Advent Candle Lighting

Many Protestant congregations adopted an Advent Candle Lighting ritual several decades ago. I don’t recall having one in our church when I was a child, but I do remember it feeling like a special part of the December services when I would return from university for the holidays in the

Read More »

Year A, Advent One

Theme: Raw and Ready Quotes A sage traveling all day is never far from the supplies in his cart, and however spectacular the views he remains calm and composed.Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching Invitation to Gather Before our eyes opened to this daynaught but darkness lay beneaththe lashes, closed, that sheltered

Read More »

Resources for inspiring community

Over the years, I have collected and written huge amounts of material and hope you might find it useful as you create opportunities for people to fall in love with being together, the most important achievement of church or any gathering we might hope to create. I’ve two projects underway.

Read More »

Over the Backyard Fence

Hello, my neighbours! It’s been too long! Scott and I have lived at XXXXXXX since XXXX. We’ve waved at a few of you, patted some of your pets, and said hello at the mailbox a few times. But we’ve not yet managed to get to know you. The challenges of

Read More »

Wow. I’m in the New York Times

You’re probably thinking that it has got to be a total rush to have the weekend edition of the New York Times include a story about you. You’re right. It is. Sort of. When we read articles in newspapers and magazines, it’s easy to forget that there is an entire

Read More »

The end of one thing; the beginning of the next

The ordeal West Hill and I have been experiencing for three and a half years as my ministry and credentials have been at stake, is over. This coming Sunday, I return to my congregation without a cloud hanging over our heads and secure in the knowledge that the community we

Read More »

An Amazing Line-up

Ensaf Haidar, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, … Wow. I am simply astonished at the people we’ve been able to schedule for West Hill’s Lives in the Balance Conference, co-sponsored with Humanist Canada. Not only will Ensaf Haidar, Raif Badawi‘s unbelievably strong wife, be with us, we also have Rafida Bonya Ahmed,

Read More »

Shared Humanity

Many of us were moved by the movie Avatar, and some of us most deeply by the greeting spoken by that Na’vi, “I see you.” It is a powerful moment of recognition and an equally powerful reminder to be fully present to the other. But James Cameron didn’t come up

Read More »