ENGLISH MENNONITES IN HOLLAND In May of 1610 there was a conference between the Waterlanders and John Smyth’s congregation. At this time a confession of faith was drawn up and signed by those participating and it appears that the Englishmen were now accepted as part of the Mennonite church. It may be that they were … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 5
Christianity
English Christianity – Part 2
INFLUENCE OF WYCLIFFE IN BOHEMIA - HUSSITES The writings of John Wycliffe reached as far as Bohemia, where they were adopted, at least in part, by Jan Hus. Hus was appointed rector of the University of Prague in 1401 and chaplain of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague in 1402. Hus preached in the Czech language and … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 2
English Christianity – Part 1
PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY The exact time when the Christian faith first reached the British Isles is lost in the mists of time. Traditions that the Apostle Paul or Joseph of Arimathea first brought the Gospel to England seem somewhat dubious, but cannot be proved or disproved at this distance in time. There is evidence, though, that … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 1
Imaginary Sympathy
Around 50 years ago The Readers’ Digest carried an article suggesting that the word “sympathy” had become so degraded in common usage as to make the word unacceptable to many people. As I recall, the writer felt that “sympathy” had taken on too much of a connotation of superiority towards the person one felt sympathy … Continue reading Imaginary Sympathy
The Bible is One Book
There was one more thing I needed to do before I left for Manitoba — find a Bible. I knew where there was a small stack of nearly worn out Bibles, looked through them when no one else was around, selected one that seemed the right size and stashed it in my suitcase. My employer … Continue reading The Bible is One Book
Peter and the Keys
“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, … Continue reading Peter and the Keys
A “Christian” Tall Tale
NASA Computers have discovered a missing 24 hour period in the distant past that corresponds exactly to the 23 hours and 20 minutes that the sun stood still in Joshua 10:12-13 and the 40 minutes lost in Hezekiah’s day (2 Kings 20:11 and Isaiah 38:8). This account has been circulating since the 1960's, has been … Continue reading A “Christian” Tall Tale
The Hoary Head
“Hello. Is this your mother? May I shake hands with her?” My 95 year old mother and I were sitting in the food court of Midtown Plaza when a young lady, obviously of Asian descent, walked up to our table and asked these questions. I was wary at first, expecting that she was going to … Continue reading The Hoary Head
Justification by the blood, not sweat
A cartoon in a French-language farm paper forty years ago has remained embedded in my mind. The cartoon showed a row of flowers in a garden. The flowers were tall, with healthy leaves and symmetrically arranged petals. Except for one. This flower was shorter than the others, the stalk was crooked, the leaves rather bedraggled … Continue reading Justification by the blood, not sweat
Forty-two Years
Chris and I were married August 1, 1970. She was 17, the product of two dysfunctional homes, looking for some stability in her life. I was 28, restless, confused, in debt, not sure what I wanted to do with my life, had little control over my temper — not really a stable shelter from the … Continue reading Forty-two Years
Flatlander Faith 