At 10 a.m. last Sunday morning half of our congregation was seated in the pews. The song leader rose, walked to the mike and announced the first song. Then he stood there patiently as the other half of the congregation walked in and were shown to their seats. (We don't use musical instruments in our … Continue reading Problem or blessing?
Faith and life
Would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets
The words of the title are taken from the eleventh chapter of Numbers. Moses had complained that he was not able to bear the load of leading and caring for all the people who were with him in the wilderness. God instructed him to bring seventy elders of the people to the tabernacle and there … Continue reading Would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets
Disconnected
We don't have a furnace in our mobile home. Where it once was, there is now a heat exchanger that takes heat from a hot water line that comes from our neighbour's coal-fired boiler. A furnace fan mounted above the heat exchanger sends warm air through the duct work to heat the house. A few … Continue reading Disconnected
Freedom of religion
From the time that mankind began to form separate nation states it was the custom of each to have its own gods and for each to believe that their gods were superior to the gods of other nations. Thus, if any individual or family in a nation would choose to worship another god, that was … Continue reading Freedom of religion
Stamp collecting
I collected stamps when I was a boy. It was a fascinating and inexpensive hobby. Many stores sold packets of used stamps for less than a dollar, either mixed or sorted by country or theme. One could also buy from mail order stamp companies. If one had the money to spend there were more expensive … Continue reading Stamp collecting
The kingdom of God
Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a vivid … Continue reading The kingdom of God
The community of believers
The New Testament depicts the church as a building which has Christ as its foundation, and as a body of which Christ is the head. In both of these illustrations it is evident that the church is much more than the sum of its members. The reputation of the church should be based upon the … Continue reading The community of believers
Cultural amnesia
One hundred years ago, when the Social Gospel was well on the way to infiltrating and taking control of many of the major Christian denominations of North America, my father was already 24 years old. It has lately dawned on me that because I was born when he was 50 I have a window on … Continue reading Cultural amnesia
Activating the gospel leaven
[I am posting this again for the benefit of the email subscribers who received only half of the original post because I accidentally hit a button before I was finished.] Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures … Continue reading Activating the gospel leaven
What is your duty towards your neighbour?
The title of this post is a question from the catechism in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. The answer given in the catechism is as follows: My duty towards my neighbour is to love him as myself, and to do to all as I would they would do unto me. To love, honour, and … Continue reading What is your duty towards your neighbour?
