There was a two-shelf bookcase in the grade 11 and 12 classroom of the school I attended in Craik, Saskatchewan. That bookcase was our school library. I read every book in that bookcase during the two years I spent in that classroom, mostly during class time. I don't remember any of the books except for … Continue reading History is not mathematics
Christianity
Midweek Reflection N° 2
Joe drove me home after the bar closed. When we arrived in the village where I lived all the houses were dark, except one where we saw a light in the kitchen window. We had imbibed enough alcohol that pounding on the back door of that house at one in the morning seemed a perfectly … Continue reading Midweek Reflection N° 2
History of Thanksgiving celebrations
The book of Leviticus describes three major festivals for which every adult male was to be present in Jerusalem. The first was the Passover, observed the fourteenth day of the first month, roughly equivalent to April in the Julian calendar. This was a celebration of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Grain was seeded in … Continue reading History of Thanksgiving celebrations
Midweek Reflection, No 1
It was June of 1953, I was eleven years old, one of five boys who had taken catechism classes after school one day a week all winter and were now ready to become full members of the Anglican Church by confirmation. We came early to church to meet with the bishop. He described how the … Continue reading Midweek Reflection, No 1
What is meaningful work?
Sisyphus is a character in Greek mythology who was condemned to roll a massive rock to the top of the moun tain. Every time he got the rock close to the top, it would slip away from him and roll back down to the bottom. Then he had to start all over again. Sometimes work … Continue reading What is meaningful work?
The Politically Incorrect Messiah
The sceptre had truly departed from Judah. There was once more a king in Jerusalem who ruled over Judah, but he was not of the lineage of David, nor of Judah, not even of Jacob. Herod was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau. Surely the time was ripe for the coming of Messiah. When Messiah … Continue reading The Politically Incorrect Messiah
The Pride of Man
Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book. The working title for the book is What was God doing? It’s just me and Jesus, right? I’m trying as hard as I can, but things just aren’t working out. What I need is a little help from Jesus, and everything will work out just fine.Have you … Continue reading The Pride of Man
Lovest thou me more than these?
What was Jesus doing that day when he made a charcoal fire beside Galilee ? It appears that he wanted to talk to Peter, but what did he mean when he asked “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” Some folks take it to mean “more than these things, or these people,” … Continue reading Lovest thou me more than these?
Preparing the way
During the four centuries between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the new there was a dramatic transformation of that part of the world we call Bible lands. So important were these transformations that God revealed them to the prophet Daniel, centuries before they happened. The closing chapters of Daniel tell … Continue reading Preparing the way
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
