Hope Stoves to warm cold people

It's bloody cold out there these days. And there are far too many people without homes. Yes, some of them stay in shelters for the homeless, but during the daytime, they are forced out to wander the streets looking for warm places to spend their time. Imagine for a moment what that would be like.

There are also a lot of people who refuse to stay in homeless shelters. On Sunday morning when I went down to Inner City Pastoral Ministry, there were a few folks outside the Bissell Centre trying to stay warm under tarps and blankets because they don't feel safe in the shelters even if they are warmer spaces. They were the first to come in when we opened our doors. That they'd rather sleep outside and risk frostbite says a lot about the shelter system. (I've seen some pretty ugly frostbite this winter...)

So a few friends gathered on February 9th to make "Hope Stoves." Basically, they are unused, empty paint cans that have air holes in the top half and are half-filled with wax and five wicks. They are safer than propane burners or other flammable materials, but light those wicks and they warm the can enough that you can boil water on it, and if it gets kicked over, it just goes out.

The idea originated with Mike Hay, a BC Contractor who likes to keep warm while camping, and who wants those living rough to be able to stay warm too. Each stove burns for about 12 hours. They can boil water. And they can carry messages of hope, besides.

Here's Mike and his Hope Stove tutorial (click here, moodlings subscribers), in case you want to offer a simple form of help to any folks who might be living rough in your neighbourhood...

Monday Music Appreciation #50: Laudate Dominum

Wow, we're up to 50 music appreciation moodlings! And I've chosen this particular piece because we had such a great time singing/praying it last night at our local ecumenical evening prayer.

If you're a regular moodlings follower, you'll know that for the past 14 years or more, I've been organizing an almost monthly prayer evening because of my love for the music of Taizé and the Taizé community's very simple style of prayer. Silence, scripture and song, with no preaching, just a chance to let God's voice ring in our hearts. And last night's Prayer for the Marginalized was extra special somehow... 

When I arrived to set up at the church that was hosting us, the pastor told me that the furnace wasn't heating the church sanctuary, so we'd have our prayer in the basement where it was warmer. So we rearranged some chairs and tables and set up in a low-ceilinged hall, and people filed down to the basement to pray with us. Somehow, I had no matches to light our candles, but God provided a friend with a lighter last minute!

It was a cozy and intimate prayer space, and because we were closer together, the sound was incredible, as was the silence for meditation. There were many heartfelt prayers for all those being marginalized in our society and world, and I felt a very strong sense of community in praying with the people who came, many of whom are familiar faces from different churches in our area and beyond.

We ended the evening with the chant below, and it filled me with so much joy that I couldn't stop myself from singing the Alleluia descant with Mackenzie, who certainly didn't need my help! The musicians in our little Taizé group have been playing together long enough that they seem to intuit exactly what should happen next. When we got to the last ostinato of Laudate Dominum, Mackenzie glanced over at me, we dropped volume together, then ended the last half at full volume and with big smiles. Such a rush!

If you live in our city, and have yet to join us for our evenings of Ecumenical Prayer, our Lenten Prayer will be held at Spirit of Hope United Church (7909 83 Ave) on March 16 at 7 p.m. Bring friends and neighbours if you like!

The version of Laudate Dominum I am sharing today is in French, but it has gorgeous nature scenes and amazing French descants that outstrip the English ones we have by miles, praising God's greatness for restoring us to life, saving our feet from stumbling, and so many other good things you can say when praising God!

Because I can't send this video via the mailchimp program (sorry, email subscribers), here is the link to it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAgT4bPJ5W4

But if you are looking directly on www.simplemoodlings.blogspot.com, you should be able to see it below. Have a wonderful week and stay warm!

Monday Music Appreciation #49: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Camille Saint-Saëns

It's been a while since I've worked a shift at the Winspear, and I'm somewhat grateful for that fact because I've had my hands full learning the ropes for being associate pastor at Inner City Pastoral Ministry. I didn't pull any usher shifts for January, but February is definitely busier, and that's okay because I've been through all my other work responsibilities at least once and feel like I have my feet under me once again -- so that I'm able to give full attention to both roles when I'm in them.

On Friday night, for my first 2025 Winspear shift, Sara Davis Buechner was guest pianist for a one-hour "Piano and Prosecco" pairings concert ("Pairings" are designed to give a taste of symphonic music and a lovely beverage or treat to all who come to the concert hall, geared especially toward new, younger guests). So I had the pleasure of taking tickets at the door, and giving every attendee a second ticket for a beverage from the bar or a treat from the coffee and desserts kiosk. It's a lovely way for people who have never attended a symphony to try one on for size.

And Friday's concert was a treat in itself. The first half was Schubert's Symphony No. 6 in C Major, and the second half, Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, played by the always amazing Sara Davis-Buechner. It's standing ovation material when she comes to play with the ESO every single time.

Saint-Saëns' symphony is an incredible piece of music, and I wish I could show you Sara's dramatic rendering of it. But in the video below, Ann Liu does a beautiful job, making me wish I'd stuck with my piano lessons all those years ago. It must be such a thrill to make music like this. See what you think!

Monday Music Appreciation #48: This Joy

I am appreciating so much in my life these days, including good music. And here's a great tune that I love to dance around my kitchen to, written by Shirley Caesar and sung by the Resistance Revival Chorus at the height of the pandemic. It's hard not to clap and move to it, and it's easy to catch on and sing along. See what you think! (And don't miss the little animated message at the end!)

Playmates?

Looking back through my moodlings, I'm realizing that there have been no Budgie Updates since my first moodling about Rocky, the bright blue budgie that joined our household last January. 

He's a character, our Rocky is. We had his wings clipped when we got him from Baker's Bird Shop, and it took a good ten months for his cut feathers to grow out, so he had to rely on us to carry him around the house for a long while.

Early on, we attached a perch to the outside of his cage, and discovered that he liked to sit on it near the front window, where he could yell at the wild birds outside. He usually just sat, but sometimes he'd get excited and try to fly, and we'd find him on the floor, or sitting on the dvd player cord near the floor by the TV. He'd go missing occasionally, and we learned to look for him either behind the stereo cabinet, or on the floor near the front door because, as his wing feathers grew out, he'd fly crooked and end up in those places somehow.

But now that his feathers are full he can go anywhere he likes, and Suzanna found a window mount perch where he loves to sit if we open his cage door. He roams fairly freely, and isn't really interested in conversation with us human beings, but he'll sit and call to the neighbourhood magpies or talk back to CKUA radio announcers all day long.

And... since Remi has joined our household, Rocky is very, very interested in the puppy, and, not surprisingly, the puppy in him! There's a blooming bromance about which we're not sure what to think! If the dog goes to sleep in his fenced off area in the kitchen, sometimes the bird does a flypast, looking for his friend. Other times it seems that Rocky flies around just to catch Remi's attention, teasing him a little if the dog follows him from one part of the room to another. Whenever we're playing fetch in the living room, the bird comes out and sits on the edge of the TV tray under his cage and watches the activity, burbling away in approval.

Remi's interest in Rocky so far has been mostly from a distance, but because he's grown a fair bit, he can now reach the edge of the TV tray where the bird cage sits. So far Rocky has been careful to stay out of the puppy's reach. I feel a bit anxious if they get too close to each other, but when we lock the bird in his cage, he's unhappy, and seeing his delight in the dog makes us hope that, somehow, he'll be smart enough that the two can co-exist peacefully.

Of course, we know that there's a danger to letting dog and budgie mix, the danger all toward Rocky, but so far, so good. Today, when I took the picture above, Rocky was happily lecturing Remi in Budgerigar, and Remi seemed to be listening carefully.

So, we hope for the best -- that Rocky remains vigilant, and Remi learns to control his chase and capture impulses, and we continue to have the two enjoying each other into the future. I guess we'll see.

Word of the Year for 2025

It's taken me long enough to write out this moodling, though I have been thinking about it for the past three weeks or so. Of course, I didn't even get myself a 2025 wall picture calendar until last week, and had to search in the back of the store because, well, there weren't many left, and most people get their calendars before a new year begins. So I guess what I'm saying is that it's taking me a while to settle into even the idea of 2025.

But in my reflections about what this year ahead means for me, I've come to the conclusion that my word for the year is Teamwork, simply because it feels like teamwork is the story of my life right now.

Somebody got a haircut last week!

Lee, Suzanna and I are the team training Remi-pup, working together with help from a course through the Edmonton Humane Society, to get him socialized and behaving himself. We all have to work together to be consistent in our methods, so that he knows what we expect of him in different situations. We really want him to be a joy to everyone he meets.

Being associate pastor for the Community of Emmanuel at Inner City Pastoral Ministry also requires a new kind of teamwork for me. Because I've been part of the community for almost five years, most of what I am and will be doing has come pretty naturally, but now that my role has been "formalized," more effort is required to communicate with my co-pastor and other folks simply because we have more shared responsibilities. 

As lunch coordinator for ICPM, my work was separate from daily operations and I was able to fill gaps around the edges for our two pastors most Sunday mornings, but now I'm in the thick of things (and loving it, for the most part!), tied down to music ministry or helping to lead the service. There are a few other weekly things, like Table Time for handing out donated supplies to the folks in Boyle/McCauley, Thursday Bible study, and a monthly Women's Group where I'm in charge of leading the ladies in spiritual discussions. What's great is that other good people are stepping forward to fill the gaps that Pastor Quinn and I can't cover. Our team is expanding with more wonderful volunteers joining in our teamwork!

I've also been thinking a lot about the teamwork in my marriage with Lee. He's been hugely helpful with so many things since he's semi-retired, especially family gatherings and other events that require a lot of effort on my part. The days of doing everything myself (and having a bit of a martyr complex because of it at times if I'm honest) seem to be in the past. Lee and I work really well together. We always have, but now that we're both getting older, maybe I'm just appreciating it more. I love him so much, and appreciate his care for me, especially when I'm too tired to do much but stare into space, which has been the case for much of the last three weeks as I settle into all the new things I'm learning and doing.

Fortunately, things are leveling out now, and there will be room for a few other teamwork possibilities that may or may not be landing on my plate. With the federal and municipal elections coming up this year, I expect there will be more to do to make the need for affordable housing an election issue through the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness. And a team of "good neighbours" is forming around a new supportive housing building for homeless/low-income folks that will open in April in our neighbourhood. So teamwork opportunities are abounding in my life.

Teamwork is a pretty obvious choice for my word of the year. How about you? What is your word of the year?

Monday Music Appreciation #47: Carrie Newcomer's Writing a Better Story

I've had a couple of very busy weeks, so it's no surprise that I haven't moodled here since January 6th. Stepping into the shoes of our retired associate pastor has felt a bit like being hit by a firehose because I had what felt like a pretty sedate life up until I started as associate pastor on January first. There's been a lot to get my head around, so I've had very little brain power to sit at my computer for any reason beyond dealing with details related to my new role. But things are settling down, today is my day off (I've decided every Monday will be), and I'm enjoying having time to moodle.

Today's music appreciation is a song by Quaker musician Carrie Newcomer. I keep running into her music because of the Morning Mindful Movement group that I dance with on Zoom every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday that I can. (If you're interested in dancing with us, the invitation remains open -- just send me a note and I'll send you a link). I've heard this particular tune a few times, and love the idea of it and the richness of her voice.

What's your new story line for 2025? Have a listen and enjoy your week...

(If this moodling has arrived in your inbox via email, here's the video link.)

Monday Music Appreciation #46: Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind, sung by Jessica Raye and the Ramshackle Parade

Yesterday's service at the Community of Emmanuel was extraordinary. Though we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, we also gave a lot of love to our local wise man, recently retired Pastor Jim.

If you know Jim at all, you know that I'm not using the wise man title lightly. Jim's wisdom runs deep, whether he's standing up for the marginalized, demanding housing for all, seeing the everyday saints around him, or paying attention to the extraordinary hidden under what appears to be ordinary, as Pastor Quinn pointed out in his sermon.

Besides being a wonderful human being, Jim is a fan of Bob Dylan, and we had some beautiful moments when the entire community sang Blowin' in the Wind in honour of Jim. It's a song I've loved from the first time I heard it at a family sing song, and I found this lovely version by these Canadian artists, Jessica Raye and the Ramshackle Parade. They are a parade I'd happily join... and I will definitely check out their other music too.

Click here if you receive this moodling by email to access the song. Otherwise, enjoy below!

Sunday Reflection: on being part of Creator's Holy Family

Today's reflection is brought to you by
1 John 3: 1-2, 23-24

(adapted for the Community of Emmanuel below).

This morning it was my turn to offer the reflection for the Community of Emmanuel, but first Donna read the reading below:  

What great love our Creator has lavished upon us! We are called children of God! And so we are! The ones who belong to the ways of this world do not know the Giver of Life. That is why those who do not really know Creator have not recognized us, either. Much loved friends, we are Creator’s children. It is not yet clear what we will be. But we know that when God appears, we will be like God, for we will see God as God is.

This is Creator’s instruction for us: that we trust in Creator’s son, Jesus, and love each other as he taught us to do. All who follow these instructions remain in Christ, and Christ remains in them. We know that God remains in us by the Spirit of love that lives in us.

* * * * * * * 

Today is an interesting Sunday. We just celebrated the arrival of Jesus as a baby, but already this week the readings switch focus away from the baby to Jesus as a 12-year-old member of the Holy Family -- and to us also as members of God’s Holy Family.

The first reading we just heard was chosen to remind us, as we start a new year, how much our Creator loves us. Did you hear what the writer of the First Letter of John says? God loves us! We are called God’s children! Because we are God’s children! And even from a very young age, Jesus knew this. One of the reasons he became human is to remind us that we are all God's children.

The Gospel story I am about to invite you into shows us that Jesus, when he was only 12 years old, had a very loving relationship with God. Maybe, when we were younger, we had a close relationship with Creator, but as we get older, life happens and sometimes we lose that sense of closeness.

If you were close to your parents, did you call them Daddy or Mommy, Mama or Papa? Abba and Ima are the words used in Jesus’ culture, and he likely used them for his own earthly parents – and for God because his relationship with God was very, very close. He wanted to be in the Temple, God’s house, as we'll see in a moment. For him, it was home.

I want to invite us all into today’s Gospel reading, the story of Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem with his parents. Make yourself as comfortable as you can, feet flat on the floor, back straight, arms and hands relaxed. Maybe you’d like to close your eyes or lower them to the ground. Take a slow, deep breath and let it out gently and quietly. Keep breathing gently as is most comfortable for you, and listen to my words as I share today’s Gospel reading in a different way than usual.

Imagine walking on a dry and dusty road... See the dust on your feet and sandals... Hear the sounds of the people around you, walking with you... Your uncles and aunts, cousins and extended family, cousins of cousins, old and young...

It’s the end of a long journey to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, a time to remember how ancestors were delivered from slavery in Egypt, with special food and prayer and music and dancing, a very big feast and celebration, a time of joy and love with so many relatives...

Walking in the shade of a grove of trees, hear your uncles telling jokes as they walk, some of them holding little ones on their shoulders... See the donkeys carrying tents and sacks with food... See the women walking and laughing together, carrying babies and belongings... Everyone is tired but happy, looking forward to returning home...

Suddenly, Mary is beside you. “Where is Jesus?” she asks.

“I thought he was with you!” one of the aunties tells her.

“Has anyone seen Jesus?” Mary asks loudly.

The crowd stops, and people start calling his name and talking loudly about when they last saw him.

Joseph runs back from the front of the group and asks Mary, “Is he here?”

“I don’t know where he is,” she wails.

“We’ll have to go back to Jerusalem,” Joseph says, and turns to you saying, “will you come with us?” Some of the relatives quickly pack some food and water to take for the journey, and you go with Mary and Joseph as they turn back to Jerusalem...

It is late in the day, and the sun is going down, but Mary and Joseph are worried and hardly stop... Their anxiety is thick in the air as they speak quietly about how dangerous it is for a twelve-year-old boy to be alone in the city of Jerusalem... The waning Passover moon and stars are bright in the dark sky as you walk and wonder where Jesus could be...

The sun is rising, as Mary and Joseph arrive where many families camped for the festival... They hoped to find Jesus waiting there... He isn’t... After checking in other camps where Passover pilgrims are lingering, it’s clear he’s not there either...

You follow Mary and Joseph into the city markets, asking the sellers if they have seen a 12-year-old boy matching Jesus’ description... You walk the winding streets of Jerusalem calling his name... Joseph talks to a man he met during the festival, and the man leads you to a room where you and Mary sleep briefly... When Joseph returns to sleep, you and Mary go out together to continue the search...

Jerusalem is a big city, 25,000 people and likely still at least twice it’s usual size because of pilgrims... Finding one boy among thousands seems impossible... You are all exhausted, but Mary and Joseph are determined to find their beloved son...

After two days of searching, in desperation, Mary says, “Let’s go to the temple to pray for Jesus’ safe return.” You walk together to the highest point in the city where the temple shines in the sun, hoping to see Jesus on the way there... The smell of smoke and burning animal sacrifices is thick in the air...

As you arrive in the courtyard of the temple, feeling how tired you are, you marvel at the high walls and pillars, but Joseph and Mary are running toward a crowd sitting at the base of one, so you race to catch up...

There is Jesus! He is standing in the middle of a circle of temple teachers, talking to them about God’s love for every being on earth... They are listening with smiles on their faces, looking at each other and nodding, and one of them claps his hands in delight...

But Mary can’t stop herself... She rushes into the circle and throws her arms around Jesus as if he is about to be swept away in a flood... Jesus laughs, but then his face turns serious as he sees the tears running down her face as she says, “Why did you stay behind, Jesus? We have been anxiously searching for you!”

His eyes light up with love and he says, “I’ve been here in Abba and Ima’s house all along.”

The teachers who have been listening to Jesus are murmuring, “Abba and Ima’s house... Yes, yes, El Shaddai is loving Abba and Ima to all... We have never seen one so young with such a beautiful understanding of God!”

Joseph puts an arm around Jesus and says, “My son, it’s time to go home.” Jesus nods, smiles at you and takes Mary’s hand as you walk through the courtyard and leave the temple together...

And now, I invite you to slowly return from this story to the room we are in right now...

Even as a young child, Jesus had a deep understanding that he was loved by God, and he remained in that closeness throughout his life, right to dying on the cross, where he said, Abba, Ima, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing. He knew that human beings often don’t understand the violence in our own hearts. We don’t really understand love.

And maybe that’s because many of us have ideas about God that come from the bad old days, ideas that make us think that God is like us human beings. We might think that Creator gets mad at us every time we mess up. Perhaps we live expecting punishment because maybe our parental figures weren’t aware of the violence in their own hearts and punished us too much instead of loving us in a good way.

But Creator is only goodness and love, never meanness and punishment. If we mess up, Creator is a loving parent who picks us up, dusts us off, and says, “That’s okay. Try again.” The punishments in our lives once we are adults aren’t from Creator, but are often from our own negative thoughts about ourselves and others.

Jesus came to prove that Creator lavishes us with love, even when we do stupid things, or make wrong choices, or hurt others and ourselves. One of my favourite songs says, Taking everything upon himself, Christ opens the way for us toward faith, toward trust in God, who wants neither suffering nor human distress.

And so, today’s big reminder, this Sunday of Holy Families, is that we are family. We are Creator’s beloved family -- and family to each other. God is a daddy, a mama, who looks at each of us with a love bigger than the universe, who wants only goodness for us, and who sends people into our lives to be God’s care for us when we ask for help.

To bring this reflection to a close, I invite you to pray with me:

Thank you, Creator,
for spending all your love on us.

You call us each by name.

We are your children,
and we thank you for surrounding us 

with your beautiful creation.

We ask your blessings on our parents,
and on all those who have been like parents to us.

Bless all those 

who need your care and attention today,
and help us to be brothers and sisters,
offering care and attention to those in our lives
who need understanding and love the most.

Make us into your family.

As it says in the first letter of John, 

let your Spirit of love shine from our lives.

Amen.

Monday Music Appreciation #45: I Heard the Bells (Johnny Reid)

Last week I had the privilege of working both evenings at the Winspear Centre for Music for Christmas with Johnny Reid. The man is definitely an entertainer, cracking jokes in his Scottish brogue and singing with an energy and enthusiasm that proves he loves his work and his fans.

The song below was quite powerful both evenings, as his band was backed up by our Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and he had the crowd singing like the Gospel choir and waving their phone lights. The second evening, my usher seat was near the front of the chamber, so I was able to look back at the sold-out room, main floor and three balconies full of people standing with their lights shining, singing Peace On Earth.That phrase has stuck with me ever since... something my heart is yearning for this season of Advent like never before.

Here's the song, for your enjoyment.

Monday Music Appreciation #44: An old hymn in honour of Jim

Yesterday was the last Community of Emmanuel service led by our dear Associate Pastor, Jim Gurnett, who has decided to retire after seven plus years of serving with Inner City Pastoral Ministry. As we began, Pastor Quinn announced Jim's retirement at the end of December, and I suspect that had an impact on Jim's listeners -- what a special service it was! It started with a Land Acknowledgment and Jim's special brand of groan-inducing humour, and once two Advent Candles were lit and those who wanted to smudge had that opportunity, Jim launched into a beautiful reflection on the Canticle of Zechariah.

I have always loved listening to Jim, but his sermon yesterday was exceptionally good, probably because of his unshakeable belief in the words of Zechariah, and because his love for the community shone through more brightly than ever. 

At the close of his sermon, Jim used the following words from St. Paul after telling everyone gathered that Paul's words to the Philippians (1:3-11) reflected his own sentiments toward them:

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer,

(here Jim had to pause for a long moment, a bit choked up) 

that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Jim then spoke beautifully about the value of community, of caring for one another and helping each other, especially when times are hard. 

Jim is truly a community elder, full of kindness, wisdom and generosity, always gentle and encouraging, but also not afraid to speak hard words to the powers that be when injustice rears its head. I'd go so far as to call him a living saint, though I'm sure that would embarrass him. 

Jim Gurnett is the man local journalists turn to every time they need news commentary on homelessness -- and he's schooled more than a few politicians -- and me -- about the struggles faced by those living on our streets because they have nowhere else to go due to governmental neglect. And in these past few years, as I've really struggled with my faith, Jim's certainty about God's love and his belief in people in spite of the injustices he always stands against has helped me more than words can say. 

Jim will continue with the Community of Emmanuel as a participant rather than a leader. He's leaving the role of associate pastor to me, though I have no hope of ever filling his shoes. I am hopeful that I can be of special assistance to the women of our inner-city community, and anyone else who needs a listening ear. There's a women's group who looks forward to some spiritual input, and I'll continue with music ministry and lead the second service of each month, and meet folks on the streets with my ministry partner, Pastor Quinn, two mornings a week. We work well together, Quinn and I... but I'll miss that third partner, Jim, though he'll still be around whenever I need advice. The Community of Emmanuel is his church.

Another thing I have really appreciated about Jim is his willingness to colour outside the lines when it comes to liturgy. His services often had a show-and-tell quality to them, including little activities or small items shared for people to carry with them to remind them of the day's message. He invited me to sing a Roy Rogers song one Sunday, and yesterday, he asked for a beautiful old hymn that we used to close the service. It was very fitting, as he has called the Community of Emmanuel to gather near the throne of God more than a hundred times over his time of ministry.

Here's a more modern take on Jim's song request. This version of Shall We Gather at the River is a pretty amazing listening experience, especially toward the end. In the video's comments, someone noted that the singers can't hold in their joy at making this music together. 

Enjoy! and God bless Jim in his retirement!

Relentless

Tuesday is "table time." Pastor Quinn and I set up our table on the corner near the Bissell Centre to hand out clothing and winter boots. Folks came by and politely took what they needed, and loaded up on Halloween candies and bananas that were possibly frozen (it was -14 and the wind was cold; the bananas had no chance).

And the people didn't have much of a chance either. Eight police officers and a group of cheerful city workers in hazmat suits came to throw the tarps and belongings of people huddled against the building into a waiting garbage truck. I can't imagine how those workers can do what they do every day of the week. I almost cried.

Police and clean up crews are paid outrageous amounts of money -- this is what our tax dollars get us, when they should be used for building supportive, non-market housing and offering the necessary physical and mental health care to the downtown community. My heart breaks every time our homeless folks are relentlessly forced to march on as if they're only as valuable as their belongings being tossed into that garbage truck...

But I helped three people into warm winter coats this morning, shared chocolate bars, and gave away eight pairs of boots. 

Small comfort.

Please, write your politicians. Housing is a human right. If we were all as relentless in demanding housing as Police and clean up crews are forced to be in clearing encampments, there wouldn't be a housing issue.

Monday Music Appreciation #43: William Prince and Serena Ryder "Sing me a song"

This song just played through my radio on good old CKUA (if you haven't listened to CKUA yet, it's available through the link on the right side bar lower down, here on these moodlings). This song always makes me smile. I have come to love the voices of these two wonderful Canadian musicians, Serena Ryder and William Prince -- they're less polished than a lot of the singers I hear on other stations, but that's definitely part of their charm. 

Too many people have been told in their pasts that they can't sing, and that makes me sad. True, some are less tuneful singers than others, but singing is good for the soul, so I'm always encouraging people to sing. Plus, as someone who has always loved to be sung to, I just love this tune's message -- it ain't gotta be good, it ain't gotta be long, just sing me a song...

Rallying for housing

Back in early fall (or was it even as far back as June?) the Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) planned its HOUSING HEALS HOMELESSNESS Rally at the Alberta Legislature for November 23rd, the day after National Housing Day. We figured more people would be able to attend on a Saturday. Of course, no one knew we'd be rallying in a blizzard!

In the initial planning, there were hopes that 4,000 people might show up to stand in solidarity with (and bring blankets for) the well over that many homeless individuals braving the cold in our city right now. As we set up in the snow this afternoon, those expectations dropped significantly.

In the end, we did have about 80 intrepid folks out (I made an effort to count them), which was actually pretty amazing given the snowstorm. We also managed to keep our program to 45 minutes so people's feet wouldn't freeze. Martin Kerr and Maria Dunn sang for us, and Jim Gurnett, Nadine Chalifoux, Bernadette Iahtail and Rylan Kafara offered personal reflections and information on the present affordable housing crisis. Lloyd Cardinal and his drummer friends sang for us, and Johnny Lee offered the opportunity to smudge.

Christina (my kiddo) and I periodically led a stomping chant with arm actions to try to keep the crowd warm. "Build Housing!" had everyone's arms over their heads in a roof position, and "Not Shelters" had them crossing their arms over their chests. As you might imagine, it was rather effective at keeping blood flowing on a chilly day. That kind of motion is what folks who stay in homeless shelters have to do when it's cold, walk and swing their arms and stomp their feet, often over 30,000 steps per day. How else does a person stay warm when they're forced to leave their shelter for most of the day only to have mall or transit security chasing them out of public spaces?

Below is today's chant, my first attempt at interactive slam poetry. If you're having a housing rally, you're welcome to adapt it for your own purposes. All of the situations in the verses are experienced by people in our city; I'm making nothing up.

Please consider writing your politicians to demand affordable and supportive housing with rents no more than 30% of peoples' wages. That kind of effort is the only way things will improve for all the people out on our streets across this wintry country...

Housing Heals Homelessness! Build Housing, Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

1.     Danielle Smith, you gotta help me (Got no place to live)

It's freezing cold here on the streets (Got no place to live)

Jason Nixon, build me a home (Got no place to live)

Your shelters force me out to roam (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

2.     Shelter beds can be worse than a tent (Got no place to live)

And I can NOT afford to rent (Got no place to live)

There's bugs and thugs and trouble inside (Got no place to live)

I need a private place to hide (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

(Speaker/Singer -- 5 min)

 

3.     Our family came from a place of war (Got no place to live)

We’re not sure what we came here for (Got no place to live)

Our apartment's small, our rent is high (Got no place to live)

We live so tight; we want to cry (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

4.     I have a disability (Got no place to live)

There's little accessibility (Got no place to live)

Medicine -- or a roof overhead? (Got no place to live)

Can't afford both; there's trouble ahead (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

(Speaker/Singer -- 5 min)

 

5.     My partner's abusive, my marriage is done (Got no place to live)

I'm on the streets and on the run (Got no place to live)

We live in my car; it's much too cold (Got no place to live)

but my daughter's school is across the road (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

 

6.     My student loans are way too high (Got no place to live)

I work three jobs and can't get by (Got no place to live)

Couch surfing's all I can afford (Got no place to live)

Or homelessness is my reward (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

(Speaker/Singer -- 5 min)

 

7.     I broke my leg; boss fired me (Got no place to live)

Depression got the best of me (Got no place to live)

Addiction's become my best friend (Got no place to live)

Some days I wish the world would end (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

8.     Justin Trudeau, you must know (Got no place to live)

You have the funds, just make it so (Got no place to live)

Sean Fraser, we're tired of this fight (Got no place to live)

Feds and Province must do what’s right! (Got no place to live)

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live – Not Shelters!

Got no place to live – Build Housing! Got no place to live!

 

Build Housing – Not Shelters!

Build Housing – Not Shelters!

Build Housing – Not Shelters!

Your humble poet, Maria K.

Meet Remi

On November 2, my husband's birthday, we picked up our furry little bundle of joy. On the three-hour drive home, we debated names as the little one chewed on toys or slept on the back seat between my daughter and me. None of us could agree on anything name-wise, and our puppy was still nameless when we went to bed that evening (not that he let us sleep much... puppies are like that).

So the next morning, I told Lee that if he and Suzanna could come up with something they agreed upon by the time I got home from Inner City Pastoral Ministry, I would go along with it. And so Remi was named for his little moustache (French?) and his tendency to paddle his feet when held in the air (Remi translates as "little oarsman" or something like it in some language or other).

I'm not sure I've ever been as tired as I have been in the past few weeks. We've been taking turns when the puppy wakes at night, but we're not young like when our babies needed overnight care. We're managing, though, and we're loving this little critter, marveling as he learns new things, laughing at his antics, and enjoying puppy kisses and cuddles. His delight with the first snowfall was hilarious, and on Sunday night, he managed the entire 20 minute evening walk Lee and I take every night, though it took 30 minutes with all of Remi's exploratory starts and stops.

We've had visits from a few friends who can't resist puppies, and this post will have a few more folks showing up on our doorstep, I expect. Just call before you come to make sure I'm not taking a nap!

Elli's documentary

I first met Elli fourteen months ago today and was immediately struck by her warmth and kindness. In the space of a very short period of time and subsequent conversations and texts, I knew I had met someone incredibly authentic and deep, someone who had been through a lot, but who knew herself better than many human beings ever do because of her own personal struggle to be true to herself. Now, Elli is all about finding and creating joy.

Over the past year, Elli, with the help of a Telus Story Hive grant and some good friends, has put together a wonderful documentary to share her life experiences so that trans young people can learn that they are not alone, and hopefully, find joy on their own journeys. Elli's honesty and her willingness to open her life up so that others can learn and understand is incredibly brave and generous, especially as the government of Alberta prepares to enact some terrible anti-trans legislation, to put it mildly.

Coming Home -- at least the first 5 episodes (I have yet to view the 6th) -- is definitely worth watching. That I am even saying so is a sign of how far I have come as a human being -- ten years ago (as my own trans child was coming out), the conversations in these videos would have made me deeply uncomfortable, but because I now know many people in the queer and trans community as friends (and family), my perspective has shifted in a major way. I know in my bones that our gender/sexuality is a special part of each of us, and that no matter how we identify, we are all Creator's beloved children and must do what we need to do to be true to ourselves, or risk dying inside.

As mom of a trans child, I have found hope and joy in Elli's documentary in spite of present circumstances. I want to believe that we as human beings can all become more accepting and inclusive of those who are different from us by welcoming them into our lives as they are.

Today is Trans Day of Remembrance, a day when we honour the lives of Trans persons who have died because of anti-trans violence over the past year. It's a very difficult day for many people who have lost friends or who already don't feel safe because of their gender difference. The day I met Elli, as I walked with a different trans person, a full water bottle narrowly missed is. It was hurled by some teens yelling slurs.

I hesitate to offer Elli's first episode because Trans Day of Remembrance is a day of mourning, and Coming Home is about joy. 

But if mourning prejudice and the injustices perpetrated against trans people can be combined with a deeper understanding of what it's actually like to be a trans person, it can bring about healing, too. So I offer the first episode of Coming Home here because Elli and her friendship have helped me to heal and grow in unexpected ways. If you are able to watch this on YouTube, the other episodes should follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZjq3SMk-U&t=7s

May we all be as kind and courageous as Elli!

Important event November 23rd

The week ahead is National Housing Week, a time for people to become more aware of the lack of supportive, non-market housing available to those living on the margins of our society due to 30 years of government inaction in providing such housing.

As a ministry team member for Inner City Pastoral Ministry, I'm only too aware of many people who live on the streets of downtown Edmonton because they can't afford a home of their own. Shelter beds will never be an answer to the problem as I've noted many times in these moodlings. Unfortunately, the family of Alberta's Minister for Housing and Seniors started the first shelter in Edmonton, and he is so proud of that legacy, he can't see how terrible shelters are for the health and well-being of community members who are already living with trauma. He ignores the need for permanent homes for the homeless. Nor is our premier interested in solving the problem beyond hiring police and clean up crews to continually displace the tents and tarps of homeless people who have nowhere else to live.

If you share my concern about the lack of housing, which is a nation-wide problem, please consider supporting events going on across the country for National Housing Day -- the easiest way to find one is to use your internet browser, type in the name of your community along with National Housing Day 2024, and see what comes up. 

Here in Edmonton, I'll save you the trouble of looking -- join me at the Alberta Legislature North Plaza at 1 p.m. Please, spread the word and bring friends! The program will be short and family friendly. The poster below holds all the key information. Hope to see you there!

Monday Music Appreciation #42 for Remembrance Day -- In Paradisum from Fauré's Requiem

I'd never heard Fauré's Requiem until Friday night, and with 200 voices from four choirs -- the Richard Eaton Singers, Chorale Saint-Jean, the University of Alberta's Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers -- and some wonderful soloists, I was blown away. It was a beautiful thing to hear on this Remembrance Day weekend, and at the end of it, the audience held silence a few moments longer than usual before breaking into a standing ovation. Long enough for me to breathe, "Wow!" and take another deep breath in and out.

Here is a beautiful version of In Paradisum from 2013, a video of the Royal Choral Society recorded at St. Giles, Cripplegate, near the Barbican in London. I tried to find a video with orchestra and 200 voices, but this was the largest choir I could discover on YouTube, so you'll have to imagine what it would be like to hear it with twice to three times as many singers and a full orchestra to boot. Just amazing.

In honour of those who have fallen in the World Wars that we remember today -- may the angels indeed lead them into paradise -- and with a deep desire for peace on our planet, I leave this with you. 

Music and meditation

I've been meaning to leave this here in my moodlings since before Canadian Thanksgiving! Sharing this information isn't just about appreciating music like my usual Music Appreciation Mondays, but about inviting my readers to participate in it and use it for prayer.

I've posted many times about Taizé in these moodlings, as I've been singing and praying the music of the Community since the early 90s or maybe even earlier, but I only managed to visit what I soon recognized as my spiritual home for the first time in 2014. My experience there was an affirmation of the importance of ecumenism in my life, and it's part of my reason for serving with the Community of Emmanuel at Inner City Pastoral Ministry. 

I deeply believe that Christians can and should pray together as much as possible, regardless of theological and dogmatic differences between churches, and the prayer of the Taizé community is a beautiful way to do that. We gather to listen to scripture and let it speak to our hearts without interpretation, we spend time in silence together, opening ourselves to God, we offer the prayers of our hearts, and we sing beautiful harmonies together, uniting our spirits.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the 2024-2025 season, and an invitation to a very special evening's peace prayer the day before Remembrance Day (this Sunday already!) We will gather, as the brothers of Taizé do every Sunday evening, and sit in silence before God for 30 minutes, praying for peace. The remainder of the hour-long prayer will be a simplified version of what happens in Taizé three times a day. 

I hope you can join us. If you would like a printable version of this poster, please contact me @ the email address under "The Moodler -- Maria K." on the right sidebar, and I'll be happy to email you a copy. Or better yet, come to the prayer and you can have a hard copy that I've already printed.

With the wars happening in our world and concerns about the election for our neighbours to the south, we can use all the peace we can pray for!

50 years of gratitude

This week marks 50 years since my family of origin moved 
from small town Saskatchewan to the big city of Edmonton, Alberta. 
The picture below was taken the month before we came 
(in September of 1974). 

The colour picture below is from winter of 2011...

and the next picture is from the last day of September this year.

Our city has grown a lot since we came, 

from a population of about 445,000

to the present 1.1 million people.

The roads are busier (and always under construction).

The people are more diverse, 

and the arts and culture scene has grown

by more than leaps and bounds!

Unfortunately, homelessness has increased

(doubled since last year to 4,700 people lacking homes,

or so Homeward Trust tells us today)

mostly because successive governments have failed 

over the past 30+ years to build and maintain

housing stock that is affordable.

(I'll have news about a housing rally coming up 

for National Housing Day on November 23rd.

Watch this space.)

I am grateful for life in this city, 

first known as amiskwaciswâskahikan in Cree

or Beaver Hills House in English.

Thanks, Dad and Mom,

for your decision to move to this beautiful place

50 years ago -- how time flies!

Thank you, beautiful place on a beautiful river,

for being home for 50 years.

I am grateful.

Ninanaskomun.

Wednesday music appreciation?

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Monday Music Appreciation, does it?

But Monday was my dear friend Farley's memorial service, and I wasn't thinking much about moodling. I did manage to hold myself together to sing Part of the Family because my friend Julie -- and everyone present -- really sang along. It was Farley's song, and they belted it out for him!

And his son Paul sang this beautiful song, too, which I had never heard until I met Farley. I loved Farley's version, and didn't know about Bob Franke, who wrote it, or that Stan Rogers had recorded it in a key that Farley appreciated and likely kept when he sang it.

Here it is for your enjoyment -- Thanksgiving Eve by Bob Franke, as sung by Stan Rogers.

Monday Music Appreciation #41: Everything reminds me of my dog

What would you call him?

Since Friday, my favourite radio station, CKUA, has been running its annual fall fundraising drive, and I've been enjoying the hosts teaming up and playing listener requests while they invite listeners to donate to the station. 

It's a unique and wonderful thing, this province-wide, listener-funded radio station that's been running for 97 years. It doesn't play top-40 hits -- rather, it caters to local musicians and other talented folks I would otherwise never hear of. Sometimes it plays stuff I'm not crazy about, but if I wait a few minutes, I hear something more to my taste, and I've fallen in love with a few of the announcers.

It's the only station that has played So Fine, a joyful tune my kids recorded, and it has helped launch the careers of many artists through its arts and culture programming. It can be heard anywhere in the world if you click this link.

On Saturday, as I was planting the last of my spring bulbs, the song below came through my earbuds, and made me laugh with delight. I saw Jane Siberry perform it live once, and enjoyed its humour then. I'm not sure if I'd heard it since, but I offer it below as a bit of music to be appreciated this Monday.

Not everything reminds me of my dog, but I'm posting a picture of the Havanese puppy who will be joining our household in two weeks. As yet, he's still with his mama and seven litter mates, and we are in the process of preparing for him to live here -- and throwing names around. We want to avoid common human names, and are compiling a list of possibilities. If you look at this picture and a name springs to mind, please send it my way. You might have better ideas than I do!

Here's Jane Siberry's Everything Reminds Me of My Dog. Enjoy!

Sunday Reflection: Top or bottom of the heap?

Today's reflection is brought to you by

Mark 10:35-45.

It was a gorgeous morning as I drove to ICPM this morning -- a stunning, fiery sunrise was reflected in the windows of the downtown skyscrapers, so I quickly pulled off and took a picture.

It was also a challenging morning for me at the Community of Emmanuel. It was my first time sitting in my friend Farley's chair and playing and singing Part of the Family, a song we always sang together, without him. Let's just say I was a mess, but people sang along and we got through it. I'm grateful that I don't have to lead the music for his memorial service in a week's time.

It was also my turn to give a reflection on the reading. I'll leave it here for my readers. I hope you all have a good week.

* * * * * * *

This is an interesting Sunday reading, don’t you think? Here we have James and John, two of Jesus’ friends and disciples, and basically, they’re asking Jesus to make them his “main men.” They’ve seen how popular and amazing Jesus is and want some of his amazingness to rub off on them – so they can be more important than Jesus' other followers. So they’re kinda sneaky with their request to Jesus, probably because they know the other guys won’t like it if they’re seen as more important. 

I suspect that if we look inside ourselves – if I look inside myself – I know that there’s a little bit of James and John in me too. There’s a bit of insecurity, maybe, that sometimes makes me want to be seen as important, or special, or maybe I want to feel like I’m better than others, especially people I don’t like. 

This little episode with Jesus and James and John makes me think of one of my friends, who isn't really a friend. All my life, my relationship with her has felt like a competition for some reason that I can’t quite understand. Maybe it’s all in my head, but many of my interactions with her have felt like a contest when I really didn’t want to compete. For example, when I was six, my parents bought me my first bike, and my friend started bragging about her bike being bigger than mine, and she could ride without training wheels! Her teachers were always better than my teachers, to hear her tell it. As we went through High School, she bragged about her grades, which were always better than mine. In our twenties, my friend boasted about being so busy, having the best job, and having so many friends, but I was more introverted and didn’t feel like my work or my friends were part of a competition. And when we got married and had our families, she made even the arrival of our babies feel like some sort of contest. It was weird. It's puzzled me all my life, and makes me a little sad too, because I just wanted us to be true friends, but I ended up avoiding her. 

Here’s the thing about competition – it divides people into two categories: winners and losers. What happens next is that the losers have an inferiority complex because they’ve lost, and the winners have a superiority complex because they’ve won, and the two groups don’t mix because of resentments that build up in a win-lose world. The losers are unhappy with losing and become more determined to get the winner’s prize, and the winners are watching their backs because they know the losers might beat them next time and they have to protect their status as winners. In this scripture reading today, the other disciples got mad when they heard about James and John’s request to be Jesus’ hot shot helpers. 

One of my favourite spiritual writers, Henri Nouwen, explains it well. This is what he says: “The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up. Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record - that's what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us [big] rewards....” 

James and John are so excited about the “big reward” of sitting beside Jesus in his glory that they don’t think about how the others might feel, or even hear what Jesus says to them about the suffering he, and by association, they, will have to endure. “Oh, yes, yes, we can drink your cup and follow your path” they say, but we all know where that path ultimately led. To the cross. Jesus’ glory is not a King-dom, like the Roman Empire. It’s a Kin-dom, a place where we are all kin, all brothers and sisters, equal in every way. Jesus’ heaven isn’t a race up a ladder. It’s a wide open gate for everyone who lives in love, where nobody is top dog because we all have our own unique and special qualities. 

Henry Nouwen continues by saying, “The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility. It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place! Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is … the way Jesus took… the way that brings everlasting life.” 

Jesus offers a completely different kind of world than what James and John were expecting. And when the disciples got angry with James and John for trying to be the top dogs, Jesus told them all to sit down and listen, and he explained that his Kin-dom is about serving one another, not trying to be the greatest. In Jesus’ books, the great ones in this life aren’t the ones who climb over everyone else on their way to the top of the heap, but are the ones hustling around the bottom of it, trying to help everybody else up too. 

Of course, when we look around the world we are in right now, we can see that there are a lot of so-called “hot shots” or “top dogs” who think they are the winners in this life because they’ve clawed their way to positions of power over other people. But what would Jesus say to them? The same thing he says to his disciples and to us: “The great ones among you will humble themselves and serve all the others.” 

So the next question is, what does it mean to serve? Let’s look at Jesus and how he did it. He spent his ministry listening to people, reminding them by his actions that God loved them. He healed the sick. He cared for the broken hearted. He walked alongside people where they were at, and forgave what needed forgiveness to free them from their burdens. He encouraged people to choose the good path. He was generous to everyone, not interested in piling up possessions, but sharing all that he had. Above all, he loved everyone, no matter if they were powerful or small in the world’s eyes. As he said in the reading, he offered his life in the place of many, to set them free. 

Can we be that kind of servant to others? Can we listen? Can our actions be an extension of God’s care for the people we meet? Can we listen to other people’s broken hearts and share ours and find healing as a community? Can we walk alongside each other and forgive what needs forgiveness? Can we choose the good path and share what we have? Can we love everyone, even when the world seems stuck on making everyone either a winner or a loser? Can we set each other and ourselves free by letting go of grudges and anger and choosing the way of love above all? 

Let’s talk to Creator about it. I invite you to pray in your heart with me: 

Creator, 

Here I am, 

just the way you made me. 

You know me. 

You know everything about me – 

the good things, 

the things I am proud of, 

the things I like to brag about… 

and the things about myself that I’m not proud of,

that make me ashamed.

You know everything.

 

And still, you love me. 

You love me! 

And you love everybody else too. 

Help me, 

Creator, 

to remember that everyone is your beloved child. 

Help me to be like your son, Jesus, 

who made himself a servant to everyone. 

Help me to listen with love. 

Help me to accept people without judging them. 

Help me to go the extra mile for others who need help. 

Help me to love and forgive and serve others, 

 to see where I can help, 

 and to do what Jesus would do with kindness and compassion.

 

+AMEN.

About all that gobbledygook

(If you're not receiving these moodlings by e-mail, feel free to ignore all but the last paragraph of  this moodling!)

Those of you who receive these moodlings in your e-mail inbox because you signed up to "Get Simple Moodlings by E-mail" are subject to a fair bit of gobbledygook (yes, that's the incorrect technical term for strange computer language about error codes and IP address restrictions) whenever I try to put a video into my moodlings. This is what I'm talking about, right here:

I'm not someone who knows enough about computer coding to be able to figure out how to fix this problem and save you from all that gibberish, and I'm very sorry about that. All I can do is tell you this much: if you see this kind of strange language, it means that the videos in my e-mailed moodlings are not appearing so that you can see them.

That's why I've put a sort of cheeky comment below the e-mail heading: 

Here's my latest moodling in basic format.
To see it in all its glory , visit https://simplemoodlings.blogspot.com/.

The above link will take you to the page where the pretty colour version of Simple Moodlings and its videos should be visible, clickable, and viewable. I post this here because I don't want my friends to miss Farley's song in yesterday's moodling... or any other Monday Music or video that's worth some appreciation.

And one more thing -- thanks for reading, friends. I've been moodling online for 14 years already, and I appreciate hearing from you whenever feel like responding to something you see here. The odd little comment here and there is a good part of the reason I've been at this so long. You make my day!

Be well!