“As a kid, I was taught that if you opened the Bible in the middle you’d probably land on the book of Psalms. And near the middle is everyone’s favorite, the 23rd, there is this line: “You prepare a table before in the presence of my enemies.” I don’t know how many times I’ve read or recited this Psalm without pondering what that line actually means, but here is my take on it. When things are a bit tense, when life is not going at its best, when the potential for disaster is just around the corner, when your enemies are all around you - and even staring you down! - that’s when God lays out the red-checkered picnic cloth and says, “Oooo, this is a nice place. Let’s hang out here together for a while…just you and me.” ―David Brazzeal

As a hospital chaplain, I never tire of reading Psalm 23 aloud. The words are familiar, yet each time I speak them at a bedside, another jewel catches the light. This week, I share a few more of those precious gems starting with verse four to the end.

4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” Wait a moment! Didn’t the Psalmist just say that ‘God leads us in paths of righteousness’ in the previous verse? How, then, can those same paths pass through the valley of death? Maybe Psalm 23 is quite realistic. The righteous path is not a detour around suffering but often winds directly through it. Every one of us must enter that valley. The promise is not that we will avoid it, but that we will not walk it alone. The Shepherd enters the darkness with us. The staff comforts us by drawing us closer to Him and the rod is also comforting in that it keeps danger away.

5 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Do you remember being asked to set the table for company? For many of us, the table was where family gathered, stories were shared, and love was served alongside the meal. Hospitality mattered. The table was a place of welcome. Remarkably, this verse pictures God as the host. He carefully sets the table for us, honours us and the provisions flow. May we not focus on the evil around us but enjoy the God who sets the table for us and pours the drinks.

On Oct. 21, I attended an event at Canadian Mennonite University that focused on transforming education through evidence-based instruction.

The event was jointly co-hosted and sponsored by Dyslexia Canada and the University of Winnipeg’s department of mathematics and statistics. Sir Nick Gibb was the keynote speaker.

Gibb served as Minister of State for Schools in England from 2010 to 2012 and from 2014 to 2023. During his tenure, England saw student achievement steadily rise, as measured by international assessments such as the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Considering that student test scores in other first-world countries such as Canada declined over the same period, it’s important to ask why England’s schools beat the trend. The answer, according to Gibb, is that England’s schools finally embraced the science of learning.

Registration for the Steinbach Arts Council’s winter 2027 season opened Nov. 4.

The winter lineup spans dance, pottery, visual arts, culinary arts, creative wellness, improv, and language classes, running January to April, alongside one-day workshops. A Steinbach Arts Council membership is required to register, and bursaries are available for families who need support.

Browse the full lineup and register at SteinbachArts.ca or call 204-346-1077.

Our Culinary Arts program is sponsored by Main Bread & Butter.

According to Noam Chomsky, once one of the world’s leading intellectuals, sport is the opiate of the masses.

His theory is that sport exists to “entertain, pacify, and discipline the working class to protect capitalist interests.”

When you consider the volume of time that many sports fans devote to following whatever the latest sporting issue or debate is, while ignoring much more serious issues, issues that threaten life on this planet and our independence as a sovereign nation, Chomsky appears to be making an accurate assessment.

Think of the untold hours sports fans in Manitoba devoted to the saga of Connor Hellebuyck. Do those same sports fans know – or care – that 1.4 million children in Canada live in poverty and 2.5 million children live in conditions of food insecurity?

Once again, this Remembrance Day, Canadians across the nation will participate in ceremonies and other acts of remembrance as we reflect upon those who have sacrificed for our country and all that we have to be grateful for as Canadians. In the days before Nov. 11, Canadians have been wearing the poppy as a personal act of remembrance of the generations of Canadian service members.

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion which was formed by an Act of Parliament on July 17, 1926. It is the nation’s largest veteran support and community service organization and plays a critical role in not only supporting veterans but also helping Canadians remember the service that they have given. As more and more time has passed since the two great World Wars and less Canadian veterans remain, it has been more difficult for some legions to maintain their own facilities or local presence. Thankfully, in Steinbach there remains an active Legion fuelled by volunteers who work year-round to ensure that services and Remembrance Day ceremonies continue to be supported.

The Remembrance Day ceremony in Steinbach has continued to grow in attendance and this year it will be held in the gymnasium at the Southeast Event Centre. The continued support of the Steinbach Legion has been bolstered in recent years by the participation of the Steinbach Royal Canadian Air Cadets Squadron and the Dawson Trail Sea Cadets. The presence of these young Manitobans adds significantly to the ceremony and is a reminder that remembrance is important for the next generation as well.

While Remembrance Day is mostly about a time for reflection, it is also a time for gratitude. We are fortunate as a country to have had people over the generations who were willing to sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy today. More often than not, these have been young people who have gone to serve, either in times of conflict or as peacekeepers, on behalf of Canada. Many did not return home and many of those who did carried with them the psychological burden of what they experienced. For those that served and for those that still do, we are grateful to them.