Protect Your Family From The Church
Shortly before my ordination as a church deacon in the fall of 2005, I sat down with a mentor of mine (himself an Anglican clergy) for lunch at a local…
A Shrunken World
Around this time last week, the southend of Saint John where I live and work began to feel small, noisy and stifling. I wanted out. So, rather than taking my…
What Costs $16.5 Million, But Is Uninhabitable?
There are 1900 names on the waiting list for affordable housing in Saint John. 1900 out of a population of 70,000. 1900 individuals and families who once rent is paid,…
The Time It Takes
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably online. And you know what we’re like when we’re online. We want things to appear instantaneously. If we have to wait to see…
Not The Promised Land
How can we sing behind glass windows When children know such sorrows? With half in this city Assailed by poverty? How can we argue Over preferences, styles and liturgy Over…
Kingdom Turf
This time of year is known locally as “cruise ship season” in Saint John- a time of year when the little buildings of our seaside town are dwarfed by the…
Strangers Among Us
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2). My father immigrated to Canada in the late nineteen…
Unwelcome!
The Blog I was going to publish today was all about how unwelcoming churches in general can be. I wrote long paragraphs about how difficult it can be to walk…
The Irresistible Cool of Big Brothers Or Sisters
I’m watching my four-year old son, Sam, dueling with Eric, the ten-year old boy from the apartment unit immediately bellow ours. At the moment, Sam has the high ground and,…
Easter Isn’t About Joy
Sunday School teachers and parents everywhere had the great challenge yesterday of trying to pry our children’s thoughts away from chocolate and bunnies long enough to get something of the…