Posts by graceviewoffice
October 1, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Oct. 1, 2025 Habakkuk 1:1-6 shows the prophet’s complaint to God about the rampant injustice and wickedness within his own community, which God does not seem to address. In verses 12-13, Habakkuk acknowledges God’s supreme holiness and unchanging nature, questioning how such a God can tolerate evil. God’s reply in 2:1-4 reveals his plan to use the Babylonians as an instrument of punishment, and Habakkuk is instructed to write this vision down and wait patiently for its fulfillment, as “the…
September 23, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Commentary on Luke 16:19-31Lois Malcolm As much as we would like to spiritualize the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus, it is very difficult to explain away its central message, especially given what Luke has to say about money and possessions elsewhere in his Gospel.The fates of these two individuals after death are very much tied to their experiences of wealth and poverty in this life.The rich man has no name, although he’s been given various…
September 17, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF I know that we are technically still in the Summer season, but as I do my customary walks with Miss Ellie around 7:30 PM I have noticed how much darker it is getting earlier and earlier. What used to be a lovely evening walk now threatens me with having to put the glow light on Ellie’s collar and for me to don the reflective harness to alert oncoming cars that yes, we are on the sidewalk and…
September 10, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF here Sept. 10, 2025Nature provides lessons in patience and resilience, reminding us that growth and change are gradualprocesses, not to be rushed. Observing ecosystems teaches us about interconnectedness and collaboration, showing how everything has a purpose and works together, even if its role isn’t immediately obvious. It also emphasizes adaptability, as plants and animals adjust to thrive in different environments, urging us to be flexible in our own lives. Furthermore, nature demonstrates the importance of balance and harmony, offering a…
September / October Graceview Newsletter
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Halloween,Then and Now
Facebook, that ultimate time-waster, is known for all kinds of crazy stories, memes, political rants, recipes (which often feature a perfectly good chicken breast or pork chop smothered in brown sugar, cheese, or other calorie-laden ingredients), etc. etc. etc. The other day on Facebook I ran across the following statement: “Thanksgiving, Halloween, or Christmas – one of these holidays must go. Which one?” Clickbait that I couldn’t resist. For me, it was a no-brainer – I could definitely do without…
Charles Wesley – more prodigious than Wordsworth!
One of my favourite hymns in our Book of Praise, which unfortunately we very rarely sing, is And Can it Be That I Should Gain, by Charles Wesley. We sing many of Wesley’s hymns, and I have often wondered just who he was, that he seemed to be able to provide a hymn for every occasion. Our Book of Praise contains 19 of them. The Methodist hymn book Hymns and Psalms contains 150. I had a vague idea that he…
Prayer for Home and Family
This is one of my favourite prayers. As I read it, I picture a family, father, mother, several children, and perhaps grandparents, sitting around a table in reverent attitude as one of their members thanks and beseeches God in this perfect prayer of thanksgiving and intercession. It would be equally suitable for our church family as we assemble each Sunday for worship. Lord, behold our family here assembled. We thank thee for this place in which we dwell; for the…
Bits and Bytes at Graceview
Have you ever thought about how dependent we have become on computer technology that we once shunned as totally unnecessary? About how the Presbyterian church managed to get along just fine for five hundred years, without screens or microphones or live streamed services? Or, for that matter, about how most of us now walk around with a computer in our pockets that is a million times more powerful than the room-sized computer proudly owned by York University in the sixties…
Memoirs of a Christian Education
I am the product of a thoroughly Christian education – Catholic elementary schools through Grade 8, and Saint Joseph’s High School, a private, all-girls convent school, through Grade 12. Public funding was not fully extended to Catholic high schools until 1984, under Premier Bill Davis. Whether this should be the case in our modern diverse society is an argument for another day, but the first British North America Act of 1867 guaranteed public education support (up to Grade 8) to…
September 1, 2025 – Minister’s Message
This past August, I was given the privilege of being one of the selected scholars to participate in the annual Guder Scholars gathering at St. Andrew’s Hall, University of British Columbia. This year’s event, which centred around missional leadership and discernment, brought together pastors from across Canada, along with some from the United States and other traditions beyond the Presbyterian Church. It was a four-day immersion of prayer, learning, and conversation that became one of the highlights of my summer.…
August 26, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Embracing the Shift: Reflecting on Summer’s End and Welcoming Fall’s New Rhythms Exploring Therapy When I was growing up, the end of summer always brought a sense of impending doom. Goodbye summer vacation and hello protractors and geometry. But without fail, every September whenschool would start, I’d be so happy to see my friends again and be learning all sorts of new and interesting things. There’s no denying it—summer is winding down. For many, this transition can bring…