Jesus spoke the following words while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. The words were shocking, no doubt deliberately so. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, … Continue reading Christ in you, the hope of glory
Faith and life
Darkness and light
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Genesis 1:2-3) The Scriptures speak of two kinds of darkness: the one a natural darkness … Continue reading Darkness and light
Jesus as agent provocateur
Doesn’t it appear that Jesus deliberately did things that he knew would provoke the Pharisees to reveal their lack of compassion? Jesus healed many people of their blindness; in some cases he touched their eyes, in other cases there was no physical contact, he simply declared them healed and they were. Why then did he … Continue reading Jesus as agent provocateur
Are we like oxen?
(My father broke land with oxen when he homesteaded in southern Saskatchewan a little more than 100 years ago.) Exodus 32:9 - And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people. Stiffnecked was originally used to describe oxen who would not lower their heads to permit … Continue reading Are we like oxen?
Moving on, or pressing on
I really thought that spring would be here in just a day or two. The sun shone warmly on Saturday, the few patches of snow left were becoming smaller and smaller, we heard of birds coming back to a place just a few hours south of us. Alas, it was but a dream. We awoke … Continue reading Moving on, or pressing on
Attitude correction
For more than 200 years, the government of Canada has graciously extended the privilege of exemption from military service to members of religious denominations which objected to participation in warfare for reasons of faith and conscience. At first, the law required conscientious objectors between the ages of sixteen and sixty to register annually and pay … Continue reading Attitude correction
Book review: Humble Roots
Hannah Anderson is the wife of a country pastor in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia who finds inspiration for her writing in her garden and other growing things. This book helped me understand why I have always felt uncomfortable when Christians talk about their humility. She tells us that "Show, don't tell," one of … Continue reading Book review: Humble Roots
Quebec city shooting and aftermath
Monday evening a man with a gun walked into a Québec City mosque and began shooting those who were there to worship. Within an hour, two university students were in custody, Alexandre Bissonnette and Mohammed Belkhadir. Before long, the police announced that only Mr. Bissonnette was a suspect, Mr. Belkhadir was a witness; he was … Continue reading Quebec city shooting and aftermath
Worship then and now
Then was sixty years ago when I was a teenager and member of the Anglican Church of Canada. Services would begin with this exhortation: Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face … Continue reading Worship then and now
Keep it authentic
Love thy neighbour as thyself This means to love your neighbour because God has given you a love for him. Don't try to love your neighbour because you know you should and hope that pretending to love will cause genuine love to spring up in your heart. The better way is to get down on … Continue reading Keep it authentic
Flatlander Faith 