Saturday’s Globe and Mail carried a feature article on the apparently changing notion of motherhood in society, the movement to shuck the haloed image of a sainted mother and finally accept the “good-enough mom.” But for all the optimism about sharing the parenting load and shedding the psychological burden of perfect parenting, I was left… Continue reading Changing diapers as an act of faith
Category: Spirituality
Longing for Lent
I've been looking forward to Lent for a while now, as if it couldn't get here quick enough. Not because of its austere nature - a lot of people mistake the repentant spirit of Lent for general gloom and masochistic grovelling. I have no wish to be a part of that. My longing for Lent… Continue reading Longing for Lent
A “pretty” dangerous place
The mall is not my friend as a dad to two children, not hospitable to raising healthy human beings. Sure, it provides clean and supervised play areas as well as interesting food courts with carousels but the rest of the place is a damn hazard. And not because it is the temple of all things… Continue reading A “pretty” dangerous place
My soundtrack for Lent
Lent begins this Wednesday and I've landed on this year's soundtrack for this season of repentance - Mumford & Sons Sigh no more. I know I've blogged on them earlier here, but this album continues to capture me and much of the honest, plaintive confession of Lent. The title song Sigh no more confesses: "My… Continue reading My soundtrack for Lent
What other sort of church is there?
The best quote I heard last week: "It's difficult to love people who hurt and disappoint us ... but what other sort of person is there?" Those are words wholly applicable to the church. We come to church mostly expecting pure and distilled divinity; what we mostly get is raw and uncooked humanity. What other… Continue reading What other sort of church is there?
Friday photos – “like these pancakes young one you will.”
You've probably heard the stories of Jesus showing up in a pancake. Because its obviously a family trait, his mother Mary has also been spotted in similar guise. These spiritual sightings are not limited to any one food group because there's been sightings of Mother Teresa in the famous but disputed "nun bun" or the grilled cheese… Continue reading Friday photos – “like these pancakes young one you will.”
New atheists, old questions.
You know the new atheists - Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris, Dennett, Stenger. All have published a number of books posing challenges to the Christian faith (and religion in general). I think they're important and needed reading - too often my Christian tribe can spout off without having taken the time to listen well and sympathetically to… Continue reading New atheists, old questions.
har har har har
Growing in recognition, nominated for two Grammys (and playing at the Grammys with Bob Dylan and the Avett Brothers - come on, that will be the high point of the whole night!), let me add my voice to the growing chorus and profess my great affection for the music of Mumford and Sons. Oh my,… Continue reading har har har har
Technologies and intimacies
There's an intriguing new book out by professor Sherry Turkle called Alone Together: why we expect more from technology and less from each other. She's exploring how use of technology shapes our relationships, wondering what will be the impact of importing "the technologies of efficiency into our intimacies." My take is that she's not real… Continue reading Technologies and intimacies
Redeeming spirituality?
Anyone else getting more and more uncomfortable with the word "spirituality"? It's not that I don't like the word but the way its used is so frothy. It's become a nothing word, a cagey term you can make to mean almost anything you want. And it tends to encourage the sacred/secular divide, somehow supporting the… Continue reading Redeeming spirituality?
Squinch 