I was in Timberlea, specifically Trinity United Church, on Sunday morning. I presided and preached, and then over a potluck meal, I remained for their Annual General Meeting. For the record, a member of the Order of Ministry (me) must be present to make such meetings legal and binding in the United Church of Canada.

Ann Bradley is preaching at Bethany this Sunday morning, as I am at Trinity United Church in Timberlea, preaching at 11 am. As their Supervising Minister (Timberlea and Goodwood), I am required to be present for their Annual General Meeting, that follows worship.

I recall meeting a psychologist at a mental health forum, she was there to discuss small group dynamics. Given that I often facilitate such gatherings, in church and secular society, I was keen to learn new skills. She asked each of us, in her small group, to share why we enjoyed these gatherings.

I have not been feeling well these last few days, the result of a tooth ache. I finally went to my dentist yesterday and discovered I have a broken tooth that requires root canal. I am on a waiting list… In the meantime, I have antibiotics and Advil. I am not used to taking medication, I discovered I do not have an association…

For those interested, I wrote a column on volunteering, that appeared in Wednesday’s Halifax Herald, on the Opinion Page. Here is the link: https://www.saltwire.com/halifax/opinion/perspective-volunteering-can-be-thankless-but-people-still-do-their-best-to-help-100955161/

I want to thank all those who responded to our February 2024 Have a Heart Campaign, raising funds for the Brunswick Street Mission. Our Local Outreach Committee brought this to our attention as they were concerned for those living rough in our city. The Brunswick Street Mission, staff, and volunteers, work hard to…

I hope to see some of you on Tuesday at 7 pm for the 9th week of our Faith Study, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. Some of us will gather in-person in the MacKinnon Chapel and others will join us via the ZOOM platform…

I hope to see some of you this Tuesday April 9th at 12:00 Noon in the Fellowship Hall for JOY Lunch. A light lunch served for $10. There is still time to register (we need to know numbers, so we have enough food). If you plan to attend, please contact Ann asap at: 902 455 0521 ext 227 abradley@bethanyunitedchurch.ca

When I came to Bethany many were worried, I would come with an aggressive “progressive agenda”. But I want people to “own” their faith, not adopt my views based on bullying and shame. My approach to change is to share the stories of others, invite listeners to ponder “Where is God in all of this”. But if some persist in…

I had coffee with a NSCC student, she was hoping to be a street navigator. She called all the street navigators in HRM. I was the only one to call her back. I explained, “most navigators deal with crisis, they run to the immediate challenge, leave the longer-term scheduling for another day.” In my specific job, in North Dartmouth…

You know the story, The Parable of the Good Samaritan. A man fell into the hands of robbers, who beat him, leaving him for dead. A priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan saw him, was moved with compassion…

Congratulations to our own Nathan Mills, goalie for the Halifax Macs, who defeated Dartmouth Steele Subaru 2-1 in a series deciding game 5 to capture the league/provincial championship. Nathan was named playoff MVP, after leading the playoffs in GAA and save percentage, while tying for most wins.

I have not mentioned this topic since I made the announcement on March 17th and followed it up with a blog the next day. But I feel there are still people who read this blog who don’t know where I am going on July 1st (those who asked me were told). The only reason I did not mention the church by name was this…

Several people told wrote me about our choir appearing on CTV News, here is a clip: (note, before the choir, one minute of gas price stories: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video/c2895029-news-and-weather-update--april-1--2024

April 1st holds significance for me, for two reasons. 1) It is Vince’s 90th birthday. We celebrated on Sunday, sang “Happy Birthday” and later shared a cake in his honour. See this great photo taken by Bonnie Sue.

When I read John 20, Mary mistaking Jesus for the gardener, I think of the movie, Being There. “Chance the gardener,” a man who has never left his sheltered home is constantly mistaken for being, “Chauncy de Gardener,” a brilliant visionary who only speaks in deceptively simplistic parables. The twist to the movie is the last scene…

On this Holy Saturday I share two verses from Psalm 31 You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your namesake leads me and guides me, Take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

You have likely heard me reference Clarence Jordan before. In college, Jordan studied agriculture, pursuing his vision of improving the plight of poor farmers. His struggle of conscience eventually led him to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he managed yet another degree…

‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Christ’s last words on the cross in the accounts of Matthew and Mark fuse a tender, intimate address, ‘my God’, with the deep despair of abandonment. The question is not, ‘have you forsaken me?’; nor is the question directed to a third party, ‘why has that God forsaken me’…

As we move through Holy Week, the most sacred part of our Christian story, I once again encourage you to consider reading, The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Final Days in Jerusalem, by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan.