June 27, 2026
Summer Greetings!
First off, just a reminder that this Sunday we begin the summer shared schedule between the Melville and Ilderton United Churches. For the next 10 weeks (which takes us to the end of August) there will be one Sunday worship service at 10:30am with the location alternating back and forth, beginning this week in Ilderton. Also, as a celebration of summer and first service together, the June 28th service in Ilderton (weather permitting) will be outdoors (so bring lawn chairs, hats, sunscreen, water) and there will be a barbeque to follow and share more time together. All are certainly welcome to worship and enjoy time together in our shared ministry relationship!
Welcome. That is the repeated theme of the short Gospel reading for Sunday. As Jesus brings his mission discourse to the disciples to an end, he speaks of being welcomed – that even in just a giving of a cup of cold water, welcome can be offered and felt. Welcome can be transformational. As one who just started my ministry relationship with you folks earlier in the year, I have felt welcomed by both congregations and appreciate the open arms with which I (and Amanda, though she can’t be around often) have received.
But beyond my being welcomed, what popped into my mind was the story of the Algerian World Cup Football (Soccer) team and their setting up home base in Lawrence, Kansas. Lawrence is a college town in Kansas, about 45 minutes from Kansas City where the Algerian team would be playing a couple of their group stage matches. I couldn’t find a similarly publicized story from the Canada host communities, though I am sure that they are out there. The Lawrence, Kansas – Algeria relationship went viral on the internet, and I included a video link at the end of this email.
In the words of Adam Kinzinger from his Substack “It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players…. They (the Kansas University Band) learned Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, so that when these players, a long way from home, walked out for practice, the first thing they heard was their own country’s song.
Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighbourhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.”
This is the kind of welcome that transforms. It changes both those who offer hospitality and those who receive it. It breaks down barriers and invites conversation. It offers a glimpse of the best of humanity, a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.
May we all continue to be a welcoming people, seeking to share in the promise of God’s Kingdom here and now.
Steve
New video (5 mins) from Lawrence Kansas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjCYLAiHRx0
June 18, 2026
Summer Greetings to All!
As we come to worship this week, we will officially be into summer. It is a different time of year as families, with children out of school, take time to travel and explore. For many, it is a time to be outdoors, to explore, and to be with family. And, this Sunday is Father’s Day, a day to celebrate and give thanks for the father figures in our lives. Like Mother’s Day, I do think that it is important to acknowledge that each of us have different relationship with our father and father figures, so it can be a complicated day. Whatever the day means to you, I hope that you can find the peace, joy and love that you need.
When we read the Bible, we see people who are not perfect and relationships can be complicated. We see people who are trying to understand God’s presence in their midst and still, from our perspective, make mistakes and hurt others. We don’t always want to hear or acknowledge those situations, but as a people of faith we know that we are not perfect, we make mistakes and God continues to love us. We also trust that God continues to be at work in the world and that God’s Kingdom is around us.
In Genesis this week we continue to be in the story of Abraham and Sarah. The response from Abraham to leave his family and home country and then the promise that Sarah, even in her old age, would bear a son… the descendant that God had promised. Good news! How faithful (if we don’t read the rest of the story)! But, this week, Abraham makes a choice. He decides to banish Hagar and Ishmael – the servant that gave Abraham a son, when he didn’t trust that he and Sarah would be able to have one of their own. With Isaac in the fold, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away – with a flask of water between them (contrast that with the amazing feast of hospitality that Abraham offered to the three strangers last week). Though Abraham moves on from his decision, we hear that God stays with Hagar and Ishmael and indeed creates a covenant with him.
This Sunday we will wrestle with relationships and faithfulness. From the story of Hagar and Ishmael to the teachings of Jesus that families will be divided by his teachings; we will be reminded that faithful discipleship is hard. We will listen for the Spirit’s wisdom and seek to be faithful servants of God’s love in the world. We will have our final individual services – before coming together for 10 weeks over the summer – with worship at 9:45am in Ilderton and 11:00am in Melville (to be followed by barbeque lunch and June/July birthday celebrations).
Steve
June 13, 2026
Greetings to All!
The 2026 World Cup of Football is upon us. The biggest global sporting event takes place over the course of the next 39 or so days, with a lot of football glory at stake. In contrast to many countries in the world, in North America soccer has been an afterthought – American football, baseball, basketball and hockey have been the big four sports, but soccer (as most Canadians call it) interest has been steadily climbing in part thanks to national success stories of both the Men’s and Women’s National/Olympic teams. And being one of the host countries means extra publicity for the World Cup this year.
One of the fascinating things to watch is the fans. The various stadiums set sections apart so that you can be country fan, surrounded by others, cheering on your team on the road. There is a commitment — said and unsaid — to wear your country colours. The Mexico greens, the Netherlands Orange, the Canadian Red, the French Blue… the list goes on. The colours stand out as aerial images are shown. There is communal identity, a bond, that brings people together – and people at home on game day wearing their country colours as well. This is who we are, together at this moment, focused on this part of our identity.
Our identities are both individual and communal. We have our own traits, personalities and life experiences that distinguish us from everyone else. But we are often part of connection circles with others – families, church families, communities where we live and work, maybe country of birth, people who work with us in similar occupations, or find joy in similar activities. These groups are not static – family dynamics change, we might move or change jobs, we might find new interests. That is part of living in community, a global community.
With that said, we hear Jesus’ sending out of the disciples in Matthew’s Gospel this week. Jesus’ disciples don’t have T-shirts, socks or merch to show that they are disciples of Jesus. They don’t have face paint or come from the same working conditions or any obvious markers that distinguish themselves from others in the countryside. They are the twelve core followers of Jesus as Matthew describes them (which is a slightly different list from Acts that we read a couple of weeks ago) sent out to offer healing to the neighbouring communities. They were sent out because Jesus had compassion on the crowds who had come to him. It is being sent out with compassion that offers an identity to the disciples. It is being sent out with compassion that binds us to our identity as followers of Jesus.
As we gather in worship this week, with our regular services at 9:45am in Ilderton and 11:00am in Melville, may we be moved with such compassion for the world that we follow Jesus wherever he calls. May compassion for others and for creation be part of our identity for all the world to see. Go Canada! (though I think it will be France which will again be World Cup Champions)
Steve
June 5, 2026
Greetings to All!
Is anyone tuned into the concept of “whimsymaxxing”? If you were like me when I first heard it, you are going, huh? Amanda sent me a Substack piece about whimsymaxxing earlier this week and it got me thinking. The concept – when you separate the two words is to maximize your whimsy. Collins Dictionary defines whimsy as “behaviour which is unusual, playful, and unpredictable, rather than having any serious reason or purpose behind it.” It comes down to finding those sparks of joy and wonder in our lives.
I did some research and found that there have been a few articles online about the concept, but the “Neuroscience and Wellness” Substack that Amanda sent me sums it up in this way: “What if you intentionally looked for more wonder, beauty, adventure and delight in everyday life?” Most of our days are spent on autopilot. We get up and have our routines – routines that work and are comfortable – and then the day is over, and we start again the following morning. Where do we find the stories to tell, the memories to share, the joys to celebrate?
So, what if we were intentional about whimsymaxxing over the next few months? What if we paid more attention to the natural wonder and awe that surrounds us? Pay attention to the growth in the fields, watch the stars, pause for the sunrise or a sunset, listen to the rain. What if we were intentional about doing something new? Take a different road home, go to that coffee shop that you heard about, explore a new village, start a new book or project, do something spur of the moment. What if you did something different, just because you can? Light candles during dinner, send a postcard, blow bubbles, wear a special occasion outfit for no reason, buy yourself flowers or a special little gift. It doesn’t need to be something dramatic or expensive, just something that is different, novel or unpredictable. The list is as limitless as your imagination!
And then there is the next step. When you encounter or do something whimsical – share it with others. Maybe you take a picture and post it online. Maybe you tell a friend or two what you did – and how it felt. Also from the Substack article, “Whimsymaxxing isn’t about creating a magical life… it’s about noticing that life is already full of magic.” And by sharing our experiences we can help others to see that magic, mystery, joy, awe and wonder that is both in and surrounds each of us!
Last Sunday we heard the first creation story from Genesis, and we shared those places and events where awe and wonder were found. This week, amongst other stories, we hear Abram being called to leave his homeland, and Matthew being called to leave his tax booth. Both called to leave what was familiar and to go into the unknown – and lives that would be full of whimsical moments. We will gather to worship at our regular service times, Ilderton at 9:45am and Melville at 11:00am, as we hear how their respective journeys begin.
As we will sing throughout the next few weeks, let us dance, move and sing with the Spirit – a Spirit that leads us to find joy, to find whimsy, in the world that God loves.
Steve
PS. I do have nights that I don’t sleep particularly well, and last night was one of them. In the early morning hours, I noticed that the sky was getting lighter and glimpses of morning colours were streaking across the sky. I decided to spend a few minutes on our balcony watching the morning colours and took the attached picture to share. (Included in the picture are Lola and Quack, characters from the MeetQuack Facebook page which too often portray the relationship joys and challenges that Amanda and I experience – and in a whimsical thought I added them to our Christmas list and Amanda’s sister bought them for us last year. They will travel with us this summer and likely be in more pictures of adventure and wonder in our travels.)
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