Clik here to view.
Prayer is not (or should not) be navel-gazing
St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35 – c. 107) said on the way to his death, “Another is in me”. St. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Prayer Effective?
‘“Effectiveness” is an important word in our culture, but it is an over-rated concept. It is far better to speak of “fruitfulness.” In relating to God and conversing with God, in praying to God and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Remembrance Day Prayer Service and Prayer Walk for Peace
(Photo courtesy of growmercy.org) On November 11, 2011, some of Edmonton’s local churches and individual Christians will gather to remember, reflect and pray for all victims of war and for peace in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Holiday update
We’re having a grand time at Oakham with Dad and Mum. The weather has been ridiculously mild by Canadian standards; only once have we had a frost, and we haven’t even had a great deal of rain either....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Daily Prayer Partners in Oakham
It was four and a half years ago, when I was on sabbatical leave in England, that I first discovered the joy of the daily office at All Saints’ Oakham. Every weekday at 8.00 and 5.00, a couple of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Retreat Time
I’m off tomorrow for the annual Diocese of Edmonton Clergy Retreat at the Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert, just north-west of Edmonton. The retreat starts about 4.00 p.m. Monday and runs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two thoughts from Oakham
I’m sitting in Costa in Oakham writing a few emails, and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts. First, a relationship based on common prayer is a deeply satisfying relationship. I joined Vyv and Brian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On using the Psalms as a regular part of Sunday worship
Our own private griefs are, often enough, quite paltry: but we are invited to join in the gigantic earth-shaking laments of the psalms. Our own criteria for happiness are selfish and small: but we are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Almighty and Most Merciful Father’
Flying above Mount Robson, I can look down from 35,000 feet and see pretty well the whole mountain. Looking up at it from underneath, I can only see part of it at once. Curiously, the closer I get, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Awe of the Psalms
‘We should be in awe of the Psalms, they have lasted thousands of years, translate into multiple languages, and were a staple diet for our spiritual ancestors. Ninety Psalms are quoted in the New...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Footnote to All Prayers
Footnote to All Prayers by C. S. Lewis He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou, And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart Symbols (I know)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On not taking advantage of lawful liturgical flexibility
There’s an interesting post over at Anglican Down Under exploring what is required of people leading Anglican services in New Zealand, where, it appears, there is a rather confusing mishmash of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two thoughts from Oakham
I’m sitting in Costa in Oakham writing a few emails, and I wanted to share a couple of thoughts. First, a relationship based on common prayer is a deeply satisfying relationship. I joined Vyv and Brian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
On using the Psalms as a regular part of Sunday worship
Our own private griefs are, often enough, quite paltry: but we are invited to join in the gigantic earth-shaking laments of the psalms. Our own criteria for happiness are selfish and small: but we are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
I have often been impressed with the prayers in the Episcopal Church’s 1979 Book of Common Prayer. This Collect for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is very good, I think: Purify our conscience, Almighty...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Helplessness and Faith
I’m still unpacking the incredible experience of meeting and being involved in the little community of Street Hope Saint John this past weekend. One of the things that really touched me was to hear the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We don’t send prayers ‘out to’ people – we send them out to God
I’ve noticed in the world of Facebook that people will often say something like “Our thoughts and prayers are going out to Joe Green and his family in the difficult time they’re going through”. Or,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Out of the Depths': a sermon on Psalm 130
When I was in college my Old Testament professor used to say, ‘the rest of the Bible speaks to us, but the Psalms speak for us’. I think this is true, and I’m really glad that we use them week by week...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We do Jesus and we do prayer
In a recent interview in ‘Christianity Today’ magazine, Dr. George Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the USA, talks about a conversation he had with a Chinese Pentecostal pastor...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Expecting surprises
In yesterday’s reading in ‘New Daylight‘, our Bible passage was John 11:38-44, which is a portion of the story of how Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead: Jesus, once more deeply moved, came...
View Article