Dear Cubbie, Dodger, & Rex, Today I turn 40 years old. To you, that sounds ancient I know. But trust me, once you turn 40 it won’t sound or feel old at all. In many ways, it will feel like life has just only begun. For now, I’m thrilled to be your middle-aged auntie who loves zip-lining down old Welsh…
Category: Intentional Community
Pride Month Feature: Jamie Arpin-Ricci
I’m excited to you introduce to you today author and pastor Jamie Arpin-Ricci. Jamie and his wife, Kim, are pastors and leaders in the Little Flowers Community – an urban worship space and intentional community with Mennonite Church Manitoba and Youth with A Mission in Winnipeg, Canada. From the Little Flowers Community website: “We are Christians who share life, faith &…
Release the Just
I recently completed my First Basic Unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. Part of my work as a student spiritual care provider was to be present with both long-term care residents and subacute patients. The other part of my work was deep individual and group reflection. In our training, we were often told to “just be present”. Sometimes all I would…
Dear Jean: Water and Innocence
Dear Jean, It’s been an age since I’ve written to you. I’ve been remiss. I listen to your talks and read your books, and I would love one day to meet you. I’m sure enough pilgrims wander towards L’Arche already, however, that you likely don’t need this reluctant mystic tugging at your sleeve. Still, I wanted to offer up an…
A Picnic With Bigotry
A few weeks ago, the church I’ve been attending here in Edmonton co-hosted a church picnic. Being a student, I couldn’t afford much in the way of food but I did have a vehicle I could bring to assist transporting people to the picnic grounds. Wouldn’t you know it: there was a new woman there that morning who wanted a…
The Lac La Biche Shuffle
Thousands of people in Lac La Biche County have signed up around the clock to be at The Bold Centre; many have opened their homes, campsites, hotels/motels, community centres and churches for shelter, food, counselling, and more; donations have come pouring in, and yup: volunteers are there too sorting, stacking, delivering and sorting some more; coordinators are busy every minute…
When Enough Doesn’t Seem Like Enough
There are a lot of new faces around the food bank right now. Many folks have been laid off from work, and there aren’t nearly enough jobs that offer a living wage for families to make it through the month. We’re a small food bank. As in we have a few shelves and a couple of deep freezes. For the…
Chew Before You Swallow, Erin – Thoughts on Contemplative Eating
It’s Wednesday. That means it’s food bank day. That means a half hour lunch break. Once again I breathe in, I breathe out, and I say a prayer of gratitude for that half hour break. I know that within those 30 minutes I have to go to the post office, run to the grocery store, and then to the pharmacy…