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A lush green forest.

We can hear God’s heartbeat in nature

Ten years ago, Pope Francis released Laudato si’, an encyclical exhorting all people of good will to care for the Earth, our common home. Grounded ...
A lush green forest.

Communion Forest takes root

Hiking solo in the Adirondacks, I hit a sweet, gentle downhill section of the trail as it curved to my right. I slowed my pace ...
A still pond surrounded by green trees.

We need to get our hands into the soil

“With the forests falling faster than the minutes of our lives we are saying thank you.” – W.S. Merwin Too many of the world’s forests ...
Progressively bigger stacks of coins grow plant shoots.

Statistics indicate continued growth

The lead story in the January 2020 edition of the Anglican Journal read, “Gone by 2040?” Archbishop Linda Nicholls, then Primate of the Anglican Church ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Solitude enriches our inner lives

We live in an age in which many of us are deeply affected by loneliness. Many elements of modern life separate us from other people, ...
Paper doll chain with various skin tones

Why do we do this work?

A highly educated woman in our diocese who had served quietly and faithfully in her home parish for years was asked to accept the position ...
hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

You can welcome people who are fleeing for their lives

World Refugee Day, June 20, is a day designated by the United Nations to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced ...
Four people smile in a selfie taken outside a church building.

Let there be light

There’s a particular kind of stillness that settles in a closed church – the kind that clings to the air and is heavy with dust. ...
Okra sitting on a wooden table.

Talk of food brings joy and memories

Is there a special food that’s dear to your heart (and stomach)? Food is such an incredible site of flavour, memory, culture and satisfaction. Food ...
A green leafy tree.

Communion Forest plants a seed

The devastation was unreal. The trees that had shaded us, protected us, gave us oxygen and life, were destroyed in one summer. Five years ago, ...
A memorial at the Spirit Garden in Toronto lists the names of Residential Schools in Ontario.

Let us renew our commitments to truth and reconciliation

This June will mark 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its final report on genocide against Indigenous nations in the Residential School ...
A dozen or so young people sit around a round dinner table in a banquet hall.

Speaking about the Bishop’s Company

Seldom do I get an opportunity to speak to a parish fellowship group about the campaigns of the stewardship office. Most often, I’m invited to ...
The Rev. Judith Alltree bringing gift bags to the captian and crew on a ship.

A tip of the hat to seafarers

For the past 164 years, a little-known ceremony takes place on board the first ship to arrive in the Port of Toronto. It’s called the ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Jesus became one of us

Our recent celebration of Easter inspires us to think about God taking on human form through Jesus, whose death on the cross and subsequent resurrection ...
A watercolour graphic of a church building flanked by green leafy trees, with the text "Beyond the Brick."

Welcome to Beyond the Bricks

Let’s begin with a simple truth: our buildings don’t just house ministry and mission – they’re an essential part of them. They hold our stories, ...
Bishop Andrew Asbil speaks at a lectern in the Queen's Park briefing room, flanked by faith leaders.

Majority of parishes support protection and expansion of harm reduction services

This year’s social justice vestry motion, “Protecting and Expanding Harm Reduction in Ontario,” received the support of a majority of parishes across the diocese, as ...
Progressively bigger stacks of coins grow plant shoots.

Going to church is good for you

For my last several columns, I have focused on some interesting changes and trends in the Church that have been accelerated by the pandemic. We ...
hands hold a candle next to a flyr that reads "talking about social justice"

On sustaining hope and action in uncertain times

“I can’t believe the news today/I can’t close my eyes/and make it go away…” More than 40 years ago, in the midst of the Troubles ...
A group of priests lays hands on a person being ordained a priest.

Are you being called to ordained ministry?

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Racial justice starts right here

We are the people of God and we want to believe we’re way beyond issues like a lack of equal representation, racial inequity in decision-making ...
A turtle sculpture made out of limestone in the Spirit Garden in Toronto.

Look back for a new direction

The Diocese of Toronto has redistributed more than $100,000 in the past year to Indigenous communities from the sale of land, with another round of ...
Four people standing in a church in New Zealand.

This Eastertide, I give thanks to God for you

Christ is risen! Alleluia! Some of the profound joys of my episcopal ministry are meeting, greeting (and eating!), listening and learning my way around the ...
Progressively bigger stacks of coins grow plant shoots.

Giving in the Church is changing

It’s easier than ever to give. When I came to the Diocese of Toronto in 2003, the most common way to give was by cheque. ...
A pair of hands hoving over the keyboard of a laptop

Doubt can lead to action

“Lord, I believe – help my unbelief.” This is the prayer Mother Teresa spoke during her 50-year period of dryness with God, a dryness that ...
Three icons on a table.

I am now a free person

My decision to participate in the Companions Program run by the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine has been the best thing I could have ...
Season of Spiritual Renewal logo

Wonderful worship a sign and symptom of renewal

The scriptures teach that there are few things as wonderful as people gathering for vibrant and passionate worship of God. Such stories are peppered throughout ...
Two young children hold hands in a rhuch.

What is spiritual renewal, anyway?

As we look to the year that lies ahead, we know that we will be well immersed into our Season of Spiritual Renewal. But what ...