Grace Pritchard Burson

“Another, and harder, and better one”

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All Saints by the Lake, Dorval Epiphany II, Year A January 15, 2023   Illustration by Pauline Baynes from The Horse and His Boy    In C. S. Lewis’ The Horse and his Boy (the fifth of the Chronicles of Narnia), the main character, Shasta, has endured a desperate ride across a deadly desert to warn of a coming invasion and… View Post

Funeral sermon for Leonard McArthur

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All Saints by the Lake, Dorval Leonard McArthur January 10, 2023 Leonard was already over 90 when I got to know him, and like the disciples who had supper with Jesus in our gospel reading this morning, we became known to each other in the breaking of bread. Every few weeks, Gordona would give me a call and I’d stop… View Post

Funeral sermon for Sylvia Forbes Tomsons

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All Saints by the Lake, Dorval Sylvia Edna Forbes Biley Tomsons December 10, 2022 Search me out, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my restless thoughts; look well whether there be any wickedness in me, and lead me in the way that is everlasting. Nobody is perfect, but I have to say that I have rarely… View Post

What does baptism do?

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All Saints by the Lake, Dorval Baptism of Christ, Year A January 8, 2023 The font prepared for the baptism of Amelia Cyr, Easter Sunday, 2022 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us… View Post

The cry of transformation

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All Saints by the Lake, Dorval Christmas Day, Year A December 25, 2022 A hand-illuminated text of the Prologue to John. 19th century, Dominican sisters at Stone in Staffordshire. You know, in fourteen years of ordained ministry, and preaching off and on for a few years before that, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually preached on the Prologue to John… View Post