It is no secret

I confess that I avoid books that promise to reveal a “secret” about Christian life.  I’m afraid of them — afraid of being deceived — because I don’t read anything in the Bible that speaks of a “secret” to Christian life that is only revealed to an inner circle with special enlightenment.  In New Testament … Continue reading It is no secret

The saint of the neighbourhood

[This is an excerpt from When I Was Thirteen, copyright the estate of Christina Young Plumb.  It is the diary of a thirteen year old girl in south-western Ontario at the end of the nineteenth century.] April 12, 1897 - This is Good Friday, so we had no school today, and Monday will be a … Continue reading The saint of the neighbourhood

Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents – Our family’s experience

I listened with bemused interest as my daughter described racing the Moose Jaw city bus to the end of the block.  There was a bus stop in front of the second house on our block and she would wait there on the sidewalk with her trike until the bus left the stop and then pump … Continue reading Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents – Our family’s experience

Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents

Georges  P Vanier was a distinguished Canadian military officer in the  First World War, being decorated by both Great Britain and France .  He was seriously injured near the end of the war, losing a leg as a result.  He eventually attained the rank of Major-General.  Later he served as Canada's ambassador to  France.  He … Continue reading Problematic behaviours in children and adolescents

Can anyone join the Church of God in Christ Mennonite?

The above question was typed into a search engine and brought someone to my blog yesterday.  It seems to me this is a question that merits a straightforward answer, so here goes. Perhaps the best place to start is with the questions asked at baptism.  The first three questions deal with belief in the Father, … Continue reading Can anyone join the Church of God in Christ Mennonite?

Book Review: Embracing Obscurity, by anonymous

There's no end to the amount of good a person can do, if they don't care who gets the credit for it.   I presume the person who said that doesn't mind that I don't remember who he or she was.  I aspire to be a person such as this sentence describes.  Or do I?  There … Continue reading Book Review: Embracing Obscurity, by anonymous

Lament for the incandescent light bulb

I’m having second thoughts about “environmentally friendly” light bulbs that produce little heat.  I live in Saskatchewan and that heat was not a wasteful byproduct.  On Christmas day this year the sun rose at 9:15 AM, set at 5:00 PM and the high for the day was -26° Celsius.  We are saving energy on our … Continue reading Lament for the incandescent light bulb

Jesus was not a white man

Jesus was born in the Middle East, among people who were mostly dark-haired, dark-eyed, and of a swarthy complexion.  If He had appeared different from others around Him, we would expect to find some note of that in the Bible.  For instance, Esau is described as having red hair, Moses’ wife was called an Ethiopian … Continue reading Jesus was not a white man

Memories of Christmases past

December 24, 1955.  At 11:15 PM my parents and I got into our old GMC half ton and drove into town and through it to the little white Anglican church on the north side.  I was driving, even though I was only thirteen, almost fourteen.  An RCMP constable attended this church, too, but he carefully … Continue reading Memories of Christmases past

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Friends of ours in the USA had a frightening experience several months ago when the wife awoke in the middle of the night gasping for air.  It was serious enough that her husband called the ambulance.  In the hospital, they found fluid on her lungs and initially suspected pneumonia.  Within a couple of days that … Continue reading Joy to the world, the Lord is come