Quite a few years ago I was asked to speak on the topic of “Metanoia”.  I have often bragged that I know a little Greek but I don’t always say that he lives on the Danforth in Toronto. Needless to say I had to do a bit of research to find out that Metanoia is [...]

This Christmas we worked hard at not being consumed by consumerism. I think we did rather well on that score. I was feeling a bit spiritually smug until I went to a Christmas Eve service and the preacher spoke on Luke 2:41 – 52. It was not a typical Christmas text for it is about [...]

I have to admit I love the schmaltzy movies that are on this time of year. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a particular favourite. From it we learn the influence one person has on the community, and the world. The world is a much poorer place without the good hearted George Bailey. Likewise, “A Christmas [...]

Jesus spent time with people. That is a simple and profound truth. The incarnation is about Jesus spending time with people. His God-given nickname Emmanuel illustrates this “God with us”. Jesus spent time with the multitudes. Jesus spent time in the synagogues and the Temple with religious leaders. Jesus spent time with sinners. Jesus spent [...]

I was saying to friends yesterday “This is the day I have been waiting for, for 27 years!” Yesterday was moving day for my son. He is getting married at the end of the month and is moving into the apartment. It is not that I am overjoyed that he is moving, though I have [...]

These days I meet a lot of very interesting people. One fellow came up to me this week to introduce himself as the Anti-Christ. Not long into our discussion, it was plain to see that rather than being the ultimate victimizer of humanity he was a tragic victim of mental illness and the callousness of [...]

I have been doing a lot of thinking (meditating) on Luke 4:18 – 19  “God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind. To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, [...]

I have just returned from a National New Chaplains’ Orientation. For the most part, it was a good experience. It was good to ‘rub shoulders’ with novice chaplains and to meet some long time veterans. During this week I was introduced to “The Dismas Fellowship”. According to legend Dismas was the name of the thief [...]

Revelation paints this extraordinary picture of ‘bowls of wrath’ being poured out. I think I saw an image of that this week. One of the guys you would have to call ‘a core member’ of our community at Saint John community chaplaincy, died this week. While the autopsy results aren’t yet in we all know [...]

I just got back from three days of meetings with the Atlantic area chaplains. These are chaplains in the federal correctional institutions and those of us in community chaplaincy ministry. It was a tremendous time of being with people with a real passion for people. Though I feel like I have to enter “abbreviation detox” [...]