Faithful readers of this blog will have noticed that I was absent for almost a week. I want to sincerely thank everyone who continued to check out the posts on this blog, even while nothing new was being added. No, I did not leave home on an extended trip, but other things came up which … Continue reading Excuses
Church of God in Christ Mennonite
Three old men and a teenaged girl
We moved into the Ontario village of Fullarton when our daughter was ten years old. The village was located at the crossroads of two county roads and contained twenty-seven houses. There were a few families with children, but many of those houses were occupied by old people who lived alone, widows, widowers and bachelors. In … Continue reading Three old men and a teenaged girl
The Midnight Call
This poem by minister Christian Buerge first appeared in print in 1904. It was later matched with an older melody by Jermiah Ingalls and appears as hymn number 242 in the Christian Hymnal. 'Tis midnight and the Saviour calls: "Come unto Me, both great and small; From ev'ry kindred, nation, tongue: Come one, come all, … Continue reading The Midnight Call
Is friendliness next to godliness?
Paddy Davis was a lonely old man, a widower whose only son was divorced, depriving Paddy of any contact with his grandchildren. We could often hear him out in his backyard in the early morning singing the old, familiar hymns. He had once been a song leader in his church and still had a good … Continue reading Is friendliness next to godliness?
Thoughtless generosity
The rain began July 19, 1996 over the semi-mountainous terrain surrounding the Kenogami basin in Québec and continued for three days, dropping enough water to fill the Kenogami reservoir one and a half times. Unfortunately, it was nearly full to begin with. Torrents of water flowed over the dam and into the cities of Chicoutimi … Continue reading Thoughtless generosity
Ministers, money, and Mennonites
Quote from Menno Simons: O my faithful reader, ponder this. As long as the world distributes splendid houses and such large incomes to their preachers, the false prophets and deceivers will be there by droves. I admit that this seems a little unjust when I think of preachers I have known in small towns and … Continue reading Ministers, money, and Mennonites
Can anyone join the Church of God in Christ Mennonite?
The above question was typed into a search engine and brought someone to my blog yesterday. It seems to me this is a question that merits a straightforward answer, so here goes. Perhaps the best place to start is with the questions asked at baptism. The first three questions deal with belief in the Father, … Continue reading Can anyone join the Church of God in Christ Mennonite?
Memories of Christmases past
December 24, 1955. At 11:15 PM my parents and I got into our old GMC half ton and drove into town and through it to the little white Anglican church on the north side. I was driving, even though I was only thirteen, almost fourteen. An RCMP constable attended this church, too, but he carefully … Continue reading Memories of Christmases past
Thou shalt love
God tells us nine times in the Holy Bible to love our neighbour as ourself, two times to love a stranger as ourself, five times to love God, and husbands are twice commanded to love their wives. Pop culture tells us that love is a feeling that sometimes comes and sometimes goes. Is love really … Continue reading Thou shalt love
Sanctification and Revival
In the congregation of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite where I am a member, we recently had a series of messages from two visiting ministers, one from Idaho the other from Québec. The messages pointed us to the roots of the malaise that has gripped the church for some years now. We call … Continue reading Sanctification and Revival
Flatlander Faith 