This is the last day of Lent in the Church Calendar in the West. We've observed Good Friday and today is what is known as Sabbatum Sanctum (Holy Saturday) or Black Saturday, the culmination of Holy Week. Tomorrow is Easter, the first day of Eastertide.

For todays reflection, I thought I'd share a song originally written for an International Justice Mission Europe project a few years ago, "Shadows." The... more

Strangely, I've been reflecting of late on what must've been going through the mind of the convicted felon who hung beside Jesus during the Crucifixion and would later be called the Penitent Thief, known as Saint Dismas (the name given him in The Gospel Of Nicodemus) in Church tradition.

I then stumbled onto a poem about this man written by spoken word artist, Michael Mark , called "Just Hangin'. It... more

With blazing speed things have been changing all around us since our last letter. In times like these we can so quickly loose our bearings and give in to impulses and behaviours that are not necessarily healthy. We all cope differently. Our eating habits, sources of entertainment, and ways that we destress may need to be under some extra scrutiny. We may be fearful in ways we are not normally... more

"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists"

Japanese Proverb

Plant your roots in Christ

And let Him be the foundation of your life.

Be strong in your faith just as you were taught

And be grateful.

Colossians 2:7

As we ponder what the Father has been cultivating in the "heart soil" of the Canadian Vineyard over the past several years, the word "resilience" comes to mind. This word... more

Every shift in season, provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect and re-center. This is especially true after a time of intense wrestle and challenge. Walter Brueggemann in his study of the book of Psalms refers to this practice as a time of "Reorientation."

It's a facet of what many would understand as the spiritually healthy rhythm of "taking stock". It's where we as individuals and as a community... more

Well, we are just past the half-way mark in our national communal fast. We thought it would be an appropriate time to lean into the Common Prayer that we have been using as Vineyard leadership over the last several years. There also is a version of it in our "Why Vineyard?" material that is designed for broader usage. Let's be praying this together over the next several days.

Father – we are Your... more

History belongs to the intercessors – those who believe and pray the future into being.

Walter Wink - Scholar, Theologian and Activist

We are in the final stretch of our national discernment process reaching for current and fresh articulation regarding our theology, ecclesiastical structures, pastoral care and discipleship in how we engage with sexual minorities. Many of you have participated in various... more

Embedded in the heart of advent is the longing and anticipation of Jesus "coming to" us. As Philip H. Pfatteicher, respected liturgical historian and scholar, and former Professor of English at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, notes as he reflects on Advent, "Since the time of Bernard of Clairvaux (died 1153), Christians have spoken of the three comings of Christ: in the flesh in Bethlehem... more

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you... more

"Everything Jesus said and did was done in a place, just as everything we do is done in a place. All living is local: this land, this neighbourhood, these trees and streets and houses, this workplace, these people. One of the seductions that interferes with mature Christian living is the construction of utopias, ideal places where we can live the good life totally without inconvenience...But it always... more

"When you go to the doctor you show him the bit of you that is wrong—say, a broken arm. It would be a mere waste of time to keep on explaining that your legs, and eyes, and throat are all right."

C.S. Lewis

It's been some time since we've communicated with any substance beyond some updates and general check ins. One stellar exception has been Cathy Grahams PULSE quarterlies which have had such positive... more

Many of us associate sacred space with a religious site or a church, but in reality, it can be any place in which we encounter the Spirit of Jesus, any place that is set apart by and for the presence of God. A bush in the back side of the wilderness became a sacred space when it caught fire; its unusual flame attracted Moses to a missional encounter with YHWH. The muddy water of the Jordan River became a... more