"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25)       

        Five out of our seven grandchildren are involved in organized baseball, this summer. As of today, they are all enthusiastic and passionate about their participation. They can't wait to get to the ballpark for their games or even get to their weekly practices. Playing ball is one of their favourite things to do. They hate to miss a game or even a practice. That has not always been the case. Ther have been moments when they were very reluctant to leave the house, like on a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon to go to curling or a dance class But right now, their enthusiasm and keenness is .at a high level. encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

    It is a daunting, parental challenge to get all the kids to their games and practices. Two of the boys are on travel teams and therefore have to get to their tournaments outside their city. almost every weekend.Extra duty for mom and dad. But all the parents have to juggle their schedules and make sacrifices to ensure their children get to where they need to be. They seem to do this with their own enthusiastic support. But they have told their children that if they ever do not want to play sport anymore, for whatever reason, they won 't be forced to continue. They can quit and no recriminations.

    There was an article in the Globe, this week, about a mother who had to deal with her daughter quitting soccer and how to deal with it. She wrote about the dilemma of wanting her children to follow through on their commitments yet not wanting to force her daughter to do something she didn't want to. Issues like enjoyment and having a basic level of competence pay a part in whether a child sticks with it. It is also helpful when we expose our children to different ranges of activities, sports, experiences. Variety is good and saves burnout from just being in one sport.

    But it has made think of  the challenge of getting our children to go to church. I don't know how many times I have heard an adult tell me that the reason they don't go to church is because a parent forced them to go when they were young. They usually add how boring church was or how long the sermons were. Once they became teenagers and had a choice, they stopped going. I remember that as a preadolescent, I wasn't allowed to play house-league hockey on Sunday mornings; church came first.

    Or what about the parents who say they will let their children decide about religion when they get old enough, although they never expose then to any faith-based community to begin with so that they can make a informed decision. The choice had already been made for them.

    But really, is there anything new under the sun? Apparently, the church to which the epistle to the Hebrews was written was dealing with people who were ducking out on worship, neglecting to meet together. Remember the Parable of the Banquet where the invited guests made up excuses so they wouldn't have to attend. 

    We all make excuses for not attending church. Weather. Stayed up too late the night before watching double overtime in the hockey game. Creaky, old joints. Guest preacher. For me, right now, it is just so much easier to stay at home and watch the service on the internet and enjoy a second cup of coffee. It is far more convenient. I don't ask myself whether or not I am encouraging anyone. Am I m missed? On the other hand, I can still well remember how I felt when I looked out at my congregation and saw a lot of empty pews. It was quite discouraging.

    Our presence matters. Our fellowship with others matters. Our efforts into community building matters. Our being in  the company of our fellow "saints" matters. We rub off on each other. we comfort each other. We are stronger together than apart.  I get a wholly different vibe when I attend a service in person than when I simply watch on-line.I wish that my church was closer than it is but that too is just an excuse. We, Christians,need one another. And if that means that we must make an extra effort or that we need to rise to the obligation or that we make it  part of our regular routine, no matter what, then that is good.

    Hebrews 10 is a call to persevere under the circumstances in our lives. Christ did  not quit on his mission to make things right between God and ourselves. "Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm." (10:23) We have been blessed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins, That is worthy of our attention. That is a call for our devotion that demands our faithfulness. "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do god's will. Then, you will receive all that he has promised." 10: 35 -36)

Prayer:

Our ever-patient God, help us to be mindful of our need to interact with you and with other believers. May we be a source of encouragement, compassion and support within our faith communities. May we be as present to you as yo are always with us. we pledge our faithfulness and witness to the cause of building you Kingdom together. In Jesus' name. Amen.

 Wednesday, May 13, 2026

“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp.” (Psalm 137:5, New Living Translation)

            “On the count of three; we will forget all about this. One. Two. Three.”

This is how the flock of sheep in the marvellous, poignant movie, The Sheep Detectives, deal with calamity, with those things that are unpleasant, hurtful and troubling. They have the ability simply to wipe it all out of their minds and continue to live in their supposedly idyllic world under the care of their good shepherd, George They have forgotten all about pain, suffering and death.  Their world is simply and wonderfully confined to their green pastures and the tender loving care of the shepherd. Even when their shepherd is murdered, their first inclination is to count to three and forget all about him and his death. But the lead ram stops them and reminds them how important it is to remember always the one who had thoughtfully named each one of them and had constantly cared and tended for them.  George shouldn’t be forgotten even though he was gone. He had a place in their hearts.

But it is tempting to envy the sheep’s ability to forget pain and death. We have never been able to explain adequately why there is suffering in our lives or why God allows bad things it happen to us. We do know that we go through fire, wind and storm. We are grieved by and suffer through the loss of loved ones. We suffer setbacks and losses. We make terrible choices and mistakes. We know sickness and disease. We look at the world and shudder at its state of affairs. Wouldn’t it be pleasant, sometimes, to count to three and forget all about the past?

There is one sheep in the movie who can’t ever forget like the others. He remembers everything, both the good and the bad. When the heroine sheep, Lily, realizes this, she asks him how he can possibly bear it. He replies that it is all the good things that he remembers which helps him, like remembering his mother’s face.  He held onto these memories in gratitude and love. The memories didn’t change the world one bit but it sustained him. They helped him survive and thrive.

Do we really want to forget those whom we have loved and have been part of our lives? Do we really want to forget those times when we life made us happy, joyful, content? Do we really want to forget those deeply satisfying times in our lives when life was full and abundant? Because if we forget all about the bad times, we will forget all about the good times with the people who mattered the most.

Like Jesus said, we have sadness in this world but our tears will turn to joy. “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John  16:22) Memories are a powerful source of love, joy, hope, energy, strength and nurture.  They remind us of what is important and who matters. Our memories lead us into  a future that may never be perfect (on this world anyway) but a world made better because of the people we loved and who loved us.

The Sheep Detectives has Psalm 23 written all over it, although I doubt that was the inspiration for the movie. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”  These words remind us of the continuous loving presence of God for each of us. Even when they murdered our Good Shepherd, we were not abandoned. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” These are words which I never want to forget. Thankfully God remembers us in our afflictions, trials and hurts. “He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100; 3)

The Psalmist, King David himself perhaps, says that forgetting the wonders of God’s Presence would be like cutting off the music. He’d rather not be ale to play the harp than forget the beauty and grace that God gives.  Let us continually remember and not forget the ongoing, ever-present Love of God. Let us never forget those who have shared that love with us. Yes, it hurts sometimes, but the joy far surpasses the sorrow we experience.

Now, on the count of three. One. Two, Three.  Remember!

 

Prayer:

Ou Loving Shepherd, may we never forget the Love that you have for each and every one of us. May we cherish the memories of the people who have shared and enriched our lives. Grant that we will always recall all the beauty, grace, joy, wonder, generosity that have filled our lives each and every day. Help us when sorrows, struggles and pain try to overwhelm us. Help us to trust in your Compassion and Love, now and forever. In Jesus’ name. Ame

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

“We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.” (Psalm  126:2, New Living Translation)

                I will confess that I did not listen to the podcast but the title intrigued me: “We need to add laughter to our to-do lists.” That was enough to send me scurrying through the Bible to find references to “laughter”. Admittedly, there are not many but the writer of Ecclesiastes affirms that there is both a time to cry and a time to laugh. (Ecclesiastes 3: 4) There is mockery, even by God of the unrighteous; there is taunting by Jesus’ critics; there is scoffing; but the sheer joy and glee of a healthy laughter, with only a few notable exceptions, are seldom found. Perhaps, the Bible takes the broken world so seriously that the sound of gracious laughter is infrequently heard.

                But if there ever was a time for some laughter, we could use it these days. The world is in rough enough  shape to make us cry. We mourn for the lack of civility, peace, compassion, tolerance, mercy and justice.  Statesmen-style leadership is in tatters. Wars wage. Hunger strikes. Poverty prevails. Do I need to go on? What is there to laugh about? “Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.” (James 4:9)

                But, perhaps, we need to consider that laughter is a wonderful remedy for the condition of this world of ours. “Pick out a pleasant outlook; Stick out that noble chin; Wipe off that "full of doubt" look Slap on a happy grin!” Sounds Pollyannish, doesn’t it?  Holy laughter doesn’t pretend the world is always a happy place. But sacred laughter does lift our spirits towards God’s goodness so that we take delight in his provisions and grace.  Laughter takes us beyond the world’s miseries and reminds us that God is always at work in our world even if and when we doubt it. Joy and laughter are intrinsically linked together. “The joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)

                I cannot help but think of the Biblical story of Abraham and Sarah for whom God promised a son even though they are both very, very old.  Both of them laughed out loud at the mere thought of such a  thing. “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” (Genesis 18:12) But God had the last laugh. They did have a son, Isaac, the forbear of the Israelite nation. Sarah joins in God’s “joke”: “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

                And there it is really. We need to embrace the holy laughter of God. We need to allow ourselves the freedom to revel in his good Creation, his Love, his satisfaction when we do well by God.  We need to smile in the little joys of life. We need to appreciate the serendipitous, the whimsical, the silliness, the often ridiculous, even the nonsensical, the surprising, the exceptional, the  preposterous  because God can speak and act through these things and lift our spirits and bring us into his Holy Presence with thanksgiving and joy: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

                Our sacred laughter is a sign that we haven’t given up on God, each other, ourselves or the world in which we live. We know the “punchline.”  God will have the last Great Laugh as he puts the world back in order. “So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.” (John 16: 22 -24)

                Our sacred laughter doesn’t mean that we don’t take things seriously. But it helps us to keep the world in perspective. It offers us a healthier alternative to despair, fear and the chaos around us. It leads us to free ourselves from the captivity of the powers and principalities that would enslave us in their humourless, dreadful, morose reality. Sacred laughter encourages us to see the world in the Light of Jesus Christ, to enjoy the true and authentic things of God, and to let the Holy Spirit engage us with the mind of both God and Jesus.

                Perhaps, this is a lot of stuffy theology out of just a title of a podcast to add laughter to our to-do lists.  But simply put, find a reason to smile to today.  Have a chuckle or two. Enjoy the day or someone you are with.  Laugh at what is absurd. (Heaven knows you’ll find enough of it.) Give some  much-needed space for some joy to seep into your life. Pass it on. “Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.” (Philippians 2:18)

 Prayer.

Our Loving God, forgive us our gloomy outlook at the state of your world. We have lost our perspective that you are graciously at work even despite all that is broken and lost. Grant us an increased faith that will rediscover   the joy of your Creative Love. Help us to enjoy the important things that truly matter in our lives. Lift our spirits into the sacred realm of your laughter and joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.