heartlakeunited

Welcome to Easter!

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:54:16 GMT

Friends, welcome to Easter!

I wish all of you a “Happy Easter!”

We can gather to rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ! We can celebrate Jesus, crucified and risen – and revel in Christ’s victory over death.

We know Easter as a day -- an event -- and a season in the church year. But, poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins has a provocative line that invites us to think about Easter as a verb. Yes, Easter as a verb.

In his epic poem, The Wreck of the Deutschland, about the sinking of the Deutschland and the drowning of five Franciscan nuns (in 1875), he gives us this rather famous line:

“Let Him easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us, be a crimson-cresseted east.”

Easter is not a noun, but a verb -- an activity in us. A cresset is a lamp or torch, and Hopkins has also turned that from a noun to an adjective.

He prays for the Christ to ‘easter,’ in the face of tragedy and loss. Those eighteen words are a prayer, fit for any time – not just at Easter: “Be as a dawning or day break – bring a new day for us. Be the gift of a new and shining day amid the dimness of our days – in these particularly dark or difficult times. Be a transformative influence in our lives.”

Hopkins expressed the hope that Christ's resurrection becomes an active, inner experience -- offering new life and hope. He understands "Easter" as something that can occur continuously in our lives, allowing for personal resurrection, and spiritual renewal.

The Christ can be found in dark times. And we do well to remember that part of the proof of Christ’s resurrection was the amazing transformation of the first disciples from incredibly fearful and cowardly, to bold ambassadors with the gospel.

Whatever your circumstances this Easter, may He easter in you.

Grace and peace,

Reverend Jim Cairney

Welcome to Holy Week!

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:03:57 GMT

Heart Lake United Church Friends,

Welcome to Holy Week! This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday – the triumphal entry into Jerusalem of Jesus. And we go on to try to make sense of the arrest, trial, scourging, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

As familiar as these events may be, each year we have the opportunity to look at them with fresh eyes – bringing the lessons, triumphs and tragedies of the year past – bringing our faith and our unanswered questions. We may spend a life-time acquiring depth of meaning for these events – adding new insights, and hope – and sometimes just simply celebrating their significance for us.

The Polish poet, Zbigniew Herbert, has penned a little verse entitled “Meditations of Mr. Cogito on Redemption.” ( The Gospel In Our Image: An Anthology of Twentieth Century Poetry Based on Biblical Texts. Editor: David Curzon, Harcourt Brace, N.Y., 1995.)

He should not have sent his son

too many have seen

his son’s pierced hands

his ordinary skin

it was written

to reconcile us

by the worst reconciliation

too many nostrils

have breathed with delight

the odour of his fear

one should not descend

low

fraternize with blood

he should not have sent his son

it was better to reign

in a baroque palace made out of marble clouds

on a throne of terror

with a sceptre of death

(Trans. from the Polish by John & Bogdana Carpenter.)

Yes, he could have been born in a palace, rather than a barn. It could have been a four-poster bed rather than a manger. He could have kept his hands clean – avoiding our human condition. He could have been cloistered in a palace, seated on a throne of terror, wielding a sceptre of death.

But that’s not how God is with us in Jesus. It is remarkable the lengths that God goes in Jesus to share life – to come near to us – to suffer with us and for us – to impart new life to us.

And, it could have ended in a borrowed grave outside Jerusalem, with Jesus of Nazareth fading into obscurity.

Yet something amazing and disturbing happened that first Easter which signals new life – God reaching out again and again and again through the Risen Christ.

With you on this journey of discovery and being discovered, as we share Holy Week…

Becoming a Good Soil

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:37:52 GMT

Friends,

One of the best-known parables of Jesus is the parable of ‘The Sower.’ In that parable, good seed is cast on various types of soil – producing very different results.

While it may explain how the seed of God’s Word gets a different response from different people, it may simply carry an invitation to be good soil – people receptive to God – people where growth can take place.

Our lives are often not just one kind of soil. Our inner terrain may be from time to time something of a patch-work terrain, much like the kinds of terrain in the parable.

Our lives can be filled with patterns – or ruts -- so well trodden, and so sun-baked or half-baked, that it’s virtually impossible for the seed of the word to take root.

We are often afraid to let new growth occur on those well-traveled tracks, lest we be forced to build a whole new path – or a whole new life. ‘Lest we be invited by God’s Spirit to change – or to go deeper in faith and action.

We may even be afraid to let new growth occur on our good soil – lest we find that we need to change or move outside our comfort zones.

How many of us hear the word to forgive others, and quickly determine it was really meant for someone else in the room or someone else in our life -- even as we carefully, secretly, carry a grudge?

I am fond of a little poem, called: “The Place Where We Are Right” by (Rabbi) Yehuda Amichai

From the place where we are right

Flowers will never grow

In the spring.

The place where we are right
Is hard and trampled
Like a yard.

But doubts and loves

Dig up the world

Like a mole, a plow.

And a whisper will be heard in the place
Where the ruined
House once stood.

He’s right on! In the places where we are so convinced that we are right -- flowers will never grow in the spring or summer. It is not a place of beauty or a place of new life.

With you, in this pilgrimage of faith, this Lenten season,

Christmas Time

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:40:27 GMT

Friends,

This time of year, we often get the Home Alone Two movie. You probably the movie, with Macaulay Culkin as Kevin. It is Christmas time and the McAllister family is preparing for a vacation in Paris, France. Kevin, the youngest in the family got into a scuffle with his older brother Buzz, and was sent to his room on the third floor of his house. The next morning, while the rest of the family were in a rush to make it to the airport on time, they completely forgot about Kevin, who now has the house to himself.

At first, home alone was fun for Kevin, until he discovers two burglars, Harry and Marv about to rob his house Christmas Eve. Kevin acts quickly by rigging the house with various booby traps to stop the burglars. It’s very slap stick!

At one point, Kevin goes to church. In the empty pews, he has his first conversation with his next door neighbour, "Old Man" Marley, who was rumoured to have murdered his family many years earlier.

Marley is listening to the junior choir sing. His grand-daughter, who he never sees, is in the choir. He doesn’t see her, because years earlier he had a big argument with his son, her father. They have not spoken for years. Kevin encourages him to back down, re-open the relationship, and risk a conversation.

Kevin is the Christ-figure in that vignette – with words of grace and encouragement offered in a sanctuary, against a backdrop of sacred Christmas carols.

Later, Marley helps him stop the thieves. And the next morning after the surprise return of his family, Kevin goes to the window and sees Marley greeting his son and family. As Marley hugs his grand-daughter, he looks up to see Kevin, waves at him, and Kevin waves back, smiling, as Marley heads inside with his family.

In the familiar Christmas story in St. Matthew chapter 1, Joseph may have learned one of the key lessons of parenting, long before Jesus graced the Bethlehem manger: Namely, that you will have to learn to back down, from time to time, from your cherished position.

Joseph was a principled person: Principled, faithful, devout, and righteous in his faith, and in how he lived.

He was a ‘do-it-right’ person – do-it-by-the-book – by the teachings of his faith – the holy scriptures. And then this pregnancy happens with Mary. It was not by the book!

Joseph first thinks that his only response is to do what’s required, what’s right. Break it off with Mary – deal with it all discreetly! After all, he is shamed, dishonoured, disappointed, and embarrassed. So, his decides to take the high ground that his faith had taught and nurtured in him.

And just when he should be able to sleep peacefully, there’s this vivid with the clear implication: “Joseph, dear Joseph, back down, stay in relationship, don’t be afraid to back track -- take Mary as your wife.”

We can easily imagine the next day in the first dawn of morning light, Joseph going to Mary, to begin to live out that wisdom, and that dream’s direction. God’s grace attends that tear-stained love-filled reunion.

The good news given to Joseph, is not just about the Child Jesus, all that he will do – and the meaning of his life. But, there is good news in the truth that God is in the backing down!

God is in the difficult and sometimes awkward

resolution, and furthering of our relationships. God is

in the backing down moments, and the moments of reconciliation and mending.

We fear them! We avoid them! – the compromise and the flexing. We like the high ground. We dodge them if we can – but God is with us in those moments!

In fact, God companions us through the difficulties and into those tender moments of backing down, and finding grace for tough situations. Sometimes we come to regret having drawn a line in the sand, because it becomes hard to retreat. It is in the mending and bending of relationships that God is with us. God understands! God companions!

God in Christ has backed down from a place of glory, into a mucky stable, and eventually onto a cross, that we might live with grace and mercy – with forgiveness and compassion!

God attends us – encourages us – is with us – in all those awkward moments of backing down, bridging gaps, and staying in relationship.

God blesses us as we live-out Christmas!

Mary, mother of Jesus.

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 13:39:47 GMT

Friends,

On Sunday coming, December 14, we will spend a little time looking at Mary, mother of Jesus.

We will hear St. Luke’s beautiful story of the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary, telling her that she would birth the Christ Child. And we will hear the song that she voiced months later, when she had come to terms with what was happening to her. In the gospel record, Mary is the first disciple or follower of the Christ.

As we journey to Bethlehem, we might consider the words of Meister Eckhart from the 13th century. In his reflection: “What Good Is It To Me?” he wrote:

What good is it to me

if this eternal birth of the divine Son takes

place unceasingly

but does not take place within myself?

And, what good is it to me

if Mary is full of grace

and if I am not also full of grace?

What good is it to me

for the Creator to give birth to his Son

if I do not also give birth to him in my time

and my culture?

This, then, is the fullness of time:

when the Son of God is begotten in us.

How true!

Wishing you grace and peace in this sacred season.

Reverend Jim Cairney

Please be patient, God isn’t finished with me yet.

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 18:47:18 GMT

You have likely seen this phrase as a fridge magnet, or postcard, or as a small sign in someone’s home. It would make a good T-shirt slogan.

We are all a work in progress. God hasn’t given up on us, and God’s Spirit gracefully nudges us along. There is compassion, forgiveness, grace, wisdom, and gentle encouragement in how the Spirit nudges us along.

We may defer to this slogan, not as an act of our will – or a plea for someone to cut us some slack – but as a life lived in the knowledge that God has faith in us – loves us – God’s Spirit is a work in our lives – even to the very corners that may be seen as the least productive.

We are called to work the turf God gives us. And let God work the various turf or terrain that is our lives.

We might ask ourselves: Where have I shut God out? How can I be more receptive to God’s nudging Spirit? What does God desire to do in and through me that I have not yet discerned? How can I best (or better) follow Jesus, my Lord?

We let God be at work in us. And we work our turf for God. Each of us works a different turf. Each of us navigates a different set of circumstances. And our God is interested in the whole terrain of our lives.

Douglas Malloch has written a wonderful little poem called, "Be The Best of Whatever You Are."

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley - but be
The best little scrub by the side of the hill;
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass -
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do,
And the task you must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun be a star;
It isn't by size that you win or you fail -
Be the best of whatever you are!

As people of faith, we seek to be the best we can for God. It’s about “Progress not perfection.”

With you on the journey of faith,

Reverend Jim Cairney

Reflecting on the Gift of Life and How We Use It

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 14:40:36 GMT

Dear friends,

A couple years ago, I talked with a woman nearing retirement. She had been very work-focused in an extremely high stress, high-demand, life and death medical specialty. We had good fun brainstorming possibilities for her retirement: hobbies, exercise, travel, pets, pottery, going back to piano playing -- something that she hadn’t done since her early teens. To her surprise, the list became rather long. There was an element of life review.

Such conversations should belong to us in every cohort, every decade, and every season of life – even after a doctor says to us, “You have nine months...”

What are we doing with the gift of life God has given us? How are we stewarding our life – our material resources – our talents – our possibilities – our relationships? Are the constraints we feel, real or imagined?

How we steward our lives is important in every decade of life – even as things change – sometimes for the better -- and sometimes in unfortunate ways. We assess what matters, where we dedicate our time -- and our resources.

From time to time, we do well to step-back, be a little self-critical, and invite God’s Spirit into this conversation: Are we being faithful with what we have? With who we are? With our opportunities, assets, resources, talents, and inclinations?

The Christian life is meant to be an examined life: Examined in light of God’s love and compassion – examined in light of God’s generosity.
Someone has wondered but what we will be judged on all the good things that happened to us in life from God, which we failed to appreciate and acknowledge. Interesting! Will we be judged on all the good things that happened to us in life from God -- which we failed to appreciate and acknowledge?

So, now and then, we take stock – make choices, changes, and course corrections – taking tiny or broad steps in a new direction. We take to heart what it is to do justice, to extend kindness, and walk humbly with our God. This may see us turn away from what we have been doing in some large or small part of our lives. We can make changes – and set goals – in the grace of God.

In First Corinthians chapter four we find a word from St. Paul to the early Church at Corinth. It follows a conversation about rival leadership in that fledgling
congregation. It is a word to us individually – and it spells out the standard for
leadership in a community of faith. It gives us a couple hats to wear:

“Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”

This goes to the heart of our lifestyle as Christians. Do we consciously understand ourselves as disciples or followers of Jesus the Christ? Do we understand ourselves as collaborators with God? We may grasp church membership – and some of its responsibilities, but here we have new hats to wear: The servant’s hat -- and the steward’s hat.

We are those who serve Christ by our actions -- by our participation with what we believe Christ is about in us. We serve the purposes of Christ through our financial offerings and our engagement in the life of our faith community – and the wider community. We are servants -- in the employ of Christ...

The word that St. Paul uses for “servant” is especially interesting: It is huperetes, which referred to a slave who would row on the lower tier of two-tier galley ship. We are all invited to participate and “pull our weight” in the shared roles we have in moving our church forward. Each of us can have a role, and Jesus desires willing and ready workers to do what needs to be done.

The other word image is that of “steward.” Paul uses the Greek word oikonomos, which referred to the chief servant in charge of a household. The chief steward controlled the staff, ordered supplies, and took care of related details, but remained a servant, nonetheless.

Above all else, the oikonomos needed to be reliable — and trustworthy. When the master would leave home and tend to other matters, he relied on his oikonomos to care for matters until his return.

So how are we doing as stewards? Are we using appropriately all that has been placed in our care?

Paul says we are stewards of the mysteries of God – we are stewards entrusted with a message -- a story – a world to care for and love for God’s purposes.

We are blessed when we work as servants and stewards to create the kind of community Jesus envisioned. As church, we have this enormous responsibility to proclaim in word and deed -- it ways our culture may grasp -- the profound love of God for us in Christ.

We steward our own lives, and our own resources. We steward the life of the
church for the mission and purposes of God.

We can think about the mysteries of God.

The mystery of creation...

The mystery of this God who is both known and unknown -- all at the same time...

The mystery of God who both inspires and exceeds our wildest imaginations...

The mystery of the tiny babe in the manger...

The mystery of the Word made flesh...

The mystery of what Jesus did when he was faithful unto death, even death on a cross...

The mystery of God’s forgiving love...

The mystery of the open tomb...

The mystery of the Risen One who comes alongside us...

The mystery of how we recognize him in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and imprisoned.

The mystery of the life to come...

The mystery of new life sprouting among the ashes...

The mystery of how Jesus calls ordinary folks just like us...

The mystery of how Christ is present in our communal life...

The beautiful mystery of God at work in your life…

We are stewards of these mysteries. How wonderful! What an awesome responsibility!

Next month you will be asked to renew or initiate or advance your support of the mission and ministry of Heart Lake United Church. May we bring to these decisions an awareness that we are stewards of that which God gives: Our means and financial resources, our inheritances, our gifts and skills and opportunities.

Being a trustee of God’s gifts in our lives doesn’t come naturally or easily. It requires intentionality, decisions, and training. It invites prayer and planning.

May God grace our decisions! I am with you in this journey!

Happy Thanksgiving

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 15:09:11 GMT

Friends, Sometimes, best wishes for a happy thanksgiving roll off our lips without thinking. We often assume everyone is having a happy thanksgiving. And, yes, most people are!

But sometimes, events and circumstances, losses and disappointments, make thanks-giving difficult, or harder to get to that point of gratitude. We can be more aware of life’s imperfections, and losses, and hurts, than its blessings and delights
.
Let me say upfront that such feelings are honest – and human – and maybe even necessary from time to time. Sometimes thanks-giving is hard. Sometimes our horizons feel narrower – and our burdens greater -- than when we observed this holiday a year ago. It’s been a challenging year economically for some families, in variety of ways.

Some of you have lived through – or are living through -- set-backs of various kinds
.Changes in circumstances – changes in health – the loss of loved ones and friends challenge our buoyancy. So, I wonder if our starting point for thanks-giving might be the invitational words of 1 Peter 5 – verse 7. “Cast all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.
”
We know this. But we need to be reminded, because we rumble around in your anxieties, before you give them to God. Our handing them over isn’t automatic
.
So, whatever ramps up your anxiety -- whatever circles through your mind when you are trying to sleep -- like planes circling the airport unable to land -- give it to God. Lay it down at the throne of grace. Trust God with it. Give it to God and let God be God.

We give it to God, so that God might take your anxiety, and grace your life in that area of concern and hope. Sometimes when we give that anxiety and concer
nover to God, we can step-back and gain perspective on it. Sometimes we will experience God gracing that situation. Sometimes we see that God is with us – and already at work – in those problematic circumstances
.
J. B. Phillips' translation is helpful: “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.” God has broad shoulders – can take it all. Never be afraid of burdening God – neither because your burdens are too big – or too small
.
In a somewhat troubling interview on his 64th birthday, actor Paul Newman expressed some thoughts that -- maybe -- we all have felt from time to time

:

“I look like I am having a lot of fun, but I should be having a lot more fun than I am. In work, I'm unhappy because I will never be good enough. I'll never be a proper father, or a great lover, or an extraordinary boxer, or a capable skier, or an astronaut. These are things I'm missing. If they say you are accomplished or a great lover, but you don't feel it, what good is it? They make that up about you; it has nothing really to do with you. I'm just a little kid from Shaker Heights who had some luck. I suggest this for my epitaph: ‘Here lies Paul Newman, who died a flop because his eyes turned brown.’” (Beacon Journal)

Now, let's be kind. We've all had moments like that, haven't we? (Maybe that’s how you are feeling at this moment.) What is so sad in his statement, is that instead of celebrating what he can still give -- his marvellous creativity, his compassion -- he is stuck in the rut of self-doubt and lamenting what he has already lost. He’s stuck in what might have been.

St. Paul, in the third chapter of the letter to the Philippians – reflecting on his life, and God’s call and claim on his life says, “… this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

There is wisdom, in letting what is behind us, be behind us, while continuing to live open to God’s presence and encouragement and call in the present. In God’s grace we learn to be at peace about the past.

One of the worst habits of life that we can get into, is counting our losses – counting our “should have’s, could have’s” – comparing ourselves to others – falling short of the expectation of perfection that we lay on ourselves. In such situations self-doubt wins out most of the time.

Imagine that these thoughts – these burdens -- are also the ones we are welcome to cast upon the Lord. We discover that our focus shifts to where and how we are blessed. It invites God into those circumstances.

In our best moments, we know that gratefulness, cannot be manufactured – or demanded. It comes from the heart – from recognizing how our lives are being enriched – blessed -- by God and God’s gifts.

Writer Kris Haig says, “True gratitude bears little resemblance to the forced optimism underlying the admonition to count your blessings.”

“Gratitude is not a denial of real pain and loss. It is not a stoic effort to concentrate on the good things in life. It isn't the power of positive thinking.”

“We cannot attain a state of gratitude by presenting God with a list of things we think we should feel grateful for, but by presenting our selves and our desire to know God more closely.” (Kris Haig, Grateful Hearts, Presbyterians Today, November 1999, 7.)

Gratitude brings us closer to the heart of God.

When you heard the words of St. Paul earlier – from the fourth chapter of the letter to the Philippians -- do they wash over you as one quaint platitude after another, or even as a kind of unrealistic demand?

We might like to cross-examine Paul and say, “Hey, where’s this coming from? Do you actually know anything about struggling to give thanks? It may help to know Paul's letter to the Philippians was written from a prison cell. Not only is he behind bars, but his great desire, to continue travelling, preaching the gospel in new and distant places, was a lost cause. There he sat old -- and ill -- in a jail, only able to write letters of encouragement and counsel to those he’d already reached.

And what of the flipping Philippians? The church in Philippi was not experiencing the best of times. In 1:28, Paul mentioned the opponents the faithful encountered every day. A series of “bewares” in chapter 3, further reveal the tensions and threats facing the Philippians. There’s a conflict between two people noted in chapter four.
All this gives evidence to the existence of pressures mounting within the church, as well as disruptive elements clashing outside its family of faith. It is to a full set of problems and anxieties in the Church at Philippi that Paul speaks.

It is from a place where it would be hard for most of us to be thankful – and to a place where it isn’t easy to be thankful -- that Paul writes these wonderful encouraging words:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in every-thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in what God has done for us. Be gentle with one another – be gentle with yourself. The Lord is near – in the best and the worst of circumstances. Do not worry. Worry intimates a lack of trust in God's care. We give your worries to God. Be prayerful and thankful about your situation.

For those able to rejoice in the Lord, and go to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving, Paul promises a thanksgiving gift -- the peace of the Lord.

And he goes on to say…

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Is this not the foundation of thanksgiving – to call to mind and heart what is true, honourable, just, pure, pleasing, excellent -- and things worthy of praise?

Maybe this is our homework as people of faith – to meditate on this little list and see where it takes you.

I dare say, it will take us to gratitude – it will take us to God – it will take us deeply into thanks-giving.

-- Reverend Jim Cairney

Remembering Linda Guennel

Sat, 06 Sep 2025 14:27:44 GMT

Dear Friends,

Almost every Sunday, when I been at Heart Lake United Church, we have been warmly and generously greeted by Linda Guennel on the way into the sanctuary. She was a ray of sunshine. She set the tone for our time together.

And she often hobbled around quietly attending to other tasks related to our gathering in Christ’s name. She was tireless -- and deeply committed to her Lord, her faith, her family, and our faith community.

Sadly, she died of pancreatic cancer August 8. In the months before, we observed how she battled her cancer with faith and grace and courage. Now, quite a number of us are aware of her absence, we are missing her, and we are grieving her death. This is a natural and healthy response. Good grief!

Years ago, I had the privilege of hearing Elizabeth Kubler-Ross who had written profoundly and helpfully about grief and death and dying. At some point she wrote,

“Over the years, I have learned that every life circumstance, even a crisis, can nourish your soul. Recently, the farm and home that I have loved so much -- for so many years -- burned down in a horrible fire. Everything that I owned, without exception, was lost. There was even speculation that foul play was involved.”

“At moments like this, we stand at a fork in the road. If we take the fork most commonly traveled, we collapse, we give up, feeling hopeless and defeated. We focus on the negatives, losing ourselves in the problem. We point to our unhappy circumstances to rationalize our negative feelings.”

“This is the easy way out. It takes, after all, very little effort to feel victimized. We can, however, take the other fork. We can view the unhappy experience as an opportunity for a new beginning. We can keep our perspective, look for the growth opportunities, and find an inner reservoir of strength.”

How true! God’s people -- even if we are victims -- do not have to behave as victims. An unhappy experience is an opportunity for a new beginning. God can be at work in us! We can keep our perspective, find the growth opportunities, and find in our God an inner reservoir of strength.

The prophet Isaiah said, “In quietness and trust shall be your strength.” (30:15)

A woman once spoke of her husband’s death, which followed long months of illness. During those months, this woman tended to her husband, cared for the children, managed the home and looked after the business. It was obviously much more than one person could have accomplished, but she described it like this:

“I had a strength on the inside, which came from the outside. An inside power from an outside source.” That was the way this woman described the Holy Spirit.”

Indeed, God’s Spirit is at work in our lives -- to love -- to bless -- to encourage -- to direct -- to heal – and to strengthen us. The Spirit channels God’s grace. The Spirit conveys God’s grace.

We are often in some degree of grief – grieving someone or some thing – or many people and many things. It is part of life in all its fullness. We grieve knowing that God is with us and for us – life, in death, and in life beyond death.

Grace and peace,
Reverend Jim Cairney

Already September?

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 10:24:02 GMT

Dear Friends,

Already September? Oh my -- yes! And it’s always such a mixed month, isn’t it? We
may try to cram in the tail-end of summer, even hoping for a few days of a glorious so
called ‘Indian summer.’

It is also “new years’ in many respects, as our young people start new chapters in
school, college, work, or university. Many activities begin anew, and we find ourselves
rather busy. We look again at our worship life, and we struggle to keep pace with all the
choices we have made about how to spend our time and energies.

Despite it being a time of revving-up, we do well to seek balance -- and set a healthy
pace that tends to body, mind and spirit (Spirit). Recently, I found this prayer:

SLOW ME DOWN LORD

Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, amidst the confusion of my day,
the calmness of the everlasting hills.
Break the tensions of my nerves
with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking minute vacations of slowing down.
To look at a flower;
to chat with an old friend or make a new one;
to pat a stray dog;
to watch a spider build a web;
to smile at a child; or to read from a good book.
Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift;
that there is more to life than increasing its speed.
Let me look upward into the towering oak
and know that it grew great and strong
because it grew slowly and well.

Like the oaks, may we grow slowly and well. May we be attentive to the spiritual well-
being and balance in our lives -- as we share worship, education, fellowship and service
in Christ`s name.

With you on the journey of faith….

-- Reverend Jim Cairney

Dear Heart Lake United Church Family,

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 11:38:35 GMT

While our minister, Rev. Jim, is away, we are blessed to welcome Quintin Looy, who will be sharing God’s Word with us this Sunday. Come with open hearts as we gather in worship, listen to the message God has placed on their heart, and grow in faith together.

We are also excited to have joining us, Edwin Baah Gyabeng, offering their musical gifts to help lead us in praise and reflection.

We invite you to join us this Sunday for a meaningful time of worship, community, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings,
Kamya Anand,
Church Administrator

Golf season is in full swing. Lots of people get teed off.

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 18:07:06 GMT

Slight confession: I am a terrible golfer. Because I
only get in a round of golf every five years or so. But I
do own second hand clubs when I need to get a grip.

Some of you may remember golfer Greg Norman,
“The Shark.” He had a seemingly insurmountable six-
stroke lead over Nick Faldo going into the final round
of the 1996 Masters golf tournament.

A short shot on the unforgiving ninth hole at Augusta
caused something in Norman to snap. He began to hit
shots into the water, missed short putts, and shot
bogey golf for the rest of the round.

By the time he and Faldo walked up to the 18th
hole, Nick had a four-stroke lead. When it was over,
mercifully, the victorious Faldo embraced Norman in
a gesture of compassion.

“I don’t know what to say ... I feel horrible about what
happened. I’m so sorry — I just want to give you a
hug.”

And with that, both men began to cry.

Compassion is a wonderful gift, when given or
received. Quite remarkably, God treats us with great
compassion. That generous compassion comes to us
on the way to someone else.

Sunday coming, I will be sharing a message about
compassion. Compassion is one of the best responses
to these challenging times. Being compassionate with
ourselves and being compassionate with others.

Compassion is one of the very best antidotes to
Trumpism -- and all the influences that resemble
Trumpism in our own world.

May the compassionate of God surround you and flow
through you.

Reverend Jim Cairney

Remembering the Children: A Reflection on Indigenous Day of Prayer

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:11:56 GMT

Dear Friends,

Sunday, June 19, was Indigenous Day of Prayer. We did pray for our Indigenous sisters and brothers, but we did not make the occasion a focus of our worship.

When I was in ministry in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, at the bottom of our street was the graveyard of the former Shingwauk Indian Residential School. Several times I walked among the graves. There are 120 graves: students and staff. Many mark the death of young children, who died while away from their home reserves -- attending that residential school. These are students who went to a school and never returned home.

For me, it was holy ground. Contemplating children dying far away from the love of their parents, grand-parents, extended family and villages made me profoundly sad. It was very sobering and very disturbing.

Ideally, no child should die. If it does happen, it should not happen away from the comfort and compassion and support of their families. And those families, should have been able to gather, grieve, honour, and bury their children on their home turf. I do not know the causes of death of those children. Yes, there were many childhood illnesses at the time. But we also know that loneliness, deprivation, and isolation from family and culture are among the determinants of health for all of us. I believe you can die of a broken heart.

Periodically, we hear of the possibility of more graves on residential school sites. Sometimes, this is authenticated. Sometimes they are not authenticated. It always raises deep emotions within me: profound anger at the injustice of it all – and a disgust with our colonial mindset about of how to deal with ‘the Indians’ after we successfully acquired their lands by one means or another.

We do well to not consider ourselves superior to the United States on matters of race, racism and systemic injustice. Shame on us, as well.

Our apologies are not the end of the conversation, but the beginning. And we who are now the dominant culture need to hear difficult things, painful stories, and face the nature of systemic racism. Unfortunately, the damage from residential schools will play out for generations to come. We need to own our part, lament our past, lament our present, and work at justice and right relations.

We continue to be on a learning curve on this – as individuals, as newcomers for Canada -- and as the United Church of Canada. We do well to proceed with compassion, openness, humility and grace. We do well to seek justice and right relations.

May God save us from suggesting we have reached our saturation point, or that we know all there is to know on this.

With you on this journey of faith,
Reverend Jim Cairney

100th Anniversary and Penticost Sunday

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 15:51:30 GMT

Friends,

Tomorrow, we are celebrating the 100 ^th Anniversary of the formation of the United Church of Canada.

We are also observing Pentecost – that amazing day 2,000 plus years ago, when the Spirit descended on believers and non-believers in Jerusalem.

It was a chaotic and amazing event.

As we recognize the United Church’s 100 years, I am aware that the Spirit was very active calling us into union – and pushing against the divisions that have marked the wider Christian church.

The movement toward union began long before 1925. In fact, it was delayed by World War I. Finally, in 1925, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Union Churches (that already existed) came together. It took an act of parliament as much property was already involved.

Not all Presbyterians came into union, but they did in Australia, some years later, creating the Uniting Church of Australia – a sister denomination.

We have many sister denominations and partners around the world and we share a global mission with a number of them.

In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren (Eastern Conference) came into the United Church.

The original vision was to bring Christ to a young Canada. There was also a pragmatic understanding that it was not wise to plant three or four churches in new communities.

As we look back on 100 years, we can see many ways and places where The Spirit has been at work:

When we decided to ordain women in 1938. When women could be elders in the church.

When we elected our first black Moderator, Dr. Wilbur Howard. Then, our first lay Moderator, medical missionary Dr. Robert McClure, and then our first woman Moderator, the Rev. Lois Wilson.

When we apologized to our indigenous brothers and sisters for their treatment over decades.

When we voted to ordain gay and lesbian persons who were fit and trained for ministry.

The Spirit has been at work in hundreds of other ways --invited us to follow Christ, inviting us to justice, and inviting us to plant new congregations like Heart Lake United Church.

We are a Spirited bunch! We have made some mistakes – but God isn’t done with us!

I hope that you can share our celebrations this Sunday.

Wishing you grace and peace in these challenging times.

Reverend Jim Cairney

Reflection by the late Loretta Girzaitis

Sat, 24 May 2025 14:56:11 GMT

Friends, I recently came across this prayer or reflection by the late Loretta Girzaitis. I invite you to read it over, then pray it slowly, and consider its various thoughts. Take time to appreciate yourself in God’s abundant love and grace.
It reminds me of the bold declaration of the psalmist (139:14.) “I praise you, for I am fearfully* and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well."
*fearfully meaning with awe and gratitude.

O Holy One,
in my mother's womb
you fashioned me a home.
My skin is the tent
protecting the goods within.
The furnishings are priceless:
gifts of talent, skill, ability, and yearning.

I am your temple, O God,
and even when I place idols
within the niches of my heart,
you topple them to make your rightful claim.

Because I am precious in your eyes,
you set up your kingdom
deep, deep
into the core of my being.
You, who are love,
lodge adamantly within,
unwilling to give up dominion
of territory that is yours.
Immersed in this love,
I live and move and exist,
content to be your property.

May I never separate myself from you,
or force you to leave
the premises of my spirit.

My home is yours.
Abide within forever!

-- Loretta Girzaitis alive now! M/J '89

Grace and peace to you and yours,
Reverend Jim Cairney

This I Believe

Sat, 17 May 2025 15:01:50 GMT

On Sunday, in the message time, I will be sharing a few of the key things that I believe. This will help you to know me a bit better as your new pastor.
Above all, I hope it will encourage you to reflect on your beliefs, and how they have been shaped or not shaped by your life journey.
We are all different, even though we have been exposed to many of the same tenets of the Christian faith. Many of us renegotiate the things we were taught as children when we took everything literally.
In the United Church of Canada, we are a big umbrella or big tent denomination. We welcome and embrace a wide spectrum of belief. And we welcome and embrace all -- even when we are still working on the big questions of faith. Wherever you are in your faith journey and your answer to the question: "What do I believe?" -- know that you are welcome and you are not alone as we explore these questions together.
Grace and peace, on your pilgrimage of faith...

A Happy Mother's Day...

Sat, 10 May 2025 15:51:13 GMT

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother was in the house looking out the window, and she saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. But it was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

Mercifully, a farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Quite remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother’s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pants legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go.”

Many of us have had mothers who exhibit or exhibited this kind of fierce love. Thank God! We are grateful. But it isn’t universally true. Some mother’s have not been able to be available, or offer a constructive presence in the lives of their children. For many of us, Mother’s Day is s time to remember, celebrate and honour our moms. Sadly, for some, it is a day of pain or regret or sorrow or brokenness. In response to both sets of circumstances, we try to move forward, determined to exhibit a fierce love for our children, or grandchildren, whether we are women or men.

The bottom line is that we are all very human – imperfect – children of God, who were – or are – parented by imperfect, very human parents. We learn, we grow, we gain perspective in God’s abundant love. May we approach Mother’s Day with grace, humility, forgiveness and compassion for one another.

NOPE?

Sat, 03 May 2025 15:34:30 GMT

A few years ago there was an article in The Toronto Star entitled “The audacity of nope’” The article was about the proliferation of signs in Toronto telling you what you can and cannot do. The photo illustration was of a lamp standard with six signs attached:

To the left – No Parking/Taxi stand vehicles; and Tow-away Zone, and to the right, but indicating left: No Parking 8 am to 6 pm; and then also on the right: No Parking; No Stopping 7 am to 9 am – 4 pm to 6 pm Mon. to Fri; and a sign for both directions: No Standing 11:30-1:30 pm Monday to Friday.

Obviously, you could get ticketed for pausing the length of time it takes to sort out in a human brain the seemingly contradictory messages and time constraints.

I saved the article because I suspect that the dominant perception of the Christian life – by people who do not practice it – and some who do – is that we live in the land of nope. A suggestion that our faith, its teachings, and our God -- are all in the business of saying, “No!” and being a kill joy and a spoil sport.

We are up against the dominant notion that to follow God is to navigate in the land with a colossal list of “Thou shalt not’s…” Don’t drink… Don’t smoke… Don’t gamble… Sit up straight in church… Don’t stick your gum under the pew… Don’t shop on Sunday’s… Don’t have sex standing up, it might lead to dancing… Don’t fool around… Don’t smile… Don’t mix with non-believers…Don’t have a good time… You get the picture!

The article about street signs, contained a comment by Marcel Danesi, a semiotics professor at the U. of T. Danesi said, “This was the stuff of the priests who populated my childhood and adolescence, but now’ it’s the politicians and those people out there who try to impose. That official level... has taken over from God, hasn’t it?”

Behind his comment, is the lingering or dominant perception that God’s business is still about saying, “Don’t…” And that religious faith inhibits or thwarts our happiness.

But in our faith tradition, and our Biblical understanding, happiness comes as a bi-product – not the goal of life. As Christians, we learn that happiness is the bi-product of loving God, loving self, and loving one’s neighbour, and caring for this wonderful world that is God’s gift to us.

The purpose of life is not self-indulgence, but loving God, serving others, and serving God’s world with justice, and compassion, and care.

When we read the Gospels, we discover that the Christian life is not primarily about getting to heaven, avoiding hell, or fearing God. It is about loving God – being loved by God – and our whole-hearted participation in the Kingdom of God – here and now. That is, living-out God’s best hopes and dreams for the world – for the commonwealth of all. There are far more ‘Go and do...” or ‘Go and serve...’ or “Love as I love…” or “Let my joy be in you…” -- that there is ‘nope.’

It is a wonderful discovery that faith includes the opening up of the world, an opening up of possibilities -- rather than a narrowing. With you on the journey… Reverend Jim

Message from the Minister

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 16:47:23 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Friends, let me share a favorite story about a community-wide Easter pageant.
In this particular community, various people in the town were assigned, or recruited, or, volunteered to play the different characters in the Easter story. The character of Jesus went to a most unlikely person -- a big, burly, bar room brawler -- an oilfield worker. To say the least, he was the most unlikely person to be typecast as our Lord.
After several weeks of rehearsals, the day of the Easter Pageant arrived. When they came to the part of the play where Jesus was being led away to be crucified, one little man, who was part of the crowd, got caught up in the emotion of the drama. With great energy he joined in the shouts of “Crucify him! Crucify him!” as Jesus was led away toward Calvary.
Then, in the midst of shouting insults at the top of his lungs, he accidentally sprayed some spit in the face of the character playing Jesus, just as “Jesus” walked by carrying the cross on his back. The oilfield worker stopped in his tracks, reached up and wiped his face dry. Then he looked at the little man and boldly said: “I’ll be back to take care of you after the resurrection!”
Right on! That’s the truth of the resurrection: God raised Jesus from the dead, and Jesus by his Spirit comes back “to take care of us.” Not in the sense that he will settle old scores, or take a round out of us, or be our “holy bouncer,” but in the sense that He will be present to us with the love and compassion and mercy of God. As a companion in life, he will bless and befriend us with healing and encouragement. He did come back to take care of us!
Sunday we have the joy of celebrating the resurrection of Christ. We can share worship with joy and hope.

Grace and peace to all as we lean into the Resurrection,
- Reverend Jim Cairney

God Is Doing a New Thing: A Time of Transition and Thanksgiving

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 03:41:49 GMT

Dear Church Family,

God is always at work, making a way where there seems to be none. In Isaiah 43:16-21, He reminds us:

“ This is what the Lord says— He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters… ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’”

God’s faithfulness is not just about what He has done in the past—it’s about what He is doing right now. He is not finished with us. He is making a way, opening new doors, and calling us to step forward in faith.

This week marks the end of a special season for our church. Since July 2024, we have been blessed by the wisdom and encouragement of our guest speakers. We are so grateful for each of them and the way God has used them to speak into our lives. Let’s take this final week to celebrate their ministry and give thanks for all they’ve poured into our church.

And now, we look ahead with excitement! Next week, we welcome our new minister, stepping into a fresh chapter of God’s plan for our church. Let’s be in prayer as we prepare our hearts for this transition, trusting that He is leading us into something new and wonderful.

May we step into this week with faith, knowing that the God who made a way through the Red Sea is the same God leading us forward today.

Blessings,
HLUC Board