Harmony of Grace

This past weekend was our annual confirmation camp where the youth of our church go away for the weekend to prepare for their upcoming confirmation service. We were extra lucky this year as the farm that we were staying on does not have access to electricity (although I don't think lucky  would be the word that our youth would use when describing that fact). But it was a great opportunity to set aside all of the distractions that come with constantly being glued to our electronic devices and focus on connecting with God and each other.  Spending a few days in the wilderness, away from technology and the busyness of life, was truly refreshing for my soul. I have always enjoyed withdrawing to a still, private place for an occasional spiritual retreat, but I was reminded this weekend of the value of good community. One of the biggest things that the COVID pandemic has robbed us of is regular, deep connection with others. Yes, we can experience community virtually and some might even a

Many people tend to think of life in rigid, binary terms. For example, something is either good or bad, right or wrong, male or female, etc. In our churches, we are quick to create rules that define what is acceptable and what is not; or we create walls that allow certain people in while keeping others out. Even when it comes to theology, we try to put our beliefs about God into neat little boxes. Throughout history, humans have invented neat theological phrases to try and define God. While these are certainly helpful at times, they can sometimes get in the way of our growing understanding about God and the world. One of the ways that we define God is by referring to the Holy Trinity of Father, Spirit and Son. This is a helpful way of understanding God as an interpersonal, relational God who is present in three persons. However, one of the problems that comes with this model is that we tend to associate the Trinity with a triangular, pyramid shape. This creates a hierarchal model that

In recent years, I have become very outspoken against many types of injustice in the world, particularly those perpetuated by the wealthy and the Church. I believe that this is necessary work justified by my understanding of Jesus and Scripture. Jesus constantly challenged the religious elite and the greedy rich while fighting for the rights of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable. We also know that Jesus told his followers to love their neighbours, even those who they consider to be their enemies. So how do we confront those perpetuating injustice while still loving them? Reading the gospel story of Zacchaeus the tax-collector in Luke 19, I was reminded that while God clearly shows a preferential option for the poor throughout the bible, no-one is exempt from God's love and grace - even those who we feel called to challenge. In this beautiful story, Jesus takes time to visit and eat with Zacchaeus, a man who was rich, greedy and guilty of stealing from many - the exact type of pe