The Church Mouse

 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”  And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28: 16,17)  Jacob is having a terrible week. Not the sort of week fixed by a long walk, a takeaway, or a polite email saying, “Let’s put this behind us.” This is the kind of week that makes a person consider changing his name, burning the evidence, and catching the first cart out of … Read more

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) When life starts getting a little harder and more complicated, I have this go-to place of mild panic. And when I slip into mild panic mode, I get…well,a titch more controlling. I like order. I like predictability. Not that I’m necessarily rigid (at least … Read more

“Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life… For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” — Romans 6:13–14 About once a year, someone I’ve never met phones the church and asks if I will baptize their baby. Sometimes it’s a parent. More often it’s a grandparent. I’ve come to love these conversations because they are almost never really about baptism. They’re about love. Someone loves this child so fiercely that they want to be absolutely certain they’ve done everything they can to make sure … Read more

“Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) While I was away on Restorative Care, I spent some time reading Dr. Daniel J. Levitin’s book, Successful Aging. Levitin is a neuroscientist who argues that old age should not be seen as a period of inevitable decline, but as a unique stage of growth, contribution, and possibility. He suggests that successful aging is less about extending our lifespan and more about extending our “healthspan”—the years in which we remain engaged, curious, connected, and purposeful. He introduces what … Read more

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) Happy Pride Month, Bethel. This week I posted a picture on Facebook of our Bethel sign with a rainbow flag flying beneath it. It was a simple picture, really. A church sign. A rainbow flag. A public declaration that our welcome is not vague, not private, and not conditional. And apparently that was enough to make some people furious. The comments came quickly. Some were threatening. Some were … Read more

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28: 16-20)  When I was … Read more

 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people,[a] to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17: 1-3) I have a secret wish to be epic. You know what I mean. I want to make a huge splash on this world; something that stops people in their tracks. Which, … Read more

 (This week I’m straying from my normal blog format and publishing the sermon I preached at St. John’s United Church in Cardinal, Ontario, on Sunday May 3, 2026.  The scripture for this sermon was the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10: 25-37)   I am so delighted to be here this morning.  In many ways it feels like I’ve come to a family reunion and I’m staying for lunch at my cousin’s house.  You all are part of who I am as a Minister, as a rural minister, and as a life-long learner.  You see – way back many … Read more

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34) Since returning from knee surgery, I’ve had a steady stream of inquiries about weddings at Bethel. Without fail, the first question is about cost. Not theology. Not vows. Not the meaning of covenant. Cost. We don’t actually have a formal wedding policy, so I borrow from our funeral guidelines and explain the basic fees. I also mention, gently but clearly, that we can’t accommodate large crowds, we … Read more

  28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us[a] while he was talking to us on the … Read more