How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heav'n. No ear can hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, The dear Christ enters in. (O Little Town of Bethlehem, 3rd verse, written by Phillips Brooks) … Continue reading How silently, how silently
Bible
We need better Christmas stories
No, I don’t mean we should try to improve upon the stories in the Bible. They are wonderful as they are, and true. The problem I have is with the Christmas stories for children, and adults, that take some elements of the Bible stories, add lots of imagination and wind up sounding like fairy tales. … Continue reading We need better Christmas stories
Getting the most out of church
Whenever I read that part of the Shepherd of Hermas quoted in yesterday’s post, it helps to re-calibrate the way that I view the church. Am I seeing her as a feeble old woman? Then I must conclude that there is some unresolved problem in my heart that is clouding my vision. The church is … Continue reading Getting the most out of church
A home with two people and three cats
We share our home with animals. I know that there are people who find this horrifying. I guess we just don't know any better, having always lived this way. There is another cat who earnestly desires to join the three under our roof, but I think we have reached our limit. The others came into … Continue reading A home with two people and three cats
Marriage
We have invitations to three weddings posted on our fridge. We would like to be at all of them, but the only one we will for sure attend is the one that takes place tomorrow in our home congregation. This one involves a young man from Mississippi who is marrying a sister of our son-in-law. … Continue reading Marriage
God’s way is still best
“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Progress and family have never been very compatible. The economic development of the U.S. south depended on capturing large numbers of African people, who knew more about raising cotton than the plantation owners, bringing them to America and treating them as … Continue reading God’s way is still best
Thanksgiving meditations
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. Members of our congregation will be gathering at church this evening for a big Thanksgiving meal, joined by relatives of some members who have come from a distance, and some of our neighbours. There will be lots of visiting and a time for singing and testimonies after the … Continue reading Thanksgiving meditations
Heaven and hell
Atheists consider the teaching in the Bible about a place called hell to be a conclusive argument against Christianity and its belief in a loving God. As a Christian, I consider hell to be part of the good news. I don't any vindictive feelings against other people, but if heaven is to be a good … Continue reading Heaven and hell
Relevant to what?
Relevant to what? Everybody talking about the decline of Christianity in the Western world says that it is because the faith preached over the pulpit is no longer relevant to our society. What they cannot agree on is in what way it is no longer relevant. For over a century now, many churches have struggled … Continue reading Relevant to what?
On second thought
I posted a couple of articles this week that would have benefited from some sober second thought before sending them out into the unsuspecting world. It's not that I think I shouldn't have said what I said, but i think the articles needed to be turned inside out and upside down, with some things pruned … Continue reading On second thought
