January 1 - an entire shiny new year lying ahead, 365 calendar squares of unmarked living. It screams of so much potential. Who knows what might happen in those days? What sort of life may unfold? Who might you become in this year? And to give voice to that deep desire for change, this time… Continue reading Ditch the resolutions for a rule
“… it is mainly for some clue to where I am going that I search through where I have been, some hint as to who I am becoming or failing to become that I delve into what used to be.” Frederick Buechner There’s alot about New Year’s to love. Besides the gatherings and good food… Continue reading Rest in grace this new year
Ours is an age of anxiety; we idolize security, seeking to live ruling out risk or failure. Exhibit # 1,043: helicopter parents hovering protectively over their children's bubble-wrapped lives. Doesn't that seem a bad way to live? Jesus seemed to think so. I love Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Jesus' parable of the talents, the master says… Continue reading The crime of living cautiously
A few weeks ago Pope Frances canonized two pontifical predecessors, Paul XXIII and John-Paul II. In my last post on Saints, I looked at the fairly chronic aversion to saints and yet explored the warm biblical use of the term and concept of saints. Ok, so what now? How then might saints function in the Christian… Continue reading Saints? for sure (part 2)
Lord Almighty, we say we want to serve you, we say we want to help others less fortunate than ourselves, we say we want justice. But the truth is, we want power and status because we so desperately need to be loved. Free us from our self-fascination and the anxious activity it breeds, so that… Continue reading Free us from self-fascination
This image of my mother and me has become an icon of sorts for the divine love, a lens through which I can better understand something of God. I'm aware that God has revealed himself most clearly through the image of a father in the pages of scripture (although God does employ some maternal images). … Continue reading An icon for my existence
I miss the mountains. City life in Toronto is outstanding. I'm still smiling everytime I come out of the Spadina St. subway station into the city, feeling the energy, diversity and vibrant life all around me here. But I miss mountains. For the past 20 years of my… Continue reading I need a mountain – Friday photos
A surprising thing happened last week - I was inducted as the 14th Senior Minister of Knox Presbyterian Church in Toronto. Not that this induction was unexpected - it was a five month wait for myself and the people of Knox. But surprising, nonetheless. Ask the “five years ago Phil,” and I would’ve never guessed… Continue reading Farther along
Today is the greatest wall flower Christian celebration of all time and yet one of the most powerfully hopeful days - Ascension Day (admit it, you missed it, didn’t you?). I love this day for all sorts of reasons: it is the culmination of Christ’s ministry, it is the next stage of God’s mission, and… Continue reading On wallflowers and kite-flying
In the last post, I observed what I’m seeing as a changing worship pattern - twice a month as the new normal. While these trends in worship patterns are interesting data to observe, the more important question is about how we practice Sabbath. The changing worship patterns are, in some measure, a reaction to the… Continue reading The new normal and Sabbath keeping: practicing 24/6
Squinch 