Again and again, it reminds us who we are and whose we are. This reflection explores the quiet theology of the font, discovering that our baptism is not merely the beginning of the Christian life, but the foundation that continues to shape every step of our journey.
The Sanctuary Window and the Theology of Light (In which the rector ponders beauty, architecture, and how God insists on shining in even when the custodian swears he just washed that glass last week.)
Sunlight streaming through a sanctuary window has a way of revealing both breathtaking beauty and every speck of dust. With gentle humour and quiet wonder, this reflection explores how God’s light continues to shine through ordinary glass—and ordinary lives—reminding us that grace is not diminished by our imperfections but often made visible through them.
When the Baby in the Pew Preaches a Better Sermon What infants know about joy, incarnation, and the timing of Communion
Every so often, a baby’s laugh, cry, or delighted curiosity says more about the Kingdom of God than the most carefully prepared sermon. With warmth and gentle humour, this reflection explores what infants can teach the Church about joy, welcome, and the mystery of the Incarnation, reminding us that God’s grace often speaks most clearly through the smallest among us.
Advent, Halfway There and Entirely Interrupted: A Wednesday Meditation on Holy Waiting
By the middle of Advent, our best intentions have often been interrupted by the realities of everyday life. Yet perhaps that is exactly where God chooses to meet us. This reflection explores the grace of holy waiting in the midst of unfinished preparations, reminding us that the coming of Christ is not delayed by our interruptions but often revealed through them.
Finding Rest in the Ten Minutes Before the Next Thing
Between one commitment and the next, we sometimes discover a few unexpected minutes of stillness. Rather than rushing to fill them, they can become a quiet gift. This reflection explores the grace of those in-between moments, reminding us that God often meets us not only in our busiest hours, but also in the brief pauses where our souls have room to breathe.
The Outdoor Nativity: A Seasonal Drama in Three Acts
An outdoor nativity scene has a way of telling more than the Christmas story. Wind, snow, curious visitors, and the occasional wandering shepherd all become part of the drama. With warmth and gentle humour, this reflection explores how the Incarnation continues to unfold in the midst of ordinary life, reminding us that God’s greatest gift entered a world that has always been beautifully, gloriously unscripted.
The Gospel According to the Church Thermostat: A Reflection on Holy Temperature Wars and the Peaceable Kingdom
Every congregation has its own unwritten thermostat negotiations, where someone is reaching for a sweater while someone else is quietly opening a window. With affectionate humour, this reflection discovers surprising spiritual wisdom in these familiar moments, reminding us that the peaceable Kingdom is built not by everyone getting exactly what they want, but by learning to love one another anyway.
Lessons from the Parish Snow Shovel A meditation on vocation, perseverance, and the spiritual gift of not slipping on the church steps.
Before most people arrive for worship, someone has already cleared the path. A snow shovel may seem like an ordinary tool, but it becomes an instrument of welcome, safety, and quiet love. With gentle humour, this reflection explores the hidden vocation of those who prepare the way for others, reminding us that some of the holiest ministry happens long before the first hymn is sung.