Thursday, April 16, 2015

April 16, 2015

Easter has come – and stayed. We celebrate the Easter season till mid June at church, and every Sunday as an Easter people. Did you know every Sunday is a little Easter? Christianity is a faith of resurrection, hope and love.

This upcoming season is one of study for me. I have been awarded a grant to examine many of the ways we in the United Church of Canada speak of God. I am also part of a writing team for an upcoming textbook: my chapter is about how God has been understood in different periods of United Church history. I will be reading, writing, and interviewing colleagues, historians and theologians.

The way we speak of God reflects not only what we think about God, but also what we expect God thinks of us. It is the crucible for our understandings of human relationships, our place in the world, and our treatment of the earth. It is the basis of our faithful response to life.

That may sound heavy! Or it may sound intriguing. In any case, I wanted you to know why I am away from St. Paul’s for a while. I will be back August 25, looking forward to the next season of life and faith together with you.

Meantime, may you find blessing in the warmth of summer.
May you feel blessing in the family and friends who love you.
May you know blessing in the prayers that hold you in church, and the Spirit of God in your everyday life.

Blessings to you,


The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

Friday, January 9, 2015

January 9, 2015


Bright sunny days are part of the pleasure of living in Edmonton. Days are short, but they are breathtakingly clear.

Every day I cross the Groat Bridge. The sky is bright above, the river is icy white below, and between them lies the dark silence of the riverbank.

Life is like that. On the surface is the bright and shining face in which I see your character. Underneath is the flow of stories you may choose to tell or to keep to yourself. In between is your daily life: breathing in and out, walking to the mailbox, talking with a friend by phone, preparing toast and tea.

In Christ God became human like you and me. He knew the surface appearances of people, the deep human need, and the daily path.

May you find blessing in the clarity of the sunlight.
May you feel blessing in the innermost currents of your personal life.
May you know blessing in the everyday tasks of our ordinary living.

Knowing that God is with us in these winter days,
Blessings to you.

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean