Why a Saskatoon pastor is offering spiritual help for 5 cents

Mark Kleiner, a pastor at Christ Church Anglican in Saskatoon, spends his mornings sitting behind what at first glance looks like a lemonade stand.

But above the pitcher of pink juice, the sign clearly reads "spiritual help five cents."

The booth on the front lawn of the Caswell Hill church is a playful way of connecting with the community.

Kleiner, a musician turned minister who started at the church last fall, said the booth isn't meant as a way to proselytize, but is rather about reaching out to people of all backgrounds, religious or otherwise.

"We're saying we're here, we'll offer spiritual counsel if people want it and a listening ear."

The stand is inspired by the Peanuts cartoon strip. Remember when Lucy sets up a booth offering psychiatric help for five cents? That's the look Kleiner and his congregation are going for.

'There's a lot of fear'

Since setting up the stand about a week ago, Kleiner said he has had dozens of visitors.

Some just stop by for a sip of the crabapple punch. Others check if the stand is actually real, after seeing a photo on Facebook.

And then of course, there are those who ask for some advice. Kleiner said he's had all sorts of questions.

"There are questions about the state of the world. There's a lot of fear," said Kleiner.

"There are questions about interfaith — how we live alongside people of different beliefs."

One of the most common questions Kleiner gets is how to nurture one's spirituality while living in such a hectic world.

Kleiner advises putting spirituality first so that "we're not problem centred."

"How do I honour that? otherwise I'm spinning around my problems." said Kleiner.

Fruit punch and a chat

Len Reddekopp noticed the stand as he was walking his dog Hitchhiker.

Kleiner asked him if he wanted some punch and Reddekopp gladly gulped it down as Hitchhiker rolled around on the grass.

Although Reddekopp said he doesn't really need any spiritual help, he does say age is getting to him.

Kleiner talked about how time seems to go by much more quickly as we get older.

"When [my grandmother] was like 100 years old, she had this look in her eyes like what happened," Kleiner says with a smile.

Reddekkopp let out a hearty chuckle. 

"I like what he's doing," said Reddekopp.

'We're terribly stigmatized'

Part of the impetus to set up shop on the lawn is to break through the stigma around organized religion, according to Kleiner.

"We're terribly stigmatized — and to a degree with good reason," said Kleiner.

"There have been things done in the name and power base of religion ... specifically the Christian and Anglican church. We know about their involvement in Indian residential schools as they were called."

The booth is about moving beyond past atrocities and current stereotypes.

"There's was this idea and it still persists that those people who go to church are deeming themselves to be on a higher spiritual moral ground than anyone else," said Kleiner.

"And I think some of these scandals have brought us down into the dirt and that's where we need to be."

Kleiner plans to keep manning the booth so it will become his permanent office of sorts throughout the summer and fall.