My friends, this week there have been times that I have felt more discouraged and defeated about the state of the world than I have in a long time. A few weeks ago, if you had told me the process of appointing a supreme court justice in another country would affect me so deeply, I…
I remember staring at the television screen in disbelief and horror. I was 23 and working as a youth pastor at a church in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on September 11, 2001. Someone came into my office and said to come to the television. The other pastors, the janitor, the church secretary, and the guy who…
I admit I didn’t notice it at first. I went to church after church. I shook hands. I met pastors. I heard good music and good preaching. It was at about week twelve that I realized: “I haven’t heard a woman preach in three months.” A couple sang. Some made announcements. Not one preached.…
Dear Church, We need to stop sucking. This is part three of my series on things I learned when I spent four months visiting different churches, and, frankly, it’s the one I tried to convince myself I didn’t need to write. I don’t aspire to rock the boat too much on this blog, so…
This post is PART TWO of a series entitled: “That Time I Visited Fourteen Churches in Four Months” Four months ago, I began a Sabbatical from my role as a pastor. One of the things I did during this time was to visit different worship services. I was really excited to get a chance to…
Part One: “Would I Go Back?” “Um, can you tell me where the bathroom is?” I asked the friendly person who welcomed me as I walked into church that day. “Sure! It’s just downstairs.” I found the stairs tucked away in a corner, and began to walk down. As I got near the bottom, I…
Four months ago, there was an ice storm. Remember? It’s hard to picture now when we are basically collectively melting, but it happened. I couldn’t even fathom then the idea of a day so hot I’d be cranking up the air conditioning, but here it is. I also couldn’t imagine on that day what the…
I am the youngest of four children. I was blessed to have a wonderful oldest sister named Roxanne and I am still blessed by my other older sister, Deanne, and an older brother, Jason. Today is Deanne’s fiftieth birthday, and I toast to her! Here’s to you, Deanne, on your fiftieth birthday. Here’s to you,…
This week it will have been five years since my sister died. I can hardly believe it. Like every year around this time, this week on the calendar draws me back to that season of grief in my life. Five years ago was not only when I lost one of the people I loved…
Last fall I had to face a conflicting reality in my life: I would soon be eligible for a four month Sabbatical. Our church has a policy that after a number of years of continuous work, pastors can apply for a extended time of leave to learn, refresh and recharge. This year, my time had…
Leanne Friesen 