Joe Hopkins

Joe Hopkins

@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Appalachian ex-pat in Canada. Often absent-minded, sometimes profound, usually caffeinated. Can be found in a pulpit most Sunday mornings.

191 followers247 following189 posts

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I just read all these to my PhD-pursuing wife, and she recognized every theme in her program. Happy Halloween, nerds.

McSweeney's@mcsweeneys.net

"You encounter a strange, cult-like group that lives in almost total isolation from the outside world. They jealously guard their arcane knowledge and practice some exceedingly cruel rituals." buff.ly/oR5kV77

buff.lyCritically Acclaimed Horror Film of the 2010s or Your PhD Program?“You encounter a strange, cult-like group that lives in almost total isolation from the outside world. They jealously guard their arcane knowledge and practi...
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

As a Christian pastor, I detest this headline. The "some Christians" are a tiny minority whom Hegseth and other MAGA folks are empowering. I wish that @npr.org would clearly state in the headlines how extremist and small the CREC really is. www.npr.org/2026/10/15/n...

npr.orgFor some Christians, Hegseth's idea of a public execution fits a biblical mandateDefense Secretary Hegseth's announcement of a livestreamed execution elicited reactions of disgust and condemnation from some faith leaders and politicians. But within his church, it's not an outlier.
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Good Christian perspective on why the separation between church and state is important. If you want your kids to value Christian teachings, then take them to church.

RNS@rns.org

OPINION: (RNS) — 'I don't want my children absorbing a watered-down cultural Christianity message. In many ways, the actions of our Texas politicians feel like an infringement on my religious liberty.'

religionnews.comI am a Christian in Texas. Putting the Ten Commandments in my kids' classrooms alarms me.(RNS) — 'I don't want my children absorbing a watered-down cultural Christianity message. In many ways, the actions of our Texas politicians feel like an infringement on my religious liberty.' 

Joe Hopkins reposted

Boze Herrington, Library Owl
@sketchesbyboze.bsky.social

Some of you have forgotten that only three years ago you were perfectly capable of writing an essay, writing a eulogy, telling a bedtime story to a child, and it should worry you that powerful companies have convinced us we can’t do things we’ve been doing for 5,000 years.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I'm reading a chapter in the book "The Theology of the United Church of Canada" by Adrian Jacobs, a Cayuga and Christian teacher and leader, and I am struck by how different his writing is from the other non-Indigenous writers.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I biked by old Fort Erie today, and I couldn't help but ask a few questions about it to a young tour guide dressed as a British Redcoat. The dialogue went something like this: 1/3

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Me: Did this place see any action in the War of 12? Him: Oh, yeah. It was a major battle. Me: (Gesturing to big American flag) And did the Americans occupy this at some point? Him: Yeah, the Americans took it in 1814, repulsed a long British siege, and then blew up the fort when the war ended. 2/3

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

The other day I was thinking about how I jumped on the Blue Jays bandwagon back in 2021 as a newcomer to Canada. I remembered how the Jays ended up missing out on the playoffs by just a couple games. I was like, "Wow! 2026 is just like 2021!" Then I looked up the Wikipedia page about that season.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I tried read this aloud to my wife, and I ended up laughing so hard that I couldn't finish it. (The part about "ball-less Little Stinky" broke me.)

McSweeney's@mcsweeneys.net

"Susan, I must go. I have heard the call of the wild. It was the sound of a defiant howl at the moon, and not the sound I make when I choke on absolutely nothing. No more! I am strong, I am proud." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-a...

mcsweeneys.netI Am Your Pug and I Have Heard the Call of the Wild“Our ancestors were apex predators, but I am a sweaty loaf of bread with respiratory problems. You domesticated us. The cat is out of the bag. And now I’m sc...
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

What could be better for a preacher than a congregant starting a conversation with ,"I was listening to your sermon, and then I got curious about Freud..."? Answer: Ending up discussing "The Gay Science" by Nietzsche.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Are the baseball gods favouring the Blue Jays these days? And what do you picture "baseball gods" as anyway? Can one believe in "baseball gods" along with other deities? Someone please assuage my sports & religion curiosity!

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

As local congregational/parish pastor, the #1 confidential disclosure I hear is domestic violence. The NHL needs to set a positive example, especially in Canada.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Still thinking about the absurd "4th out" play from the Blue Jays game of Aug. 11. I'm pretty sure there are some MLB fans who quietly relish the excuse for a deep dive into arcane baseball rules.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I participated in the weekday Eucharist service at St. James Cathedral (Anglican) in Toronto. Even the presiding priest was surprised by the scripture reading from 2 Maccabees 7 in which several Maccabean brothers are gruesomely tortured to death. May God have mercy on all martyrs.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Church is often wonderful. Today I baptized a 1-year-old with extended family and church community pledging to support her and to resist evil and injustice. And then I gathered kids around the baptismal font, taught about divine community of Holy Trinity, and emphasized loving, human community.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

What might be a reason to address a deceased saint other than for intercession to God? (Serious question as a Protestant Christian who is curious about praying to saints in heaven.)

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

On land acknowledgements in worship services (a thread) A year or so ago the worship committee of the congregation that I lead asked me to add some variety to the land acknowledgements that I offer at the beginning of each worship service.

View full thread
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

On land acknowledgements in worship services (a thread) A year or so ago the worship committee of the congregation that I lead asked me to add some variety to the land acknowledgements that I offer at the beginning of each worship service.

View full thread
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

For the worship service today I researched a bit about death and resurrection, and I learned about the phrase "giga-waabamin," an Ojibwe phrase that translates roughly to "I will see you again."

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

And I further learned that Ojibwe people use this phrase for funerals, implying reunion in spiritual life after physical death. It's a bit different than orthodox Christian teachings about death and resurrection, but it's an intersection and worthwhile to learn and share with my congregation.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

On land acknowledgements in worship services (a thread) A year or so ago the worship committee of the congregation that I lead asked me to add some variety to the land acknowledgements that I offer at the beginning of each worship service.

View full thread
Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I was still a little apprehensive, figuring that crafting novel land acknowledgements week after week would take up time and energy that I might use otherwise. I was right, and I am glad that I put in the extra time and energy for each Sunday.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Each week I research an intersection of the theme of the worship service and the traditions of at least one of the Indigenous peoples whose traditional territory includes the Greater Toronto Area (usually Anishinaabe/Ojibwe or Haudenaunee/Iroquois).

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

On land acknowledgements in worship services (a thread) A year or so ago the worship committee of the congregation that I lead asked me to add some variety to the land acknowledgements that I offer at the beginning of each worship service.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Land acknowledgements, or a brief recognition of the Indigenous peoples who lived on the land before and during colonial settlement, were fairly new to this church community, only beginning during the COVID pandemic.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

At first I felt a little defensive, fearing that the committee wanted to end the land acknowledgements because they didn't value them. Instead, they said that they challenged me to change up the words week to week so that worshipers wouldn't tune them out.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

The #UCCanada church community I lead started an affordable housing corporation decades ago and continues to support them as a partner. What awesome things are faith communities doing close to you?

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Tehran burns with the avarice and hate of too many power-hungry people. And the parks of Mississauga, Ontario have exchanged piles of snow for early vernal pools. The juxtaposition of global catastrophe and local joy is so unfair. And the one does not cancel out the other. Lord, have mercy.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

Let's normalize the enjoyment of crystals for purely aesthetic purposes (if it's not already normal).

Mina Kimes@minakimes.bsky.social

The Gem Hall at LA’s Natural History Museum is full of big ass rocks that look like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. 10/10 experience for mineralheads.

Joe Hopkins
@parsonjoe.bsky.social

I am SO far from the first person to say this, but I'll say it anyway: I like this pope.

Radley Balko@radleybalko.bsky.social

JD Vance personally invited Pope Leo to the U.S. 250th celebration on the 4th of July. Today the Vatican announced Leo will be spending the day with migrants instead.

time.comPope Leo Will Spend July 4 Visiting Migrant Crossing IslandPope Leo has spoken out against the treatment of migrants in the United States several times over the last year.