Mission Scribbles and Scratches

(As you read my post for this month, you'll hear me talk about how my plans did not work out like I thought they would. I don't want to compare my minor scheduling problems and changes with the very upsetting and disorienting experiences of so many of our northern friends as they have had to deal with the huge number of forest fires this season. I've stayed at hotels where many of the northern Manitoba evacuees were staying...so glad that these families could be in a safe place. It also helped put my very minor problems in perspective!) If June 2025 had a basic theme for me, it was that my best plans do not always work out. This doesn't mean that the month turned out badly...it just means that sometimes life goes in different directions than I had hoped and it is important to stay nimble. I began the month with an academic conference in Toronto. I presented a paper at the annual meeting for the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (CSSR) in Toronto at George Brown...

May 2025 is a month brought to you by the letter "C" (as per Sesame Street, a favourite show both now and when I was younger). Let's begin... C is for C onferences: I had the chance to spend time with pastors and other church leaders from the North American Lutheran Church in Canmore at the end of April and the beginning of May. See last month's blog for more details about this. I also attended the Sabbath Conference in Edmonton with other LCC deacons and volunteers at the end of May. It was good to hear the presentations and catch up with everyone. Here's a photo of our crew at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton (they were kind enough to host us) and some photos of our fun times trying to throw some axes. I also had the opportunity to attend the annual conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion in Toronto later in the month of May. I presented a paper based on some of my current research and also enjoyed many sessions with the other presen...