The combination of a recent Sunday morning Bible reading and a Sunday afternoon camp drop-off brought to mind one of those challenging summertime rites of passage: the swim test

We're hiring a new Director of Community-Based Formation: not a conventional cont-ed role, but for someone who understands church is in significant transition, is energized by that reality & has imagination & experience to help communities discover what collaborative Christian ministry looks like

As someone long obsessed with Homer, I'm looking forward to new Nolan version—not because of the great battle scenes or any of the debates over representation but because Homer's works get at very basic questions about why and how we should live together—foundational questions for us today

Let us all now praise British politics for giving us pictures like this—and at 3 o'clock in the morning, no less

struck by the lack of coverage of Pope Leo's AI encyclical in anglophone Canadian media sources today compared to attention it is getting in American media what gives? we have Catholics in Canada too—but likely not religion reporters anymore

I wrote masters thesis on #justwar theory & I always remember my adviser saying key test of fidelity to theory is when it is invoked: prospectively, before war, as guide, caution & reminder of tragedy of war or after conflict, as excuse or retrospective justification thought of that this week

a stray thought on Canadian politics on this evening Liberal party gets its majority government: a narrow majority gives tremendous influence to (any) small group within government caucus—recall Joe Manchin as 51st vote in Senate—so which part of caucus will start making its demands heard first?

Today is #localnewsday: as someone who once worked in local news, I know it's vital to the health and flourishing of communities everywhere it's a good day to do an audit and ask yourself what local news services you support with subscription dollars to keep our communities strong

3 brief thoughts on order of service for Sarah Mullally's installation as Archbishop of Canterbury's tomorrow: 1) delighted that it's not a Eucharist—it need not be and takes a stand against misguided "Eucharistic inflation" in our churches www.churchofengland.org/sites/defaul... (1/3)

This article from @nytimesoped.bsky.social is titled "Change Your Life. Start a Band." I loved it. But I also think that given what the author is praising about bands it could just as easily have been titled "Change Your Life. Go To Church." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/22/o...

ice storm in #Montreal today has left everything slick and left me humming "Slip Sliding Away" all day www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC-Z...

God bless those who work (to groom cross-country ski trails) while others (me) sleep this night www.adn.com/sports/skiin...

Update: Bishop Andrew died today www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

O God, it is your will to hold both heaven & earth in single peace. Let the design of your great love shine on waste of our wraths & sorrows & give peace to your Church, peace among nations, peace in our homes & peace in our hearts; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. -Book of Alt. Services

I don't know Andrew Watson, bishop of Guildford in Church of England, but he is dying of inoperable cancer & has written beautiful letter to diocese that is worth reading as a testament to faith it is the kind of thing we should expect from our bishops d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/64512e98ef5d...

Nothing against the late Bill Mazeroski but this @nytimes obit describing him as hitting "most decisive" home run in World Series history is wrong Joe Carter's 1993 home run was a come-from-behind walk-off home-run www.nytimes.com/2026/02/21/s...

A very happy feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius to all! (And a reminder to be willing to tell others in the church: go for it, I've got your back) montrealdio.ca/necessity-th...

For a long time, I've wanted to do some research to figure out all the breakaway #Anglican denominations in North America. But recently I've realized I can just follow Calvin Robinson's trajectory through the church and it's basically the same thing. livingchurch.org/news/calvin-...

MLK Jr's last Sunday morning sermon has been speaking to me in these times: an apocalyptic address for an apocalyptic time riskingchurch.substack.com/p/an-apocaly...

today's little piece of delight most read article of year at @livingchurch.bsky.social was about who could be next Archbishop of Canterbury and it never mentions the name of Sarah Mullaly, appointed in October helpful perspective for all of us who watch the church livingchurch.org/news/news-an...

Ah yes, the weekend of the Third Sunday of Advent: when everyone schedules everything involving absolutely everyone. I'm going to need a weekend to recover from this weekend.

annual and enjoyable lunchtime conversation with colleagues today: which of the plot lines in "Love Actually" is most problematic and "ewwww" inducing? so many to choose from!

Remembering today 17th century's Nicholas Ferrar who formed a religious community at Little Gidding and was so devoted to idea of commonwealth How natural idea of wealth in common is to way of Jesus and how foreign it is to our world ⚓️

Join the host! Contribute to this project to get 6,000 oral history testimonies (one for each of the Riders of Rohan at Battle of Pelennor Fields, naturally) from fans of J.R.R. Tolkien www.marquette.edu/library/arch... #nerdheaven

this video from US Catholic bishops on immigration is good #Episcopal bishops should do their pastoral letters in same way—I imagine there would be a bit more variety in wardrobe ⚓ www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsMQ...

Is it: a) entirely appropriate; b) more than a little patronizing; or c) a bit of both that first female Archbishop of Canterbury will be enthroned on Feast of Annunciation? ⚓️ www.anglicannews.org/news/2025/10...

I can still: *name the starting line-up of the 1992 & 1993 Blue Jays *remember where I was when Joe Carter caught the final out in 1992 and hit the walk-off homer in 1993 I have been waiting 32 years for tonight.

in my part of church world, overriding concern is cost of insurance—and it's problem we all face in world of climate change, as ample but mostly ignored news reporting is making clear so I tried to think from the place of Christian faith about how to respond ⚓️ open.substack.com/pub/riskingc...

Profile: Who is Sarah Mullally, the next Archbishop of Canterbury? MadsDavies takes a deep-dive into the next Primate of All England’s background Read the full in-depth profile at churchtimes.co.uk #sarahmullally #nextABC #Archbishop106

I usually resist hot-takery like the plague but couldn't resist offering these 5 thoughts on the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally riskingchurch.substack.com/p/a-new-arch... ⚓️

Hear hear, I say "Reviving postal banking may not be flashy project that seems to excite Carney. But shouldn’t protecting Canadian workers from ravages of gig economy & using national network to provide banking services...also qualify as form of nation-building?" www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

"And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon..." (Rev. 12:7) The start of my favourite season of the church year, from now until Advent as the readings just get more and more apocalyptic—perfect companion to the shortening days ⚓

Canada marks Truth & Reconciliation Day this week. I'll be talking reconciliation & pilgrimage with author, teacher, and pastor Matthew Anderson. Join us for this online conversation about importance of settlers "unsettling" ourselves. Details in this link: montrealdio.ca/courses/matt... ⚓

a reflection for the commemoration of Lancelot Andrewes "The life of the classroom and the life of ministry are not alien to one another; instead, each enriches the other. Our study is helping us become more fully who God has called us to be." montrealdio.ca/lancelot-and... ⚓️

the @churchtimes.bsky.social asked me to offer a few thoughts on the challenges awaiting the next Archbishop of Canterbury from a global perspective—this is what I came up with ⚓ www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

sang yesterday in church Fosdick's, "God of grace and god of glory" and was struck anew by this line "Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore"

a little in the midst of the sea of Internet content in last few days has been reviews of Dan Brown's new book, "The Secret of Secrets" some great writers turning all their literary skill to wondering how it is that this can be so popular here's one: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

first day back from holiday: 63 e-mails sent thus far

contrast between Church of England response to assisted suicide and #Anglican Church of Canada's is striking CofE vocal in its opposition—bishops & synod—& is actively supporting alternative approach www.theguardian.com/society/2025... also this: episcopalnewsservice.org/2025/07/16/c... ⚓️

Integrated great feedback to produce version 2.0 of free discussion guide for "Faithful, Creative, Hopeful: 15 Theses for Christians in Crisis-Shaped World" Here's a free resource to help your group get into the talking about Christian witness in a polycrisis world. Online at www.jessezink.com ⚓

I don't get to preach every Sunday but this year I've been invited to preach in March when the Prodigal Son was the lectionary text and now this Sunday when the Good Samaritan is the gospel text. I feel like I've won the homiletical lottery—and am grateful to those who share their pulpit with me

6 members of Congress vote to gut any semblance of climate action one week Then next week write to Canadian ambassador to complain about wildfire smoke You can't have it both ways www.cbc.ca/news/world/c...

Brief remarks made by Shane Parker, bishop of Ottawa & primate-elect of #Anglican Church of Canada, are worth listening to I found the theme of insulation to be helpful, pointed, and generative of further theological reflection—will be thinking some more about this www.youtube.com/live/TF_B1Q2... ⚓️

#Anglican Church of Canada this week is considering a motion to spend down some of its remaining historic assets on... restructuring governance. I say no, but it does raise question: if church is to spend down its assets, what should it spend them on? riskingchurch.substack.com/p/to-spend-2... ⚓️

The post you didn't know you needed: a dive into reports issued in advance of General Synod of #Anglican Church of Canada: statistician's report no one will talk about, next steps on the Anglican Journal, and an intriguing ecumenical report on ecclesial apologies ⚓️ substack.com/home/post/p-...

The Bay—self-proclaimed "iconic" department store—goes out with whimper this week, laying off thousands, ending long-term disability & pension payments to those in need & much else but private equity owners got rich(er) off their ownership before it collapsed www.thestar.com/business/hud...

lots of talk about how "no one" reads Anglican Journal, newspaper of the #Anglican Church of Canada but my experience of last 24 hours is that you write one letter to the editor & number of people who then call or write you is pretty remarkable (three cheers for beleaguered church press!) ⚓

My hope—and it is a slender one right now—is that Mark Carney might be a bit more open about his Catholic faith and how it influences the Canadian economy he is trying to build—he's got the background for this and a potential ally in Leo XIV open.substack.com/pub/riskingc...

A couple of great lines here: "In a cruel, nonsensical context, one response to the nonsense is to perform quixotically." "My title is associate professor of Christian ethics. My specialty could be described as a sustained performance of nonsense." www.christiancentury.org/features/cal...

for various reasons, I've been back into Tolkien recently in a big way—I've read him many times but this time am reading (& positively inhaling) "The Battle for Middle Earth" by @frutledge.bsky.social—a captivating revealing of Tolkien's hopeful apocalyptic vision; speaks very much to this moment