Many relatives don't see each other for years on end. My maternal grandparents lived in the province of Manitoba, Canada, while we were two provinces away in Alberta. We did write letters on occasion, but I never really knew them. … Read more

About eighteen months ago, I was in a restaurant having a coffee before Sunday School. At one of the tables, a woman was sitting alone, looking unkempt, unwashed, and untidy. She was having an imaginary conversation with someone who wasn't … Read more

Our mailboxes overflow at this time of year with pleas to "Give generously". Our telephones and doorbells ring, and we are asked to donate to yet another good cause. Food banks need filling, and toys need collecting for kids who … Read more

Shortly after we were married, my wife matter-of-factly announced that she intended to give 10{8395b6ce96fcf25a14d80edc3b65c36a8995b6c1ba5f8c16ac11d8adaa79f35b} of her salary to the church. My first reaction was "Whoa, let's not be too hasty about this!" After all, we had just bought a … Read more

Our prayer group requires no admittance fee. No weekly donations. No contribution towards the lights, the maintenance costs, janitorial services, Spiritual Director's fees, the heating costs. And so it was, last fall, that I suggested we bring something for the … Read more