[Barbe, meaning uncle, was the name given by the Waldensians to their ministers.] An Epistle of the Barbe Bartolemi Tertian to the Evangelical churches of Pragela, circa 1420 AD. Jesus be with us. To all our faithful and beloved brethren in Jesus Christ. I greet you all. Amen. This Epistle is to alert your brotherhood, … Continue reading Epistle from a Waldensian Barbe
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Peter Waldo / Francis of Assisi
In the summer of AD 1160, a group of the leading citizens of Lyon was together at a feast when one of them suddenly fell over and died in front of the others. This caused Peter Waldo, another of the guests or perhaps even the host, to reflect on his own life and destiny. He … Continue reading Peter Waldo / Francis of Assisi
The Essence of Pietism
Pietism has appeared in so many forms over the years, from the extreme asceticism of the hermit monks to the ecstatic antinomianism of some segments of the charismatic movement. The common thread running through all aspects of pietism is the conviction that I have attained to a level of spiritually and communion with God that … Continue reading The Essence of Pietism
The significance of baptism
This post consists entirely of excerpts from the chapter on Baptism (pages 81 to 88) in A Third Way, by Paul M Lederach, © 1980 by Herald Press. In essence, baptism is the means through which the reborn believer commits himself or herself to a life of obedience, in the fellowship with other believers, and … Continue reading The significance of baptism
Buckley’s Mixture versus Christian Evangelism
In the mid-nineties I saw posters in Montreal’s buses and subway trains showing a bottle of Buckley’s Mixture with these words beside it: You’d have to be really sick to take that!, followed by the question: Are you sick? (I’m translating from French here; the English version of the ad campaign may have been worded … Continue reading Buckley’s Mixture versus Christian Evangelism
Seventeen hundred years ago
Seventeen hundred years ago, Christianity became a religion that conquered opponents by use of a literal sword rather than the sword of the Spirit. The night of October 27, 312 AD, Constantine saw a cross of light in the sky, accompanied by the words, “by this sign, you shall conquer.” Constantine immediately had the shields … Continue reading Seventeen hundred years ago
Where did those words come from?
A friend and I had spent the night in the bar and it was around midnight when we arrived back in the little town where I lived. We weren’t ready to call it a day yet, so when we saw a light in a friend’s house we went and banged on the door. They let … Continue reading Where did those words come from?
What Colour is Your Bushel?
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may … Continue reading What Colour is Your Bushel?
This is war
“Must I be carried to the skies on flow’ry beds of ease?” asked Isaac Watts many years ago. Well, nowadays that seems to be exactly what we expect Christian life to be like. Is it any wonder that so many folks find Christian life to be boring and unfulfilling? Jesus didn’t promise “flow’ry beds of … Continue reading This is war
Evangelical hubris
[The following paragraphs are quoted from Less Than Conquerors: How Evangelicals Entered the Twentieth Century, by Douglas W. Frank, copyright 1986 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.] I suspect that the wildfire growth of premillennialism in the decades after the Civil War really represented a bold move on the part of evangelicals to recapture their … Continue reading Evangelical hubris
Flatlander Faith 