Kathy Twynam (Page 2)

Susan B. Anthony Paves the Way  Adapted from an essay by Joanna Strong and Tom B. Leonard  Kathy Twynam  It has been rumoured that sometime within the next year,  Ontarians will be facing an election – perhaps provincial,  perhaps federal, perhaps both, if our politicians can ever get over themselves and decide what to do. And many of us followed the recent compelling US election with great interest, knowing that the repercussions were bound to spill over into Canada no matter who won. …

The year was 1970, and Grace Church was struggling. Its minister, Rev. Bill Mitchell, retired on December 31 that year,  leaving the pulpit vacant until the arrival in September 1971  of Rev. R. Campbell “Cam” Taylor. Cam served as Grace’s beloved minister for almost five years, until May 1976, and after retirement in 2001 returned with his wife Sandy to the newly amalgamated Graceview as Minister in Association and later Minister Emeritus.   We tend to think of churches as thriving in those days fifty years ago,…

In mid-February we will celebrate the Feast of St. Valentine,  a day on which, traditionally, people express their love for each other, sending Valentine’s cards or giving gifts, often of candy or flowers. In schools, children send greetings to their classmates, and often an entire week is devoted to Valentine activities such as the decorating of special bags to hold one’s messages of friendship. Sometimes, there is a classroom party, with special treats such as cinnamon hearts or pink iced cupcakes. Oddly enough, although in many public…

As many of you know, I am fond of Victorian children’s literature, owning in hard cover such volumes as Little  Women (1868 – Louisa May Alcott), the entire Little House series (1932 – Laura Ingalls Wilder) and the entire Anne of  Green Gables series (1905 – Lucy Maud Montgomery). I first read all of these as a pre-teen, and have re-read every one many times since. They have places of honour on my bookshelf.   Little Women and Anne of Green Gables are fictional; The …

Are there any opera fans out there? I was very interested to see that the Canadian Opera Company was staging  Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco this year, which has never been performed by the COC. Reading the article in the Star, I was intrigued enough to look up the Biblical passages on which parts of this opera are based. One thing led to another, and I  found myself researching Nebuchadnezzar in sources other than the bible.  Nebuchadnezzar is the 6th century BCE King of Babylon who was responsible for…

The beaches of  Juno Beach, Normandy stretch for many kilometres across the northern coast of France. Miles away, across the  Channel, is the southern coast of  England. The beaches are calm and quiet on these cool September mornings, glassy seas lapping on seaweed-littered sand.   Standing on those quiet beaches, thinking back to what it must have been like for the thousands of soldiers, sailors,  and airmen who had trained for many months in 1943/44 for  D-Day – the invasion of Europe by the Allied forces – was a very moving…

Getting the Words Out, Part 2…The Debt I Owe You Kathy Twynam A few weeks ago, it was my turn to read the scripture passages in our worship service. As I was standing at the lectern, reading with almost perfect fluency and no anxiety, I was thinking about how, only a few years earlier, I could not, and would not, have even considered doing such a thing. For all my years of involvement in church affairs, the one thing that…

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -Martin Luther Well, Martin Luther’s world, and the entire theological world of the sixteenth century, did go to pieces, and Luther did plant his apple tree amid the debacle. In light of the 507th anniversary of Martin’s revolutionary ideas being made public to the citizens of Wittenberg, it seems fitting that we reflect on the beginnings of the Reformed Church movement. Many…

Joseph of Arimathea is named in the gospels as the man who took responsibility for the burial of Jesus. Three of the four gospel writers describe him as a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews, having jurisdiction over religious, civil and criminal matters.  Matthew’s gospel simply describes him as a rich disciple of Jesus, and John adds that he followed Jesus secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. When Jesus died, Joseph sought permission from Pilate…

Many years ago, when I was very young, I remember hearing a story about a schoolteacher who had to explain to his young students that starting that afternoon, he would no longer be teaching them in their mother language, French. A new teacher would be arriving, and henceforth all their lessons would be in German. I could not remember the reason for the change in the language of instruction. But I never forgot the sorrow and anguish of the teacher…

For most of us, our Christian spirit and kindness towards others is alive and thriving – until, that is, someone sits in our pew or parks in our spot. On Sunday June 16, I’m sorry to say that our Christian spirit was sorely tested. When I arrived at church at 9:40 AM, our parking lot was crammed full of cars – every parking spot was taken, in our lot and in the lot next door (formerly belonging to the Masons).…