Continuing with the events of the day I was writing about in my last post, after finishing my supper at Tim Horton's I went over to Dollarama. Two young ladies were just coming out of the store, loaded down with their purchases. I stepped aside to let them through and then one of them held … Continue reading The hoary head
Author: Bob Goodnough
What is wrong with the world?
Yesterday at the Walmart checkout there was a lady with three children ahead of me. The oldest child, a boy of about eight, was sitting in the shopping cart. The mother kept asking him what happened to a small toy that he had picked up, and he denied knowing anything about it. Finally she wrestled … Continue reading What is wrong with the world?
Is your rent in arrears?
The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveler; that the purpose of this world is not 'to have and to hold' but 'to give and serve.' There can be no other meaning. - Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940) … Continue reading Is your rent in arrears?
Why learn French?
The World Almanac says that there are only 70 million French-speaking people in the world. That's not very significant, why should I bother learning it? Not so fast! If you look closely, the World Almanac is giving the estimated number of people for whom French is their mother tongue (even at that it is questionable, … Continue reading Why learn French?
All of a sudden it’s spring!
In books the scenario goes like this: the trapper / prospector / homesteader (choose one) is shut up in his isolated cabin in the north country. The snow gets deeper and deeper, the temperature gets colder and colder, the wood pile gets smaller and smaller, his winter supply of food is almost gone. The days … Continue reading All of a sudden it’s spring!
The acid test
I was sitting in a small town restaurant eating my dinner when a business lady from that community walked in. I am acquainted with this lady and know that she is a Christian and that her business is still in the growing stage, thus unexpected expenses are not very welcome. She seemed deflated as she … Continue reading The acid test
The church is a faith community
Forty years ago the pastor of the church my wife and I were attending went to California for several weeks to take a course in church growth. He was really pumped when he got back and expounded to us how the key to growing our congregation was to target people in our community who had … Continue reading The church is a faith community
Is the salt losing its savour?
"But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in … Continue reading Is the salt losing its savour?
Dumbing down the gospel
I think it is dawning on many people that evangelical Christianity has shallowed out over the past generation or two. I will be so bold as to suggest some causes which are not often mentioned by others. Children's Bible story books: Parents have felt inadequate to help their children understand what the Bible is all … Continue reading Dumbing down the gospel
Sitting around the fire
We were in a small mission congregation in a major Canadian city. A middle-aged single lady, I'll call her Anne, had been attending for a year or more. One day she said to me, "It seems like there is a warm fire burning here and you are all gathered around to warm yourselves by that … Continue reading Sitting around the fire
