God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, is one of the oldest English Christmas carols, going back at least 500 years. Not many people sing it today because of scruples about “Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Those words conjure up a picture of old English gentlemen at their ease, their merriment fuelled by great flagons of wine. Except that … Continue reading Peace and joy in the subjunctive mood
England
The bishops condemned by God
It is the tendency of British historians to consider religious movements in England to be largely independent in origin. Lollardy is a case in point. Despite its similarities to the Waldensian movement on the continent, it is generally seen as the result of the teaching of John Wycliffe. I have no desire to diminish in … Continue reading The bishops condemned by God
Appointed to be read in churches
The above notation appears on the title page of the Bible translation known in the USA as the King James Version and almost everywhere else as the Authorized Version. The words are an introduction to one of the goals of the translators — they wanted this to be the best possible translation for reading aloud. … Continue reading Appointed to be read in churches
Dementia
There are things that I wish that I would have understood better when my parents were suffering with dementia. Above all, I wish I could have understood that even though their personalities had changed and their memories seemed to be gone, the father and mother that I had once known were still there, though unable … Continue reading Dementia
Remittance men
Remittance men began to appear in the Canadian West around 1880, in the early years of settlement. Well-to-do fathers in England groomed their oldest son to follow in their footsteps. The eldest son generally developed a mature sense of responsibility and found a ready opportunity to show his abilities. The second son often did not … Continue reading Remittance men
The head or the heart?
The year is 1620, we are on board the Mayflower, anchored at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Several ladies are sitting on the deck beside their possessions, waiting to disembark. Suddenly there is an intrusion from the 20th century, several young girls dressed in the manner of young girls in 1990. The ladies gasp in shock, “Were you … Continue reading The head or the heart?
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
Thanksgiving
The book of Leviticus describes three major festivals for which every adult male was to be present in Jerusalem. The first was the Passover, observed the fourteenth day of the first month, roughly equivalent to April in the Julian calendar. This was a celebration of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Grain was seeded in … Continue reading Thanksgiving
Lost, Forgotten and Suppressed History – The Huguenot origins of Québec
The first explorers and settlers of New France were Protestants. This is not something I learned in school; I don’t think it’s being taught even today, the Catholic church having almost succeeded in expunging all mention of Protestants from the collective memory of the Québecois people. The Reformed Church in France seems to have begun … Continue reading Lost, Forgotten and Suppressed History – The Huguenot origins of Québec
Why I prefer the AV Bible
Critics of the Authorized Version often appear to be more than a little disingenuous. Some make an issue of minor variations in words and say that Peter, Paul & Jesus did not always quote from the same version of the Old Testament. It is commonly accepted that Old Testament quotations in the New Testament come … Continue reading Why I prefer the AV Bible
Flatlander Faith 