Sixty years ago, when I was twelve years old, I did not know any child my age who had not had the same father and a mother from the time they were born. One neighbour boy was being raised by his grandmother; there was a highly publicized fund raisng effort every year for the orphange in … Continue reading Broken paradigms
Christianity
The great and terrible God
In order to reduce Christianity to moralistic, therapeutic deism, we must reduce God to a warm fuzzy, namby-pamby therapist whose only desire is to help us find relief from the emotional and existential complexes that befuddle our lives. That is not the way that the Bible describes Him. Nehemiah twice speaks of God as being … Continue reading The great and terrible God
Bees in the wall
A few years ago we shared a house with a colony of bees. We weren’t aware of their presence when we moved in. We knew the house from visiting the previous tenants, who had never mentioned the bees. Perhaps they moved in during the few months the house was unoccupied. They made us nervous at … Continue reading Bees in the wall
Life isn’t fair
These are real people that I’m going to write about, but I’m not going to use their real names. Elsie and Elizabeth were already quite elderly when we knew them; the story of their earlier life was told to us by others. They were sisters, born in pioneer days on a prairie farm and grew … Continue reading Life isn’t fair
To drink, or not to drink, is that the only question?
During my growing up days practically all my relatives were total abstainers. There was an uncle out in B.C. who was probably an alcoholic, according to my Dad's tales. The only memory I have of this uncle is of a time when I was very young and he was trying to unload a gun at … Continue reading To drink, or not to drink, is that the only question?
Tongue-tied no more
I was painfully shy in my younger days. The only child of older parents, I wandered the hills of our farm anddeveloped a lively imagination but felt inhibited in communicating with adults or in a large group. In high school we had to give speeches once a year. I was good at researching and preparing … Continue reading Tongue-tied no more
Echoes of invention
The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) gradually began to downplay some of the distinctive teachings of Daniel Warner, leading some of those who believed strongly in those teachings to leave the church. In 1980, Daniel Layne left the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and assumed the leadership of those who had separated from that group. … Continue reading Echoes of invention
How to invent a church
Let’s say that I am a young man on fire for the Lord, thrilled by what God has done for me and eager to share this good news with others. But I can’t find a church that sees things exactly the way I do. What shall I do? Well, if my name is Daniel Warner, … Continue reading How to invent a church
Reading each other’s mail
How long does the honeymoon last when Christians marry? How long does it take for the husband to realize that his bride isn’t submitting to him like the Bible teaches? How many days does it take before the young lady becomes aware that her husband isn’t giving himself for her like it says in the … Continue reading Reading each other’s mail
Jezebel
These things saith the Son of God, . . . I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to … Continue reading Jezebel
