Yearly Archives: 2016

A play on words.  Or at least playing with words:

The term miscommunication tends to mean words flying at each other and missing their mark.  We miscommunicate when we have different vocabularies.  My mother used to dislike the use of lunch and dinner.  In Eastern Canada, from which she hailed, dinner was supper.  For us Westerners supper was supper.  Try inviting friends over for dinner some day and see if they show up at noon or 6:00 pm.

A part of miscommunication is also missed communication.  When we intentionally or unintentionally don’t say something we miscommunicate.  As a pastor I would hear of someone having been in the hospital – via the grapevine – after the fact.  An opportunity for ministry was missed because communication was missed. 

And now, we can add mist communication.  That is the grapevine working at overdrive because privacy laws create a roadblock to understanding.  The mist of random raindrops of information overshadows communicating the truth.

And so, speak the truth in love, speak the truth constantly, speak the truth in season and out of season.  Take a risk.  Speak.

We will all benefit from the effort!

There is a place where I feel at home.  Besides being at home.

That is what I call the church.  The gathering place where others of like mind in regard to God – the future, the past and the present – meet.  There we speak of our entrance into God’s presence through Jesus Christ.

And we differ.  On issues that are not central to that worship.  Things like what tractor one should own (John Deere has a definite edge for some of our congregants), or what store best serves our grocery needs.

Sometimes we have a hard time telling what is central and what is periphery.  We work together to discover our common threads and our common threats.

And somehow, when we commune together with a strong determination to be God’s people, we survive and thrive.

That’s what I like about the people I call church people.

We love each other.

I have been occupied with obituaries this week.

My uncle Bruce Baker passed away on November 15, 2016.  Another more distant relative, who attended a Baker reunion this summer (Henry Heald), passed away on November 17, 2016.  94 years and 88 years respectively.

Neither of these men were relatives whom I saw on a daily or even annual basis (actually, I met Henry only once).  But relatives nonetheless.

Relativity signifies a bond that is of blood or kinship.  That bond does not need proximity of location, or enjoyment of a pasttime, or even just liking someone.  You just are.

To be or not to be!  That is not the question.  You are.

I read my relatives accomplishments and smile.  One was a well known character in Whitehorse.  The other was a writer/journalist in the Ottawa area.  One loved mining, the other was an agriculturalist.  One was from the West, the other from the East.  Both could spin a tale.

Their stories were indicative of life livers.  There was no slowness of heart in their endevours. 

Not unlike how I would like to be known.

Obituaries can be life giving.

We have switched pharmacies.

Not out of disgust or poor service.  The opposite is true.  We loved our pharmacist and their service was always helpful.

The local grocery store is closing.  The pharmacy was contained in the grocery store.  The pharmacy has closed already.

Our files were transferred to another pharmacy.  My first visit there was quite cordial and their service was exceptional.

Except for mandated restrictions by the government.

Child proof lids are required on medications.  Understandable – but the lids are also arthritis proof and require amazing amounts of pressure.  I could barely get the lid off.  Others in the family would have needed to take a hammer to the bottle in order to extract medications.

A little tip!

Ask the pharmacist for non-childproof lids.  Your signature will be required.  You are giving away your life.  Of course, if you can’t get to your medications (or at least can’t get the lid off), you may be giving away your life anyway!!