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LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
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Join us tonight, October 19, to chat about the October issue. We expect the focus to be on the Alberta referendum and several pieces on immigration and hospitality (p. 1, 5 and 16). Contact Neil and Virginia Lettinga, friends of CC at [email protected] to get the zoom link. Conversation kicks off at 6:30 pm PT, 9:30 pm ET.
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Christ-centred. Creative. Canadian.
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Happy vote day Yellowknife! It's municipal election season for many of us and for the good people living 400 km south of the arctic circle on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, that day is today. If you have ever lived in Yellowknife (or any of the territories) we would love to hear from you. Our December issue's theme is Up North and we're looking for story pitches and news leads!
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About 85 percent of Canadians will have the opportunity to cast a vote in a municipal or provincial election, or referendum this fall. B.C. residents get to vote twice! First in a municipal election on Saturday and then a provincial election next week. I know I'm in a minority, but I love elections – there's some thing so beautiful about lining up with people who I otherwise just see at church or the grocery store and declaring "we care enough to show up."
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The writers featured in today's newsletter have a lot to say about the beauty and awkwardness of participating in community life:
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- Beth Carlson Malena tells us about her "chosen family", a group of friends that is committed to eating together every Wednesday – even when it's inconvenient.
- Amanda Talstra shares memories of a man who once rushed to the communion table before being invited.
- Sara Pot's vivid story telling makes you feel like you're on the train with her to Toronto, trying to solve the accessibility puzzle.
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If voting for you feels more like doing laundry or taking out the garbage, then I know you might not share my joy on vote day. But if you have the opportunity to go to a polling both this fall, I hope you'll take the time to show up for your community!
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Did someone forward this newsletter to you?
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VOTING 'NO' IN ALBERTA
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CC invited Alberta readers to tell us how they plan to vote in the October 19 referendum.
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Meghan Kort
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At the end of August, CC invited Alberta readers to tell us how they plan to vote in the October 19 referendum. We received 20 responses by email and one handwritten letter. All 21 respondents said they are not in favour of Alberta separating from Canada. Most used all caps and exclamation points to underscore their pro-Canada position, and two said they would leave Alberta and move back to Canada if they had to.
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WEDNESDAY DINNER
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Ordinary hospitality that works.
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Beth Carlson Malena
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Wednesday Dinner started in 2011 with my wife and three of her friends. They were at various stages in their coming out journeys, and they no longer felt welcome to bring their full queer selves to church. They craved a regular practice of community akin to a midweek “home group” or “small group” meeting, and they figured they didn’t need the church to engineer it, so they began cooking and eating together every Wednesday night.
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A PERFECTIONIST MEETS HOUSEFLIES
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Heidi VanderSlikke
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Ever been grateful for houseflies? Me neither! The title of Elise Tegegne’s book intrigued me – In Praise of Houseflies. This slim, lyrical volume takes a brutally honest look at mundane, everyday vexations and challenges. Tegegne invites us “to pause, take a deep breath, and attune your spirit to God as you open these pages.” It is an invitation well worth accepting.
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HOW DID I GET HERE?
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Allan Romkema
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This memoir details a displacement that shapes the author's academic path. Focusing her research on how narrative influences life, her own discovered voice then builds a framework for educators where storytelling is central. The struggle to reconstruct her past is reflected in the book’s structure. Each chapter is visually designed as a faded image of the cover’s backdrop, mimicking the hazy, delicate process of memory recall.
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A MESSY WELCOME
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Amanda Talstra
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My last memory of Philippe* is of him rushing towards the communion table too soon. Before the pastor had recited the requisite story and familiar prayers and issued the invitation. The rest of us remained in our pews waiting for the signal that we were welcome – Philippe didn’t wait. The congregation sat in silence as our pastor lovingly coached him, in the awkwardness of it all. “Not yet, Philippe. Just wait a minute.” The moment brings tears to my eyes.
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THE KINDNESS OF EXCLUSION
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Sara Pot
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In August, one of our respite nurses and I took Rachel and Janneke on the GO train to visit the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Rachel and Janneke love riding the train, so the journey is part of the adventure. The accessibility coach filled up quickly. Subsequently, the Customer Service Ambassador made announcements at each station stop, reminding passengers that the coach was for those with mobility challenges.
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It's the last day to take our 10-minute reader survey. Tell us what you think about CC and what we should focus on in 2027! We can't wait to hear from you.
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