Despite not posting much this year, I could hardly forfeit the customary (see previous year-end lists below) opportunity to compile a best-of list. Here are a few general observations from the compiling:I didn't see a single film in the cinema this year, for the first time since I can recall. The films I did see … Continue reading Best of 2019
Witness: From Thin to Thick
Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash The following was written for and presented at a plenary panel on "Work, Worship, and Witness" at the tenth annual Society of Vineyard Scholars conference, May 2, 2019, Minneapolis. Early on the morning of the resurrection, while it was still dark, the Gospel of John tells us that Mary … Continue reading Witness: From Thin to Thick
Schools of Spiritual Formation (Fall 2019)
Over the last few years, I have had the great privilege of being involved with an organization called Sustainable Faith. It's no understatement to say that the organization, the schools it facilitates, and the friendships I have made therein have transformed my life. As a result, I am not the same person I was even … Continue reading Schools of Spiritual Formation (Fall 2019)
What is Lent?
Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the … Continue reading What is Lent?
Driven into Wilderness (Year One, 1 Epiphany, Monday)
Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash After much reflection and research, I purchased a lovely two-volume set of "Revised Office Readings" in preparation for 2019. There are various lectionaries (or collections/lists of scripture readings appointed for any given day of the year) and I have found them useful both in deciding what to read, and in … Continue reading Driven into Wilderness (Year One, 1 Epiphany, Monday)
Best of 2018
Television (watched though not necessarily released in 2018)*blurbs from IMDB The Handmaid's Tale (Seasons 1 & 2; Hulu): "Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship."Killing Eve (Season 1; BBC America): "A security operative hunts for an assassin. Based on the Villanelle novellas by Luke … Continue reading Best of 2018
A Eulogy for John Rempel
The following was given in honour of John Rempel at his funeral on a sunny afternoon on March 1, 2018. Good afternoon. My name is Suhail and I am married to John Rempel’s eldest granddaughter, Jennifer. I might as well have been his grandson because John was entirely welcoming from the moment I met him … Continue reading A Eulogy for John Rempel
Best of 2017
Film (watched though not necessarily released in 2017) 01. Lion 02. Silence 03. La La Land 04. Dunkirk 05. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King 06. Wind River 07. The 13th 08. The Salesman 09. The Light Between Oceans 10. The Big Sick 11. Logan 12. Chasing Coral 13. Jerry Before Seinfeld 14. Gaga: Five Foot Two … Continue reading Best of 2017
Being a Father: 14 Vignettes
It's 10:43am on the 18th of September and you are being born. Dark hair is covering your head and clay-coloured vernix is coating your body. You're screaming. You're being warmed and weighed. I'm apprehending your pain. I am unsure when I get to hold you; asking the nurses if I should take my shirt off. … Continue reading Being a Father: 14 Vignettes
Becoming a Father
I've always wanted to have children. When Jennifer and I got married, I was slightly reticent if only because I wanted to prolong marital bliss and because I assumed that the second we started trying, we'd get pregnant. We fawned over baby clothes, imagining how cute our beige child would look. We even bought some tiny, … Continue reading Becoming a Father
Writing Is Prayer 