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!