Yesterday we attended church. That sentence makes perfect sense in English, yet attend comes from a French verb meaning wait. We did not go to church to wait. In French we would use the verb assister to tell you that we were present at church during the worship service. Assister also went through a change … Continue reading The secret life of words
French
History of the Christian Hymnal
This is a slightly abbreviated version of a talk I gave in our congregation yesterday evening. The Christian Hymnal that we find in our pews was first printed in 1959 and to date 392,000 copies have been printed. About half of these are sold to congregations and individuals of other denominations. If hymnals in congregational … Continue reading History of the Christian Hymnal
My writing life
Image by David Krüger from Pixabay Yesterday’s post (Cornered by God) is at the intersection of the two books that I have been working on (actually there are three, the third is in French and I’ll get to it at the end of this post). Or perhaps it’s a fork in the road. I have been stalled in … Continue reading My writing life
Chicken Little meets Petit Poulet
While browsing the internet this morning I discovered an updated version of Petit Poulet (that's the French name for Chicken Little). In this version, Petit Poulet is having his breakfast of toast and coffee when he reads an online news item saying "Le ciel est en train de tomber!" (Th sky is falling!) He quickly … Continue reading Chicken Little meets Petit Poulet
I am a Canadian, eh?
I am a Canadian. Je suis bien dans ma peau (that is an expression that wouldn't make any sense if translated word for word, but means I am content with what I am). For that reason: Find that little word eh, pronounced ay, to be quite useful, and much more elegant than huh? Oxford says … Continue reading I am a Canadian, eh?
The importance of French
One of our ministers visited in Côte d’Ivoire and was invited to preach the sermon in a Sunday worship service. He spoke in English, the missionary translated to French and a local brother translated to the local language. Someone might ask, “Why didn’t the missionary learn the local language?” The answer to that is another … Continue reading The importance of French
Understanding the language of the Bible
There is a good possibility that using a dictionary of the English language will muddy the waters when it comes to trying to understand a word used in the Bible. The word science found in 1 Timothy 6:20 is a case in point. The Greek word here translated science is gnosis, which in all its … Continue reading Understanding the language of the Bible
But they don’t speak the same French!
I don’t know how many times I have been told that there is no point in trying to learn French. You see, they say, the French spoken in Québec is so different from the French spoken in France that they cannot understand one another. If you study Parisian French in school, people in Québec won’t … Continue reading But they don’t speak the same French!
Mennonites: ethnic group, culture or faith?
In the first few centuries of the Christian era the faith spread far and wide through Asia, Europe and Africa. Then came the time when the Emperor Constantine professed to espouse the Christian faith. For a time persecution ceased. But the church that made peace with the Imperial power became corrupted by peace and power. … Continue reading Mennonites: ethnic group, culture or faith?
The pen of the wise
I begin every day by meeting God, first in His Word, then in prayer. My French Bible is on a shelf just above the computer monitor. Most often I read and hear gentle reminders of things I know, but which are always in need of reinforcement. The strength I receive from this quiet time helps … Continue reading The pen of the wise
Flatlander Faith 