Published in the Bruce Peninsula Press, April 1, 2026 When Jeff Bird was studying music at the University of Guelph in the 1970s, he fell in love with medieval and renaissance music. After graduating, he discovered the sublime music of the twelfth-century German mystic Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Bird says this was music “on a whole other level” compared to that of her contemporaries. No wonder Bird was captivated by this unusually gifted woman, who was obviously ahead

Published in the Bruce Peninsula Press, April 1, 2026 The Tobermory Thrift Shop, a fundraising initiative of Tobermory United Church, is hoping to expand its services this summer. The Thrift Shop, a hallmark of summer in Tobermory for decades, is able to consider changing its operating format due to extra storage provided by the purchase of a sea container that has been installed on the property at 7101 Highway 6. Though in the past the Thrift Shop has been open for donations

This story is called What's Going On Here? . It is based on Mark 11:1-11 and Matthew 2 11:1-11 and it was told on March 29, 2026.

This is the week when it all begins… Palm Sunday on Sunday morning; an early celebration of Good Friday on Sunday evening, with the Community Easter Cantata Choir service, “In Calvary’s Shadow;” followed by an intimate service of foot washing and Communion on Maundy Thursday; and then a celebration of the miracle of resurrection on Easter Sunday! In this one week, as we accompany Jesus to the cross, it’s possible to feel a whole range of human emotions, from expectation, to t

This sermon is called Jesus Wept . It is based on John 11:1-45 and it was preached on March 22, 2026.

Apparently “Jesus wept” is the shortest verse in the Bible – the King James version, anyways. This brief sentence appears in the account of the raising of Lazarus, which we will encounter on Sunday. In this account, Jesus is summoned because his friend Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, has died. Upon coming to the place where Lazarus’ body has been put to rest, Jesus, surrounded by a weeping Mary and other friends, begins to weep too. This says a lot. It reinforces the ide

This sermon is called Seeing Clearly . It is based on John 9:1-41 and it was preached on March 15, 2026.

Published March 10, 2026, Bruce Peninsula Press One thing they don’t prepare you for in seminary is what to do when there’s an Olympic gold-medal  hockey game going on at the same time as a church service! I have to say there was a certain level of tension and excitement as we gathered for worship on Feb. 22. We agreed from the outset that updates on the game were welcome during the service. I think it was just before the call to worship when the comment rang out, “They’re in

Sometimes the Holy Spirit just drops things into your lap – like the fact that this Sunday is International Women’s Day and the lectionary Gospel scripture just happens to be Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. There are so few accounts of women in the Bible, so I’m really glad that the lectionary served one of them up for us on this important day. Did you know that Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman is the longest sustained conversation that he h

This is a sermon called Born of the Spirit . It is based on John 3:1-17 and it was preached on March 1, 2026.

The lectionary Gospel scriptures for the season of Lent are all about encounters -- Jesus having surprising encounters with people who are transformed because of it, and who become – overtly or covertly – his disciples. Sunday’s lectionary passage tells us of Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who visits Jesus late at night. The passage lends itself well to dramatic images – Nicodemus stealing silently down a dark street, a single candle burning in a window, a gentle but firm knock on a

Published in the Bruce Peninsula Press February 25, 2026 Tobermory United is very pleased to announce that our community of faith received a Mission Support Grant for $10,000.00 from the Western Ontario Waterways Region of the United Church of Canada. Musicians tell us that they love playing in our sanctuary because of the beautiful acoustics and the welcoming natural wood and windows, so this grant is to enable us to enhance our capacity as a performance venue. We are so gra

This is a reflection called Angels Came . It is based on Matthew 4:1-11 and it was preached on February 22, 2026.

A thousand thanks to Heather Munn and her amazing team for a stellar pancake supper last Tuesday. After so many years coordinating this endeavour, Heather knows what she’s doing, so feeding more than a hundred people pancakes, sausages, ham, homemade baked beans, devilled eggs and desserts went off without a hitch. The best part was hearing the blessed clamour in the Community Centre as folks chatted, visited and laughed. It’s been a long winter, and I think everyone was glad

This sermon is called Having Love. It is based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and it was preached on February 15, 2026.

Well, hello. I’m back. I have good news and bad news about my vacation time. We’ll start with the bad news: A three-day train trip from Toronto to Jasper, sadly, is not a good experience for an 85 year old with mobility issues (my mother). What started as a highly anticipated bucket-list experience – my mother, my sister and I travelling west by train – turned into a very difficult time for all of us, as my mother’s walker would not fit in the passageways of the train and she

Tobermory United Church is gearing up to once again host the annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper, Feb. 17, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Tobermory Community Centre. The meal includes pancakes, farmers’ sausages, homemade baked beans, fruit, desserts and refreshments. Not only will you be served a wonderful meal, but in the midst of a stormy winter, it will be great to get out and see some friends and neighbours! Admission is by donation. The following morning, February 18, all ar

Well, it’s been a week… One of those weeks where the weather dictates our activities, a week of cancelling, rescheduling, shovelling, shifting meetings to Zoom, but in the midst of all that, also gratitude. Gratitude for warm shelter, for the people who plow the roads and the ones who show up in emergencies even in a blizzard. The key to winter in Tobermory seems to be flexibility. As I said in a Zoom meeting on Thursday, “Blessed are the flexible.” We are in the middle of th

It’s a powerful question. Powerful now and powerful in the Gospel of John when Jesus asks it of two of John the Baptist’s disciples. The disciples answer, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” And so it begins, the teaching relationship that unfolded over three years and countless miles and the witnessing of miracles and the authorities always hovering in the background, ready to shut things down. A relationship that begins here and will end at the cross… Each of the Gospels has a