Gord Downie: Honesty, Hope, and Canadian Identity

When looking for people and events that help define Canadian cultural identity there is a fairly predictable list of exemplars that we tend to reference – Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Sir Frederick Banting and the discovery of penicillin, Paul Henderson’s winning goal against the Soviets in the Summit Series of hockey, and, of course, Terry Fox running his Marathon of Hope. One may also want to speak of artists who have helped to shape Canadian consciousness – from Emily Carr to Gordon Lightfoot, from Lucy Maud Montgomery to Pierre Berton. Upon his passing this past month, these lists must surely expand to include the name of Gord Downie, and rightly so.

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This post is part of a series I've begun over at the New Leaf Network looking at Christians who are done with church, but not with their faith, a group otherwise known as the “Dones.” This series is largely focused on distilling and reflecting on the content of a book written by sociologist Josh Packard called Church Refugees. To continue reading click the link at the bottom.

I remember sitting in the car with my friend, a friend who identified strongly with the LGBTQ community, had since high school, and yet still faithfully attended the pentecostal church where we first met. I remember my friend wishing they could invite all their gay and queer friends to come to church and experience it as a loving community, but also expressing fear for the judgement these friends might experience in coming there...

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This post is part of a series I've begun over at the New Leaf Network looking at Christians who are done with church, but not with their faith, a group otherwise known as the “Dones.” This series is largely focused on distilling and reflecting on the content of a book written by sociologist Josh Packard called Church Refugees. To continue reading click the link at the bottom.

These days, when you ask a Canadian what religion they would identify themselves with, the majority of people (about 65%) will still tell you that they are part of a Christian tradition, even though these numbers have been in decline for over 40 years. By contrast, the demographic seeing the largest increase during this same period are those who would say they have no religious affiliation, often referred to simply as the “Nones,” a group who now make up roughly 25% of all Canadians. In the midst of this divide between those who identify with a Christian Tradition and the rising number of Nones there is a new category emerging, an increasing number of people who still hold onto Christian belief and practice, but who are no longer a part of any institutional church. These are Christians who are done with church, but not with their faith, otherwise known as the “Dones.”...

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Hope Dealers - @ Lakeview Church

This past Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at Lakeview Church here in Saskatoon. Have a listen to my sermon where I talk about the importance of making room for others.

Ethics and the Imago Dei

I've started contributing to the blog over at The New Leaf Network and welcome you to read my contributions over there, starting with this post:

Not that long ago I was having a discussion with some friends when one of them asked, “What theology is the church not teaching enough?” The answer that came first to my mind was “Imago Dei Theology,” which is the teaching that all human beings are made in the Image of God. It is a theology that is essential for how we worship God, how we understand ourselves,  and how we treat others. When talking about human nature and our relationship to God, churches often start by talking about the original sin of Adam and Eve, which we read about in the 3rd chapter of Genesis. Teaching about sin, and our need for God is certainly important, but before we get there, we need to read the 1st chapter of Genesis where God looked over all that he made, saw that it was good, and then… 

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Lectionary Vlog - Holy Saturday

Lectionary Vlog - 4th Sunday of Lent

Not only is my post late this week but I'll admit I cheated a bit. For the Lectionary savvy among us you will realize I actually used the gospel reading from the Feast of the Annunciation which is on Saturday, March 25th.

Lectionary Vlog - 3rd Sunday of Lent

Tim's Lectionary Vlog - 2nd Sunday of Lent

Tim's Lectionary Vlog - 1st Sunday of Lent