During a recent visit in the home of a young couple in another congregation, the wife talked about the church her parents had attended when she was a child. The membership of that church is now down to the pastor and a few women; no man has been able to abide the pastor’s controlling ways. … Continue reading Am I a uniter or a divider?
faith
I didn’t get the message
Way back when I was still single, some time before 1970, I was living alone in a little Saskatchewan town and running a grain elevator. Well, I wasn't completely alone — there was a cat sharing the house with me. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that there would have to … Continue reading I didn’t get the message
Girl on a pilgrimage
I worked in Delisle today, sitting in a cubbyhole office in the vet clinic, hunched over a computer trying to get financial records up to date. About One o'clock my stomach finally got through to me that it was time to eat and I walked over to the nearby snack shack. The waitress soon brought … Continue reading Girl on a pilgrimage
That ye may be healed
My wife's elderly cousin has been in Saskatoon a couple of days. This morning we went into the city and Chris spent a couple of hours with her. This cousin had two sons with her first husband, then divorced him. She married again, had four daughters, then divorced again. She loves her sons; she does … Continue reading That ye may be healed
Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor
Jesus told the rich young ruler: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21). He didn't really mean that, did He? There must be some hidden meaning . Many preachers and teachers have … Continue reading Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor
The achilles heel of reference Bibles
An ancient Waldensian confession of faith states that their preachers were required, before being ordained, to memorize the gospels of Matthew and John, all the Epistles, and a good part of the writings of Solomon, David and the prophets. Of course that was necessary in their day, before the invention of the printing press. After … Continue reading The achilles heel of reference Bibles
Is Jesus’ “ground crew” the real problem?
Some folks have been heard to say that they love the Lord, but the don't have much use for His ground crew. I confess that my first impulse is to be sympathetic to their point of view, having encountered a number of questionable representatives of that group. That impulse is tempered by the realization that … Continue reading Is Jesus’ “ground crew” the real problem?
Mission statement for writers
I confess that I am quite cynical about the term "mission statement." In my experience in the business world, a mission statement is an exercise in public relations where management attempts to come down on the right side of every hot button issue of the day. Creating a mission statement has generally been an exercise … Continue reading Mission statement for writers
Transcendence and Immanence
The more one understands about the order of the universe, the inter-relationship of all its parts, the harder it becomes to believe that it could be the result of mindless chance. It is the same when one gets just a layman's grasp of the minute detail of living things, the intricacy of DNA and the … Continue reading Transcendence and Immanence
Loving God
It is important to have an assurance that God loves me just the way I am. But is that the most important factor in Christian life? The Law and the Gospels tell us that: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, … Continue reading Loving God
Flatlander Faith 