Hey all!

How does The United Church “of Canada” contribute to the health and healing of Canada?

It’s been about a week since the end of the first national gathering of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Since then I’ve enjoyed joining the More Franchises: A Second Cup event where, among other things, I interacted with those “tweeting” in response to my sermon during the preaching time.

Wednesday’s Sharing Circle at the TRC (see earlier blog) also invited a former teacher to give voice to her difficult experience in a school in Saskatchewan. She arrived as a new, young teacher eager and ready for her vocation. Then she saw the dreadful basement room in which she and her students were expected to spend their days.

Bearing witness to truth is a first step toward healing and reconciliation. Facing one another as we speak truth holds the promise that we might truly listen to the depth of our own truth and the depth of others’ truth, that we might hear the cry of our own souls and the cry of others’ souls.

As mentioned in my earlier blog, yesterday I was given the honour of speaking on behalf of The United Church of Canada at the Opening Session of the first national gathering of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with TRC Commissioners and other leaders (Aboriginal, government, and church leaders). I began by making clear that I spoke not only for our church as Moderator but also for myself.

This morning I head to Montreal for a weekend of helping United Theological College mark the completion of its Designated Lay Ministry Residential program. Another poignant few days in a week marked by countless and varied 85th anniversary celebrations for The United Church of Canada.

I've often wondered about the story of the returning son in Luke 15.  I realize it's a parable, not a historical event, but the question intrigues me:  What happened after that?  Did the two sons get along after that?  Did the older brother continually rub the younger brother's nose in the fact that he'd been less than the ideal son?  Did Dad do anything to reconcile them, or just sit back and watch?  How would Part II of the story turn out?

Welcome to my blog—a place to reflect with me on God’s abundant healing of soul, community, and creation. I hope you will visit often and be part of this sacred conversation.

I was at a workshop last night for "Appreciative Inquiry".

It was pretty good, but as part of it the dialogue on forgiveness came up.

One statement was that forgiveness does not equal  reconciliation.

How do you define forgiveness?

If you forgive someone, is it necessary to let the person you forgive know, or is forgiveness something that is totally inward.