I am a native of the Canadian prairies, like the young fella gazing across the plains in the picture above. We call him a gopher, technically he is a Richardson ground squirrel. When the government asked people to vote for an animal emblem for Saskatchewan, some folks suggested the gopher. He is kinda pesky, kinda … Continue reading A flatlander looks at life
Exegesis vs Eisegesis
(First posted six years ago) I know some people will see this title and will already have a pretty good idea of what I am going to say. Others may wonder why I am using such fancy words. I hope you will all bear with me, read the post and feel free to comment. In … Continue reading Exegesis vs Eisegesis
Desperately wicked
Try to put yourself in the position of a slave owner in the antebellum south. a slave owner whose livelihood and position in society hinged on your ability to get the maximum amount of work out of your slaves at a minimum cost. You considered yourself to be a Christian, but, like everyone around you, … Continue reading Desperately wicked
Pharisee to sinner
Saul of Tarsus was a devout man, zealous in the service of God. He was a pharisee, taught by Rabban Gamaliel, grandson of Hillel the Elder and the most renowned Jewish teacher of his day. Saul scrupulously obeyed the teaching that he received and counted himself to be faultless in keeping the Jewish laws. His … Continue reading Pharisee to sinner
Written in the earth
An interesting detail in the account of the woman taken in adultery told in chapter 8 of the gospel of John is that it is twice mentioned that Jesus wrote on the ground. This appears to have some connection with the fact that the woman’s accusers left one by one, from the oldest to the … Continue reading Written in the earth
Self-chosen humility
Peter Toews was the Elder, or bishop, of the portion of the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites who emigrated from Ukraine to Manitoba in the 1870’s. (Kleine Gemeinde means little church, a means of distinguishing themselves from the large Mennonite church among whom they lived.) Another portion of the Kleine Gemeinde, led by Elder Abram Friesen, settled … Continue reading Self-chosen humility
Social distancing – an unfortunate choice of words
Epidemiologists say that to slow the spread, it's important to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres between people. This is physical distancing, not social distancing. In these times, people need social connection, not distancing. And this connection is not made by the so-called social media, like Facebook and Twitter. The connections that … Continue reading Social distancing – an unfortunate choice of words
A place to stand
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19 The foundation of God: In the beginning of time, the second day of Creation, God separated the dry land from the waters. … Continue reading A place to stand
Swan sightings
There is a pond 15 km north of us, near Frontenace Road, where swans pause every spring on their northward migration. I saw a dozen there on Thursday, Chris saw 20 yesterday and today the number was up to 30. I was disappointed when I looked on Pixabay for swan photos. They have very few … Continue reading Swan sightings
The dark side of the Protestant work ethic
In 1905 German sociologist published what many called the most important sociological work of the 20th century: Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus. The book was later translated into English and published in 1930 as: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. His thesis was that because of the teaching of predestination, … Continue reading The dark side of the Protestant work ethic
Flatlander Faith 