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CASA Prayer and Meditation
July 16, 2026
Living in a Topsy Turvy World:
My last month – a microcosm of everything!
A message from Rev. Larry
I move slowly and carefully almost all of the time. My balance is wonky after several illnesses, and I have a fused right ankle, so for the last thirty years, I have carefully placed each step. Until, that is, one day last month when I was unaccustomedly rushing from our back yard, up the steps to our back deck, when my right shoe caught under the ledge of the step, and down I went, knee, elbow, then head. I have already endured several concussions and other brain injuries, so re-concussing myself was the last thing that I needed!
For several weeks now headaches, the sense of a head full to capacity and beyond, and initially vertigo which recurred every time I moved or tried to lay down, left me stationary and depressed.
“Oh no, you silly man, you’ve done this to yourself again!” I lamented.
I immediately sought treatment, which is ongoing, for the vertigo and neck pain, and am off to see my chiropractor again in about an hour from now. The worst of the vertigo has successfully been treated, but the world stills wobbles on its axis at times, from my perspective.
Today our world is fogged and stinking with an abundance of smoke from the terrible forest fires in Northern Ontario, where we once lived forty-five years ago. Our hearts are broken for the awful loss of life of so much wildlife, so many trees, all those who have fled their homes from the pathway of the all-consuming flames and smoke, in what is becoming an annual tragedy around the world, as the planet warms and dries thanks to we homo sapiens. We are so incredibly grateful for the courageous battles being fought by firefighters, communities, and individuals, and mourn the loss of a Canadian firefighter in recent days. Nothing seems to be normal, this dense haze, the attendant fear for those directly affected by the flames, and all of us who are forced to breathe in the foul, likely poisonous fumes.
This catastrophe, as distanced from the epicentres as I am, compounds my sense that the world in not as it should be. Two days ago I went to our wonderful local pool for the first time since I fell, with our daughter and two grandchildren, and I simply buoyed away from the action as they splashed, jumped, and shrieked for joy. This concussion and its consequences have transformed me into a bystander to much of life. Our usual habit is to jump into the community pool every weekday morning at 8:30 am for an hour of Aquafit, but I have avoided going, owing to the usual jumping, twisting, and turning involved in this lovely program.
Yesterday I did go to Aquafit, and loved the social engagement of conversing and joking with our friends while we exercised! But yes, I did take it easy. Last evening and today sessions are cancelled, as are so many other things, because of the poor air quality. Simply being in the pool refreshed both my body and my mind.
Immersing ourselves into the love of God and the wonders of the world will always refresh, rising us up above wallowing in our individual self-pity parties, and making us more keenly aware of the joy of life burgeoning around us, of children and adults playing together, while exercising outdoors, normally a relatively safe place to be. This world is rife with the cacophony of discordant voices, motives, needs, and woes, overwhelmingly so. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed, as I have, normally an upbeat, optimistic soul, experienced.
For me this has been compounded by the sudden cancellation of the local newspaper for which I have been writing for several years, only a few months after I retired from my beloved church in a nearby community. Life will get better, I will feel better, my normal resilience will keep my head above the turbulent waters of recent days, and I pray that we all can continue to urge our elected officials and organizations to do better in preserving a viable earth for our children.
I am so excited for next week, when we will gather with our adult children and our grandchildren, to laugh, play, swim, and eat together. Games will be played, books will be read together and aloud, and we’ll bathe in the refreshing waters of our mutual love.
I hope for you all peace, calm, renewal, and refreshment. A new day will come, for us all.
P.S. And please say a prayer for this grandpa, who will be doing his best to keep up with the kiddos, woozy brain, and all. Amen.
On Indigenous Day of Prayer, Doug Schell shared Amazing Grace in Mohawk, the language of his Mother and Grandmother
From Rev. Larry:
In the past I have written some poems to be used each Sunday of Advent. One night about a month ago I thought of this and said to myself as my head hit the pillow that I would soon have to write new poems for this year's services. Suddenly a couple of lines of verse jumped into my consciousness, so I got up, opened my phone, and typed in these lines, which were quickly followed by a few more. I put down my phone and was about to turn off the light when the second poem popped into my awareness, so I picked the phone back up and wrote the second, for Advent 2, which was followed rather quickly by the poetry for Advent 3. I paused, listened, but heard no more, so I closed the phone, turned off the light, and headed back to bed. But, as you might well guess, before I returned to my cozy haven, I was called back to my phone, whereupon Advent 4 was quickly delivered.
I know Who is my muse, and these verses follow, unedited from their original formation. God does work in mysterious ways, and outside our regular hours! Blessings to all.
Celestial quilt picked of dazzling light,
Lead us on through this long night
Dazzling star of intense beams
Wake us from our hopeless dreams.
World of comforts meaningless,
Move aside and clear our sight,
Our Saviour comes our beings to bless,
Despite our wandering faithlessness.
Restless now the expectant
woman lies
Yes the world is unknowing of her sighs,
Her belly swells, her heart at peace,
This child unborn
Our salvation sees.
Expectant, restless Mary
Awaiting her new child
Calmly watching, now does tarry
In a Manger lowly,
Soon to be so Holy...
Yet she rests, so mild.
Baptized April 13, 2025:
Twins Casey John Jensen
and Blayne Luke Jensen
their Father Scott William Jensen (pictured left)
Jackson William Luce
and his Mother Jenneke Brianne Luce (centre)
and Faith Marie Noddin (right)
Rev. Larry welcomes new members Donna Udell (right),
and Phillip Schuyler
New Members at DUC
December 15, 2024
Pictured from left:
Matt Breen, Beth Breen (with their children) and Jack Page
Dutton area churches gather over a ton of food for the Daffodil Auxiliary - Welfare!
By Sharon Mannering and Larry Schneider
How many pounds of food could area churches collect, in a friendly competition for our local food bank? That was the challenge issued in August by Dunwich United Church in Dutton.
A “Challenge to Collect” for the month of September was issued to see which of the area churches could collect the most non-perishable food for the West Elgin Daffodil Auxiliary – Welfare. Participating churches were Argyle Presbyterian, Crinan; Duff Presbyterian, Largie; Dunwich United; Dutton Baptist; Grace Anglican, West Lorne; Knox-St. Andrews Presbyterian, Dutton; St. Helen’s Catholic, Wallacetown; and St. Peter’s Anglican, Tyrconnell. Collections grew at all participating churches through the month of September.
The weigh-off took place in the parking lot of Dunwich United, on the morning of September 30. AGRIS Co-operative Ltd. graciously loaned the use of a pallet scale, which made the weigh-off very efficient. Lin McCann, representative of Daff Auxiliary, reports that on a monthly basis, they distribute fifty hampers; they anticipate close to one hundred hampers will be requested for Christmas. Knowing the need is great and on-going, the area churches stepped up:
The total weights, by church, are Argyle Presbyterian 114.4 pounds, Duff Presbyterian 201.3, Dunwich United 559.9, Dutton Baptist 332.2, Grace Anglican & St. Peter’s Anglican 67.1, Knox-St. Andrews Presbyterian 497.2 and St. Helen’s Catholic 387.2.
The sum total weight of these amazing and most generous collections is 2159.3 pounds of food for our local food bank! While this event/process was a friendly competition among the churches and their members, accompanied by some hilarious ‘trash talk and competitive bluster, the true winner is our community! Congratulations to the Daffodil Auxiliary.
Lin McCann was deeply touched by the churches’ generosity, and gave a heartfelt thank you speech to the assembled donors, capture with their individual church’s totals in the accompanying picture. These donations will go quite a way to filling the needed hampers! Many thanks to our participating churches and to AGRIS for use of a scale.
It truly does take a village to raise, support and uphold families in need.
Blessings to all who contributed, and to all who receive!
Heart & Soul in concert on May 5, 2024
Organized by Coopers and Griffins, community members rocked along with 50s, 60s, and 70s music. Funds raised will support "Let's Connect" Family Cooking Program at West Elgin Community Health Centre.
Pictured from left: Rev. Larry Schneider, Gord Griffin, Anne Griffin, Peter Snell, Fred Garant, Tony Cooper, Dora Cooper.
DUC welcomed new members by transfer on February 18. From left: Marg Varga, Bill Graham, Gwen Schneider, Chair of Congregation Tony Cooper, Darlene Towers, Rev. Larry Schneider, Doug Staddon, Dorothy Staddon, Rosanne Murray.
Another favourite from Doug Schell. Thank you for sharing your gift of music!
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