Authors: Wendy MacLean


September 15, 2023

Holy One, Child of Life, Great Spirit, we meet you in the company of ancestors and the oft-unnoticed presence of people praying throughout the country, connected by a longing for peace and healing. Find our hearts open and ready for reconciliation as we face the injustices of the past and...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Blog

In war-torn Syria, children turn over stones hoping to find that what they need has been cached in the rubble. They trust that someday they will live somewhere safe. We pray, offering ourselves as sponsors, working to clear away the impediments of mounds and piles of paperwork. We fill out...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Children
Children's Rights
Guidance
Journey
Justice
Protection
Refugees; Refugee Justice
Sanctuary; Refuge; Shelter
Prayer

We cannot change the past, Creator, but with you, we are co-creating our future. We cannot change our past, but we can discover new ways and come to new understandings. Forgive us our trespasses, and deliver us from the evil of arrogance and ignorance. Humbly we face our limitations. We...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Confidence
Creation
Evil; Satan; Devil
Fear
Grace
Healing
Sin
Temptation
Understanding
World
Yearning
Prayer

Gracious and Compassionate God, we praise you. Open us to the wisdom of your word, the shared trust of generations, the shared longing of your people, the shared work of your followers, the shared call to justice for all people. Thank you for the faith of your church and the...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Ancestors; Generations
Inspiration
Justice
Trust
Understanding
Wisdom
Word of God; Scripture
Work
Yearning
Prayer

God is love, unfailing love. Endless love. Aching love. If it is not love, it is not God. We can trust this love forever. Unfailing love, or “mercy,” cannot be earned or deserved or hoarded. It just is. Always. Endlessly reaching out for us, to heal, to inspire, and to...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Building and Bridging Relationships
Compassion
Freedom
Friendship
God's Nature
Healing
Inspiration
Light
Love for Others
Love of God or Christ
Mercy
Trinity
Trust
Wisdom
Prayer

Holy One, Child of Life, Great Spirit, we meet you in the company of ancestors and the oft-unnoticed presence of people praying throughout the country, connected by a longing for peace and healing. Find our hearts open and ready for reconciliation as we face the injustices of the past and...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Ancestors; Generations
Building and Bridging Relationships
Compassion
Healing
Indigenous
Journey
Justice
Mental Health
Reconciliation
Transformation
Trust
Truth
Wisdom
Prayer
July 24, 2023

A fierce winter storm tore many trees up from the ground by the roots. It was strange to see the trunks lying prone and helpless, with their root balls exposed. Trees that had been carefully planted in a local park were ripped from the ground by the winds. All the...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Creation Justice
Healing
Nature
Worship Column

Holy One, Child of Life, Spirit of Creation, our hearts travel across the land, reaching out to meet you in prayer. In your presence, we find mothers with empty cradleboards ( tikinagan *) whose children were taken away to residential schools or to be placed in foster care. We find...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Children
Creation
Creation Justice
Elders; Seniors
God - images of
Healing
Holy Spirit
Indigenous
Jesus - images of
Justice
Mercy
Peace
Peace - world or nations
Refugees; Refugee Justice
Suffering and Pain
Violence and Abuse
World
Prayer

All that we have is from you, Creator. With these gifts, we seek to be like you: creating a world where love is known, sharing the goodness of beauty and kindness, blessing our neighbours with our faith in action. Bless these gifts and may they be a sign of our...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Beauty
Creation
Discipleship
Faithfulness
Gifts
God Creator
Goodness
Kindness
Love for Others
Ministry
Neighbour
Prayer
April 14, 2023

Pentecost comes on the 50th day, after seven weeks of seven days since the second day of Passover. Christian tradition transposed this festival into a recognition of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church. The calendar is a proclamation of the inextricable relationships between the...

Author(s)
Wendy MacLean
Theme(s)
Hope
Mystery
Trust
Worship Column