Floyd McNeill* farmed near the banks of the Moose Jaw River, one of those prairie rivers consisting of a deep, wide valley with a little creek meandering its way along a narrow channel on the bottom. Being near the river bank, there were stones scattered through the fields, some small enough that a man could … Continue reading Weeds and stones in our writing
Christianity
Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism
Moralistic, therapeutic deism, a term first used by Christian Smith, seems a fitting description of much of what passes for Christianity in North America. The followers of this religion believe in a God who wants them to be good, wants them to feel good about themselves, doesn’t need to be consulted except in case of … Continue reading Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism
Are we down or up?
Twenty-some years ago, Paul Carnegie, a realtor from Stratford, Ontario, was telling us about houses that he had thought would be difficult to sell. In one case, he drove out to a small village in response to a call from the owner and located the house. He walked up to the living room window and … Continue reading Are we down or up?
What is wrong with this picture?
We send missionaries all over the world from our North American congregations. We rejoice when reports come back of the faith taking root in countries where the prevailing belief is animism, Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam. Then we go into Tim Horton's and the person behind the counter is a recent immigrant from one of those … Continue reading What is wrong with this picture?
If any man defile the temple of God
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). This simple little statement of the Apostle is often misunderstood. … Continue reading If any man defile the temple of God
Take heed how you build
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as … Continue reading Take heed how you build
I owe the Lord a morning song
Amos Herr (1816-1897) lived on a Lancaster county, Pennsylvania farm that had been in the Herr family since 1710 when his ancestors fist arrived from Europe. In addition to being a farmer, he was a minister of the local Mennonite congregation. One wintry Sunday morning about 150 years ago, he awoke to a raging blizzard … Continue reading I owe the Lord a morning song
Christianity betrayed
In his book, The Reformers and Their Stepchildren*, Leonard Verduin points out that the New Testament church was a complete break with all of preceding human history: “the world was being treated to a new and very revolutionary concept of society, namely, that men can get along peacefully in the market place even though they … Continue reading Christianity betrayed
One God, two kingdoms
In 1660 AD, Thieleman J van Bright, a deacon of the Mennonite church in Holland, published the result of his exhaustive historical research of the beliefs and the persecutions of faithful Christians from the time of Christ up to the date of publication. This book, the Martyrs Mirror, runs to more than 1100 pages and … Continue reading One God, two kingdoms
Anabaptists and their persecutors
The following statement was made in 1538 by an unnamed Anabaptist leader during a meeting between the Swiss Reformed and Anabaptists in Berne: "While yet in the national church we obtained much instruction from the writings of Luther, Zwingli, and others, concerning the mass and other papal ceremonies, that they are vain. Yet we recognized … Continue reading Anabaptists and their persecutors
