Living on the farm means I am surrounded by sweeping landscapes that remind me of what season it is. One cannot escape the daily and momentary reminder of the ruggedness and beauty of creation when every sight line is an invitation to behold. It’s easy to settle into the metaphor of seasons out here in […]
Beginning, Ending, and Beginning again Read More »
This piece was originally written for the New Leaf Network 2023 Advent Reader. It can be found here. One of our farm chores that often falls to me is closing the animals up at night. As I wrap up my work and shut down my computer, the brightness of its screen gives way to my
Under the Night Sky Read More »
There are many professions that are principally about helping others. Pastoral ministry is one of them. And I can only imagine that a common danger for all of these professions is longing to be the hero of the story. You don’t have to look far to find heroic tropes everywhere. We’re surrounded by Marvel movies.
We begin our staff meetings like many other churches: with a devotion or time of prayer. It was my turn to lead, and for some reason, I was drawn to Isaiah 58. It’s a favourite of mine, and I had been prepping another prayer exercise on this same passage. In my preparation for this particular
Make the Community Livable Again Read More »
It’s dandelion season here on the farm. The farmers spray them to put a quick end to them. We collect them to make oil infusions for soap. Our kids pick them and blow on them to scatter their seeds across the yard. When I consider the design of the dandelion, it seems that this scattering
The Spirit and the Storm Read More »
You can’t describe the current weather in my neighbourhood without a recognition that it’s a kind of in-between space. It’s not quite spring, yet winter’s grip is slowly fading. Daylight savings time cues our minds and bodies to get ready for spring as we reorient our clocks and rhythms around light. The days are getting
The Muddy Space in Between Read More »
We’ve been here on Aughrim Line for a month and a half now. In this relocation from the heart of the urban core to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, you might conclude that we’ve pulled away from community and from people. What I would suggest is that community looks different out here, and
Life in the Fishbowl of Dawn-Euphemia Read More »
The end of 2021 led to our family moving to the country. This has meant new surroundings, new adventures, and a new chapter in our story. It’s bitter-sweet leaving behind a community you love, or a house you poured so much blood, sweat, and tears into. And yet, we know that this is part of
Moving to the Country Read More »
