INFLUENCE OF WYCLIFFE IN BOHEMIA - HUSSITES The writings of John Wycliffe reached as far as Bohemia, where they were adopted, at least in part, by Jan Hus. Hus was appointed rector of the University of Prague in 1401 and chaplain of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague in 1402. Hus preached in the Czech language and … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 2
Faith and life
English Christianity – Part 1
PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY The exact time when the Christian faith first reached the British Isles is lost in the mists of time. Traditions that the Apostle Paul or Joseph of Arimathea first brought the Gospel to England seem somewhat dubious, but cannot be proved or disproved at this distance in time. There is evidence, though, that … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 1
Imaginary Sympathy
Around 50 years ago The Readers’ Digest carried an article suggesting that the word “sympathy” had become so degraded in common usage as to make the word unacceptable to many people. As I recall, the writer felt that “sympathy” had taken on too much of a connotation of superiority towards the person one felt sympathy … Continue reading Imaginary Sympathy
The Bible is One Book
There was one more thing I needed to do before I left for Manitoba — find a Bible. I knew where there was a small stack of nearly worn out Bibles, looked through them when no one else was around, selected one that seemed the right size and stashed it in my suitcase. My employer … Continue reading The Bible is One Book
Vacation Bible School Memories
Two weeks ago it was announced in our congregation that one more Vacation Bible School teacher was needed, for the oldest class. That sounded like something I could do, so this 70-year-old grandpa spent the past week teaching Bible lessons to a group of twelve and thirteen-year-old girls (no boys in that age group came … Continue reading Vacation Bible School Memories
Peter and the Keys
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, … Continue reading Peter and the Keys
Peter and the Rock
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, … Continue reading Peter and the Rock
A “Christian” Tall Tale
NASA Computers have discovered a missing 24 hour period in the distant past that corresponds exactly to the 23 hours and 20 minutes that the sun stood still in Joshua 10:12-13 and the 40 minutes lost in Hezekiah’s day (2 Kings 20:11 and Isaiah 38:8). This account has been circulating since the 1960's, has been … Continue reading A “Christian” Tall Tale
Changing Times, Changeless God
Do we long for the good old days when life was simpler? Was there really such a time? One of my forefathers left England 375 years ago because the law required him to attend his local parish church, where he found no spiritual sustenance. He crossed the ocean to begin a new life in the … Continue reading Changing Times, Changeless God
Four Kinds of Sin
(The following article is an excerpt from the writings of Menno Simons, a Dutch Anabaptist minister, and dates from 1552 AD.) The Scriptures as I see it speak of different kinds of sin. The first kind is the corrupt, sinful nature, namely, the lust or desire of our flesh contrary to God’s Law, and contrary … Continue reading Four Kinds of Sin
Flatlander Faith 