Weekly Letter from Ron & Mary Kernohan

July 24, 2026

GREETINGS TO ALL!

As we move through this next week, may the story of Joseph encourage you all. The Bible Class study is particularly poignant for many. When our external environments slowly lose our outside resources, our internal sanctuary must become twice as active. May you find places within our community where your internal sanctuary will be strengthened so that you can remain vibrant and active in the days ahead.

 As you enjoy this week’s newsletter, ask the Lord to show you how you can become more involved in prayer and fellowship … and grow strong, even when life becomes challenging!

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WEEKLY and UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

DISCOVERY CLASS will be on Sunday at 9:30 am in the church gym. We look forward to being guided to pay attention to key truths in Scripture that will transform our lives, as Pastor Ron encourages us to discover more gems of goodness in God’s word.

FITNESS WITH FRIENDS will resume in September. We will be taking a break during these summer months of July and August. Look for our Fitness with Friends Facebook page for ideas to try at home or outside to maintain your fitness lifestyle.

Remember that Fitness with Friends will not be held if there are weather advisories in effect…and in Calgary, there can be all kinds of interesting weather challenges! So, in the event of such advisories, please stay home and enjoy your at-home workouts. (Some of you … know… what to do!)  : - )

Fitness with Friends will not be held if:

1) If there is a weather advisory in effect, or

2) If the temperature falls to, or goes below, -20C (and some long-time Calgarians can tell you some weather stories to curl your hair!)

For either of these two conditions, please stay home and enjoy your at-home workouts.

PICKLEBALL it is held on Thursdays starting at 9:00 am, and all ages are welcome. Consider attending FITNESS WITH FRIENDS on Mondays to get ready for PICKLEBALL on Thursdays.

No ENCORE or Women’s Prayer and Share in the summer

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PRAYER REQUESTS‍ ‍

● Pray for those who are recently bereaved–Lorraine Gordon, Deanna Braun, Freda Kanwisher, and others.

● Pray for the family of Shirley Friesen

● Pray for the family of Lee Workun

● Pray for Herb and Renate Schuster who are at home, but having health issues.

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We had a wonderful Celebration of  Life for Bertha Kokot who was almost 101 years old. We appreciated that many of you came, some of whom did not have a chance to get to know her, as she was unable to get to class.  Your attendance meant a lot to the family and showed you cared.  New friends were found by many, and old ones greeted and reacquainted. You met a need of others as well as yourselves.  The gospel was presented as part of Bertha's life in a beautiful way.  Many former people of Brentview were there, and it was wonderful to reacquaint.

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Meditation

This past Sunday, we began a study of the life of Joseph. His story is so deeply cherished in some cultures that pastors have actually asked members of their flocks to refrain from using "Joseph" as a given name. I recall meeting a group of men from a chorus whose names were Joseph Gabriel, Joseph Daniel, Joseph John, Joseph Peter, and Joseph Jonathan! I shuddered to think what the remaining singers were named. Their parents were obviously so moved by this pivotal biblical character that naming their sons after him became the standard.

One feature of Joseph's narrative that I reflect on more frequently now that I am moving deeper into my senior years is how a person remains vital and thriving in the midst of overwhelming, isolating challenges. I have been in conversation with a number of geriatric specialists recently, and one theme emerges again and again: you must keep yourself mentally active. Crossword and jigsaw puzzles alone won't cut it, I was bluntly told. To truly protect the brain, one must learn a language, take a course, master a new skill, and challenge the mind with regular mental stimulation—including bracing, rigorous conversations.

While physical activity was something Joseph likely never lacked in his daily duties, my generation of senior adults tends to slip into less activity rather than more. Regular training—not just exercise—is vital. Exercise is simply moving around; training is purposeful, intentional movement. It is activity executed to achieve a specific standard, rather than merely moving about (which is fine, but limited in building effective, lifelong fitness).

Joseph’s story is filled with "behind-the-scenes" moments where much is inferred but never explicitly stated. We are left to wonder, allowing ourselves the joy of exploring the text with baptized imaginations. As we walk through this series together, my hope is that you find concrete ways to infuse your daily life with the very same practical truths that Joseph lived out. We are definitely in for some wonderful, transformative truths to capture our attention.

Paul Miller

…for Ron Kernohan, pastor of seniors.