On the holiday weekend, our Sunday worship theme at Bridgenorth United Church was Joy. The “Tarnished Angels,” Bridgenorth UC’s praise band, led the service. Their music brings joy to the members of the band and to the congregation every time they play. Sandi Deslauriers, a bandmember, shared with us the… Continue reading
By Rev. Janet Stobie Love, Laughter, Humility and Justice Can Grow a Garden of Peace. When I listen to the news today, I feel like the darkness that covered the earth before creation is creeping back. What gifts can we give our children and grandchildren to strengthen their ability to… Continue reading
By Rev. Janet Stobie “We need someone to chair this committee, please.” All eyes turn to the floor. Silence echoes around the room. Many members are thinking, Not me. Not me. A number of years ago, I wrote a children’s book titled“ Elizabeth Gets Her Wings.” Elizabeth, a young angel,… Continue reading
By Rev. Janet Stobie The maple tree outside my window has been dying by inches ever since we moved here. But every year, including this one, it has put out beautiful new leaves, fragile at first, but growing more robust as the season progresses. Today, the single branch left is… Continue reading
By Rev. Janet Stobie Celebrating Mothers is a special privilege for me because I was blessed with two wonderful mothers. Today I want to tell you something special about my mother who adopted me at age fifteen months. She gave me many things. The most important, though, was an introduction… Continue reading
by Rev. Janet Stobie I’ve been reading John Pentland’s “Fishing Tips,” while I’ve been confined at home within influenza. Yesterday, I wrote down his question, “Do we want people to line up to get into our church doors on Sunday morning?” I pictured the sight. Children and adults laughing, talking,… Continue reading
In our Christian church year the season of Lent is beginning. The forty days of Lent give us time to look at our personal lives and check out how we are doing. For some of us that mean discerning the times we have succeeded in living our faith. One of… Continue reading
At the end of January, I completed the first draft of my eleventh book, (my second worship resource), Dipping Your Toes, Too. The manuscript is filled with stories, mostly small and personal, that connect the Bible to my life. My hope is that they will do the same for all who read… Continue reading
I finished 2024 with a column about Hope. My topic for this column, January 2025, is humility, the foundation stone of Hope. For the last month I’ve been reflecting on the thoughts of Canadian First Nations author, Richard Wagamese in his book, “One Drum: Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet.”… Continue reading
