Olympics
By Michael Wilson Pastoral Letters February 6, 2026

Watch this week’s service on YouTube by clicking:

February 8 Worship Service Video

 

 

Join us for Sunday morning worship at CUC is at 10:00 AM

with the He/SheBrews Café following in the Van Roon Community Hall

 

 

  • Join us next week for our Mardi Gras Sunday!! – On Sunday, February 15 we will be readying ourselves for Lent with our annual Dixieland music in worship featuring the Winnipeg Brass. And following that toe tapping extravaganza, stay with us for a Pancake Breakfast in the He/SheBrews Café.

 

  • In advance of our Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 15, we have posted the revisions made to our church constitution which better reflect our current practises in ministry. To read the revised constitution please click here: https://charleswoodunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DRAFT.-CUC.-Constitution.-Final.pdf The document begins with notes to explain the changes made. Printed copies are available on request and will be provided for tables at the Annual Meeting.

 

 

 

Dear Friends

 

Welcome to worship for Sunday, February 8, 2026.

 

As I write this the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo are underway. I will watch them at home this evening as I have as often as possible since I first got excited about the Olympics when I was a child.

 

I’m pretty sure the first Olympic story I can remember experiencing myself was Mark Spitz winning seven gold medals at Munich in 1972. Of course, Munich would be remembered for much more important reasons but I was too young to contemplate that at the time. In those days the summer and winter games were held in the same year (they began alternating the four-year cycle in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994 so that either the summer or winter games are every other year). By 1976 I was much more attuned to the Olympics and have memories of Montreal in the summer and Dorothy Hamill at Innsbruck in the winter.

 

Other winter memories include being terribly bored by the ‘Miracle on Ice’ in 1980 but exhilarated by the ‘Crazy Canucks’ in Sarajevo four years later. The Calgary Olympics in 1988 were wonderfully exciting as Canada hosted the winter games for the first time. Watching all day long allowed me to marvel at Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team as well as concluding that ski jumping will never, ever, be something I try.

 

If cheering for Canada is kind of fun, how much more excitement when the heroes are closer to home? Cindy Klassen of Winnipeg was the toast of Turin in 2006 winning five medals in five events. Winnipegger Clara Hughes won cycling medals in the summer games of 1996 and then three more over three Winter Olympics in speedskating, the rarest of achievements.

 

I will go on the record and say that professional millionaires do not need to be in the Olympics. It adds nothing to the Olympic spirit. But that doesn’t mean I don’t recall exactly where I was in 2002 when Canada crushed the USA in Salt Lake City or the Crosby overtime winner in Vancouver in 2010. (By the way, the official position of Charleswood United Church is that Mark Scheifele should totally be on this year’s Olympic Team!!).

 

One of the most wondrous gifts of the Olympics is that they provide these ‘moments’ that stay with us even if we can’t remember the where and when. Torvil and Dean skating to Ravel’s Bolero. Becky Scott (fairly) winning in cross country skiing. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir redefining love.

 

It’s easy to be cynical. There has been cheating on a spectacular scale, too much money involved, and uncomfortable exhibitions of patriotism. But what joy in young people gathering from all over the world for the thrill of competition and the reward of extraordinary preparation. As Nelson Mandela once said about the Olympics, “Ten seconds of competition, two weeks of fellowship, what a wonderful world is that.”

 

Grace and peace,

Michael

 

 

  • For news and events, please have a look at Life & Work on our website: Life and Work

 

 

  • Did you know you can support this ministry by e-transfer, automatic withdrawal (PAR), and gifted securities, in addition to weekly or monthly cheques? For Offering Information please visit: https://charleswoodunited.org/support/   Thank you for your generous support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Wilson / About Author
Michael’s involvement in the wider church has included ministry with children and youth, membership on the National Division of World Outreach, supervision of campus ministry, and the Ten Days for Global Justice National Committee. He has been blessed by the opportunity to represent the United Church of Canada in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Africa on different occasions. Michael has taught at the University of Winnipeg – Faculty of Theology and is past President of the Conference of Manitoba and North Western Ontario.
More posts by Michael Wilson