It was about day two into a 14-day trip across the Quetico from north to south when I realized the mistake. Through a communication error with the Wilderness Canoe Base trail shack kitchen, I’d left about . of the food I’d requisitioned for my trip behind. I was 24 years old, and this was my third-year guiding. I should have... READ MORE >
I finished a difficult school year last Friday – difficult for the students who struggled with COVID-19 restrictions, from distance learning to a hybrid model and back again, difficult for the teachers, for the community, and for my congregation. Yet we’ve made it. We’ve made it through the most difficult days of a truly earth-shattering experience. We have lost some... READ MORE >
I’m a little concerned by media reports, and by what I’m hearing firsthand from some friends of mine in the medical field that there are quite a number of folks who identify themselves as Christians who are refusing for one reason or another to get their COVID-19 shots, or jabs as the Brits say. So, I’ve been trying to wrap... READ MORE >
The 51st Earth Day is April 22. The first Earth Day in 1970 was meant to inspire Americans of all stripes to better care for the environment. It’s become fashionable lately for some folks to equate Earth Day and environmental activism with secularism. The truth is that caring for creation has always been a feature of Christian thought. The first... READ MORE >
The other day my dog Wesley and I walked down to Tofte Park to watch the waves roll in. They were big and swelling, and aquamarine, powered by a warm southwesterly wind. Though I was enrapt, Wesley doesn’t like water much, so after a few thundering breakers he pulled away. There is something powerful about the wind and the waves.... READ MORE >
It is no coincidence that Easter is in the spring. The timing of Easter is related to the date of Passover, which in turn is based on the Jewish lunar calendar and the story of the Exodus in the Torah. Nonetheless the greening of the Earth in springtime holds a certain symbolism inherent in the Christian celebration of new life... READ MORE >
Christmas eve was magical growing up. There was the Christmas Eve service with cousins crammed together in church, the twinkling Christmas trees that seemed to stretch into the sky, and the carols, especially “Silent Night” by candlelight. Afterwards, we’d head to Grandma’s house for an eclectic collection of delicacies including fried oysters, pickled herring, cookies, sweet breads, and hot apple... READ MORE >
On Saturday afternoon, a one thousand footer steamed past Tofte Park quite close to shore. I knew the big ore carrier could handle much rougher seas than we had on Saturday, but it nevertheless must have been chilly standing out on its deck in the cold north easterly wind. Watching that big boat pass reminded me of one of my... READ MORE >
My kids are so done with the COVID-19 pandemic. The fun of not going to school wore off months ago. They want to just be able to see their friends, get hugs from grandmas and grandpas, run with their cousins, see the world beyond Tofte, and be free of the paralysis that COVID- 19 inflicts us all with. This global... READ MORE >
During the advent season the church looks forward to the celebration of the incarnation, God becomes man in Jesus. We also look forward to the return of Christ, in his own time and way. In the meantime Christians are tasked with being about the work that God has given us to do: tending the garden, feeding the hungry, giving drink... READ MORE >
