Posts by graceviewoffice
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…
August 21, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF August 20, 2025Having spent last week in Prince Edward County on the shores of West Lake, I am stunned, every year that I am there, how close to God I feel. The sheer beauty of nature, of the sunsets (as seen above), of the quiet, one cannot avoid the feeling that God is all around and that he has produced these wonders so that all who see them cannot help but feel his presence. Hymns kept popping…
August 6, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Summer—A Great Time to Take a Prayer Walk Rick Hamlin Here are some pointers for incorporating the sights and sounds of the season into your God time. Summer’s here. Time to go for a prayer walk. Savor the marvels of nature as you get in touch with the Creator. Walk and pray? Yes, indeed, you can do both. Good for the body and the soul. Here are a few pointers.No talking. Sure, you can talk to God. But…
July 30, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF here Seek Him in the Quiet PlaceCharmain Hibberd I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4 CSB)I’m sure we all have those verses in our Bibles that we have underlined, circled and highlighted, right?For me, the above passage is heavily annotated, But the…
July 23, 2025 – Weekly News
Download the PDF Sarah of the Bible: When God Makes You Laugh Rick Hamlin Remember Sarah’s reaction when the three men—God’s messengers—appeared at Abraham’s tent and said that he and Sarah would have a child within a year? She laughed. How was it possible? She was way too old.“Me, give birth? At my age?”Then she was afraid for having laughed. Even pretended she hadn’t laughed. Lied about it, tried to squirrel out of it. What, me laugh? What I love about Sarah and…