Essays
Feature
September 2016
Secretly spiritual
By Lucille Joseph
As she rose up the ranks to become a Toronto business executive, the writer felt compelled to keep her quest for deeper meaning hidden. Why she’s decided to talk now.
Feature
September 2016
Home
By Various Writers
They say there’s no place like it. Five recently uprooted writers reflect on the true meaning of the word.
Feature
October 2015
‘God bless you’
By Nancy Fornasiero
The words come easily after a sneeze. Why do we choke on them in other situations?
Feature
May 2015
The Cosby Showdown
By Anne Bokma
I wasn't amused when comedian Bill Cosby came to town amid fresh allegations of sexual assault. So I and 30 others planned our own stand-up moment.
Feature
May 2015
A wretch like me
By Trisha Elliott
We all feel shame. Instead of running from it, maybe we should take a cue from the Bible and face up to our flaws and frailties.
Feature
April 2015
Losing Mom
By Tim Johnson
A travel writer's personal journey through grief — and how it was vastly different from everything he’d been told to expect
Feature
April 2015
The next supper
By Gary Paterson
A painting by the late B.C. artist Bill Dixon reminds us that Easter is not an event, but a movement. A message from the United Church moderator.
Feature
February 2015
Interview with Moderator Rt. Rev. Gary Paterson
By Chelsea Temple Jones
The United Church head talks about end-of-life ethics, where the personal, the political and the spiritual collide
Feature
December 2014
Encountering the Messiah
By Paul Knowles
Every December, the writer and chorister performs Handel’s most famous work. This year, he asks himself and other musicians: is it worship or entertainment?
Feature
December 2014
A season of song
By Gary Paterson
A message for Christmas from Moderator Rt. Rev. Gary Paterson
Justice
How families cope when a loved one goes missing
by Justin Dallaire
A Quebec man went for a walk in the early morning of March 16, 2016, and hasn’t been seen since. His family, like many loved ones of the missing, finds it impossible to grieve — or give up hope.
Observations
Observations: Our magazine's plastic problem
by Jocelyn Bell
"While I can easily defend the use of a polybag on financial grounds, it would be unconscionable to deliver a cover story about plastics . . . in plastic."
Video
ObserverDocs: Playing by Heart
by Observer Staff
United Church music director Kara Shaw was born prematurely, became almost totally blind and was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Today, the 28-year-old showcases her unique musical ability, performing piano on local and national stages.
