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David Ewart
Vancouver, BC CANADA
Husband, father of two grown sons, United Church of Canada minister
Interests: brain-mind research, physics, cosmology, process theology, evolution, leadership
Recent Activity
Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season After Pentecost, September to November
Posted Jun 30, 2022 at Holy Textures
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The Holy Threesome
Background In 1978, in my final interview to determine if I would be recommended for ordination to the Ministry of Word, Sacrament, and Pastoral Care in the United Church of Canada, I was asked to share my understanding of the Trinity. There was a long pause after I replied, “It’s all a mystery to me.” Apparently the committee was expecting a more fulsome answer. But evidently my answer was sufficient for the occasion, and I was ordained “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” And for the next 40 years, “mystery” was my default answer whenever I was asked to comment on this bedrock Christian teaching. But in my old age, and after helpful exposure to teachings and critiques from feminists, Indigenous wisdom holders, historians of Western ideas / culture / class, Process theologians and others engaged with contemporary Western science, I am ready to make a stab at offering that more fulsome response. And trusting that I will still be honouring “the name”. Before I Begin But before I begin, let me briefly lay out a few underlying assumptions I am making. Christians don’t believe in “God”. By this I mean that Christians don’t believe in a singularity. “God” is not a separate self / being / object that exists somewhere out there, or up there, or in here, or anywhere. “God” just does not “exist” in the usual way you and I experience the existence... Continue reading
Posted Jun 20, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Why I Am Almost an Atheist - Take 2
I have abandoned my first take on this post. For one thing, there are at least as many ways to be an atheist as there are to be a Scottish Presbyterian. And my initiative for writing is not to argue with atheism - nor Presbyterianism - in all their many forms. My goad is to write about what still nags at the "faith" I seem to still have. I am also today weighed down by the news of the slaughter of 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas. What, in the name of a trustworthy, good, God can one say? I wonder how I would re-present Jesus at any of these funerals. What could one say that wouldn't be offensive; not be off the mark. (Learning how not to be like Job's friends is a start.) Let's begin by remembering that Christians do not believe in God. Christians do not believe in a singularity; they believe in a Community; a foundational Threesome that underlies and infuses all realities. If there is a "god", that "god" is relationship; not a separate, single, self. And, if there is a "god" who is relationship, Christians assert that this relationship is epitomized by love. Love that holds nothing back. Love that is totally committed to the good of the other. Love that gives with no strings attached. Love that has no pre-conditions. Love that never forgets; never looses attention; never... Continue reading
Posted May 28, 2022 at David Ewart
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season After Pentecost, From Trinity Sunday to the End of August
Posted May 16, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Reunion 2023
2023 marks the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the school that would eventually become Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute. A reunion is planned for April 21-23, 2023. Check the Alum Facebook page for news. (I'll repost things here as I... Continue reading
Posted May 4, 2022 at DMCI Class of 63
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season of Easter
Posted Mar 19, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season of Lent and Holy Week
Posted Feb 3, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Correct Link for Luke 4:21-30
Posted Jan 10, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Correct Link for Luke 4:14-21
Posted Jan 10, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Correct Link for John 2:1-11
Posted Jan 10, 2022 at Holy Textures
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The Text This Week Link Errors
Dear Friends and Holy Textures Subscribers, Sadly, Jenee Woodard, the curator of The Text This Week, has been unable to update her web site for several months now. And I have discovered that several Text This Week links for Holy Textures are broken and result in a "Page Not Found" error. Starting today, I will be creating new Holy Textures posts to intercept these references and provide a re-direct to the correct post. Unfortunately, this means that FeedBlitz, will send you an email for each new post. They are not spam. And Holy Textures has not been taken over by pirates. I apologize for these unneeded emails. I trust that you continue to find strength and renewal through these days of Epiphany, All the best, David Ewart Continue reading
Posted Jan 9, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Correct Link for Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Posted Jan 8, 2022 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C, Season of Epiphany
Posted Nov 24, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year C - Seasons of Advent and Christmas - 2022
Posted Oct 17, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Season of Pentecost, Part 2
Posted Jul 26, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Season Pentecost, Part 1
Posted Apr 25, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Season of Easter
Posted Mar 10, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Season of Lent and Holy Week
Posted Jan 25, 2021 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Season of Epiphany
Posted Nov 17, 2020 at Holy Textures
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Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Seasons of Advent and Christmas
Posted Nov 9, 2020 at Holy Textures
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Lectio Divina
John has written so that our reading of his words might help us form a deeper bond with Jesus. This suggests that we need to ponder how to read John's words so that this might happen. There are many different ways to read: for distraction, information; entertainment; new ideas; new... Continue reading
Posted Oct 5, 2020 at Written So That You Might Believe
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Week 1, John 1 to 6
Hi Everyone, I am looking forward to being with you all for the first session of studying John together. I would love it if we could just read through the whole book during our time together – but that would take up all of our time! So instead I will... Continue reading
Posted Oct 5, 2020 at Written So That You Might Believe
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Returning Home
There have been several days of hot wind now. Green grass is beginning to show through, and the trees are fattening. We're only just into spring, and yet this is summer weather. Each season seems to contain within it a foretaste of the one to come. Blurring the boundaries of times and seasons. And there on top of the TV amid the flowers like a shrine is Trevor's picture. Grandson. Four years old, who died of leukemia last Friday. In the picture he seems plump and healthy, but the toque is probably meant to hide hair missing from the chemicals and radiation. This is a snapshot of child-life dying. Tomorrow is the second Sunday after Easter. The Gospel is John. Christ's appearance to the disciples and to Thomas. Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe. --- You are the Lord of the living and of the dead. Are you also the Lord of this manner of dying? ("We prayed that he would go. He cried all the time. They gave him morphine every few hours to kill the pain. But he only screamed louder whenever he saw them coming. We prayed that he would go. The last day was the hardest. I'll never forget the last day.") You say that we are blessed to believe without seeing. That is not the problem. The... Continue reading
Posted Sep 27, 2020 at David Ewart
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When We Pray for Bread
6 Meditations for Communion When we pray for bread1 … we pray for what is concrete. Jesus did not invite us to pray for food. Food is abstract, general, removed. Bread is concrete, specific, particular. So do not be vague or obscure in our prayers. To pray for bread is to pray for what is real and substantial. Pray that we will be as real as bread is real. When we pray for bread … we pray for what is basic. Jesus did not invite us to pray for cake. Cake is superfluous, peripheral, unnecessary. Bread is fundamental, central; essential. So do not be elaborate or excessive in our prayers. To pray for bread is to pray for the heart of the matter. To pray for bread is to pray that we will be as nourishing of life as bread is. When we pray for bread … we pray for what is common. Jesus did not invite us to pray for caviar. Caviar is costly and privileged. Bread is affordable and available. So do not be arrogant or proud in our prayers. To pray for bread is to pray to share in the fate of common people. To pray for bread is to pray that we will be as ordinary as bread is. When we pray for bread … we pray for what is manufactured. Jesus did not invite us to pray for manna. Manna falls down heaven, whole and... Continue reading
Posted Sep 20, 2020 at David Ewart
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Welcome
Posted Sep 6, 2020 at Written So That You Might Believe
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