~Cheryl Perry This is how Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat ends, as many musicals do—with a reprise of the opening song. It begins with the words: I closed my eyes Drew back the curtain To see for certain What I thought I knew One theory of modern psychology is that dreaming is the communication between […]
~Cheryl Perry I was asked to share the titles of the books I mentioned in Sunday’s reflection. They are Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley (1997, Bantam Books) and Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most, a memoir by Marcus J. Borg (2014, […]
~Cheryl Perry This week we begin a 2-part saga of Joseph and his brothers. Although the lectionary breaks this into just two Sundays, it is a great long story that stretches some 13 chapters in Genesis. If you are someone who likes to “read the book before seeing the movie,” the main part of the […]
~Cheryl Perry I am so looking forward to seeing some of the children and families of the congregation out under the stars this week when we watch a movie in the Seethaler’s backyard at the top of Dilworth Mountain. Doing just about anything under the stars can be breathtaking. Maybe some of you have seen […]
~Cheryl Perry As I step away on a couple weeks of holidays I wanted to give you an update. Throughout July and August we are continuing to offer Outreach on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00-11:00AM in the sunshine and fresh air. For the summer months we have moved to providing $10 grocery gift cards instead […]
~Cheryl Perry This month marked the 95th anniversary of our denomination, which was founded on June 10, 1925 when The United Church of Canada was inaugurated at a large worship service at Toronto’s Mutual Street Arena. The motto “Ut omnes unum sint” appears on the crest that was designed for the new church; the Latin […]
~Cheryl Perry It feels almost like a confession to admit it: before COVID19, I was a hugger. Quite suddenly in mid-March that habit had to change. We know the importance of touch. It is thought to be one of the first senses humans develop and it is so important that studies have shown babies who […]
~Cheryl Perry & Bob Wallace Last Sunday we began the nearly six-month season of “Ordinary Time”, during which this year we move chronologically through Genesis, week after week. In this context “Ordinary” doesn’t mean typical or humdrum – rather, it comes from the word “ordinal,” meaning “related to a series.” Throughout the summer we will […]
~Cheryl Perry A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Pentecost —the birthday of the church. We have been celebrating birthdays in different ways during this time of COVID19—not gathering for parties, doing drive-by celebrations, etc. This Sunday we are recognizing some other people who have had a significant moment in their lives—graduation—happen in this time […]
~Cheryl Perry On a phone call recently some colleagues were sharing their experiences of having Communion over Zoom. Eric Hamlyn of Lynn Valley United, who does ministry with youth, shared that he had simply told group members: bring something to have Communion with. He didn’t prescribe bread and grape juice, though most youth would understand […]
