There is a difference between guilt and shame. Failing to recognize the distinction leads to confusion or even despair. The distinction between guilt and shame is valid within our courts, relationships and souls. So, the matter is important in many aspects of living; family, friendships, church, and most of all in our walk with God.

In this weekly column our church family has been encouraged, challenged and inspired by God’s Holy Spirit through the words of Pastor Scott. He has requested Lorraine and me to write this column when he is on vacation. As a church family we are grateful for how God is leading us. May we continue to listen to one another, seek God’s face and voice as we fulfill the mission God has for us.

Have you ever been to the alpine meadows? I was hiking through the back country at Big White, near Kelowna recently. As I rounded a corner – suddenly in front of me was a field of colour – red, white, yellow, blue, green – beauty that takes one’s breath away.

I once spent a spent a month in a monastery. Yes, there were monks, Gregorian chants, spartan dining, vigil prayers, deep quiet and more manual labour than I'm used to. The month held a host of new experiences. I corked wine bottles, wrestled with ancient granite stone, doubled my Latin vocabulary and enjoyed a nightly sprinkle of holy water from the Abbot.