This is the time when darkness is winning the battle with light. We now have 13½ hours from sundown to sunrise, in another 2 months it will be 16½. It feels like our bodies and our minds slow down with the increasing darkness. For some people, this actually becomes a state of clinical depression, known … Continue reading Let there be light
Faith and life
Radical thinking from an archbishop
Liberty of thought is an impregnable fortress that no human power can force. Violence can never convince, it only makes hypocrites. When kings take it upon themselves to direct in matters of religion, instead of protecting it, they bring it into bondage. You should, therefore, grant to all a legal toleration. Not as approving everything … Continue reading Radical thinking from an archbishop
Pietists, Quietists & Anabaptists
I have been reading some of the writings of François Fénelon and find some moving passages. I plan to post some excerpts in coming days. Fénelon was a Quietist, that is a Roman Catholic who believed that salvation had to come through a personal relationship with God, rather than through the forms of liturgical worship. … Continue reading Pietists, Quietists & Anabaptists
Fame is a dream
Fame is a dream– the praise of man as brief As morning dew upon the faded leaf; The summer sun exhales the pearly tear, And leaves no trace of its existence there. Seek not for immortality below, But fix your hopes beyond this vale of woe, That when oblivion gathers round thy sod, A lasting … Continue reading Fame is a dream
The key to success or failure in missions
This is from a book first published in the 1920's. I first posted this excerpt in 2013 and believe it deserves a repeat. “From what has already been said it is manifest that St. Paul did not go about as a missionary preacher merely to convert individuals: he went to establish churches from which the … Continue reading The key to success or failure in missions
Safety systems that make life dangerous
Last month a semi hauling aviation fuel was travelling down the A-40 expressway in Montréal. The truck was equipped with a state of the art safety system that was designed to bring the truck to a safe stop if it detected any sign of a leak from a load of fuel. I'm not sure exactly … Continue reading Safety systems that make life dangerous
My way is the best
I grew up in rural Saskatchewan. My mother had a huge garden, producing enough potatoes, carrots, peas, beans and other veggies to last all year. The potatoes and carrots went into large bins in our cool cellar. Other veggies, fruits and meats were canned in glass jars. She bought flour in 100 lb bags and … Continue reading My way is the best
The fisherman’s net
By the time I started reading the Bible for myself I had abandoned all belief in the Christianity that I had been taught at home and in the church of my youth. I had read books on philosophy and on esoteric religions. It was interesting to consider all the permutations and combinations of their explanations … Continue reading The fisherman’s net
Is your church a theology-free zone?
I became aware of the declining interest in theology on the part of most churches shortly after my conversion and marriage. Both happened in 1970 and I mention my marriage because it was only after we were married that my wife and I began to attend church and look for spiritual fellowship. There was the … Continue reading Is your church a theology-free zone?
Darkness was upon the face of the deep
When first created the earth was tohu and bohu – "without form and void," as the AV translation has it. The words could also be translated "confusion and emptiness." And there was darkness over all this chaotic mass - not a physical darkness, which would be meaningless before the vision of the Creator – but … Continue reading Darkness was upon the face of the deep
Flatlander Faith 