Have you wondered about using the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament by Terry M. Wildman and the First Nations Version Translation Council (InterVarsity Press, 2021)? Wildman, with roots in the state of Michigan, is of Ojibwe and Yaqui ancestry and was Lead Translator and Project...
Lent is a time of lament within the Christian tradition. In this 150th year since the formation of the confederation of Canada*, we invite you to take time to acknowledge the truth about the damage that European immigration as well as Christian assumptions and actions did to the First Peoples...
The idea of extemporaneous praying can strike terror into the hearts of worship leaders! Fear not! With a little practice, it is possible to tame those butterflies and speak with clarity and sincerity. Many people think extemporaneous means “without planning” or “impromptu.” In reality, extemporaneous prayer is well-prepared and relies...
Cultural appropriation or appreciation is a challenging question because the answers are as diverse as the people who respond. What is the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? In short, cultural appreciation occurs when someone seeks to understand and learn about another culture in order to broaden their perspective...
Creator, as we light this candle, may it remind us of your Sacred Fire. May the smoke from this flame carry our prayers to you as we gather this day. You are the Great Mystery that pulses through all life. Your great heart beats within us like the beat of...
If a world view is an iceberg, then we are deep under water when reading the Bible.
This hymn was originally written in 1842 in the Dakota language by Joseph R. Renville, a Dakota/French fur trader and Congregationalist minister. The text was first published in 1879 in the Dakota Odowan, a Dakota hymnal that is still in use today. The Right Reverend Stan McKay translated the Dakota...
A service that provides an opportunity to remember loved ones who have died within the assurance and comfort of faith. This could easily be adapted to other seasons of the year.
I remember sitting beside my grandmother’s bed as she was dying. A group of us sat and chatted easily, all eyes watching the rise and fall of her breath. My mother opened some lotion and gently rubbed it into her mother’s hands. It was a beautiful farewell gesture. The smell...
The gospel text is full of interesting perspectives—the son who leaves, the son who stays, and the father who loves them both. The irony in the prodigal son’s journey is that he mistakes material wealth for abundance, choosing the temporary thrills of fast living over the security of home. The...
