Kids are different today

"Kids are different today," I hear ev'ry mother say Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she's not really ill There's a little yellow pill She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day. For readers not … Continue reading Kids are different today

Lament for the incandescent light bulb

I’m having second thoughts about “environmentally friendly” light bulbs that produce little heat.  I live in Saskatchewan and that heat was not a wasteful byproduct.  On Christmas day this year the sun rose at 9:15 AM, set at 5:00 PM and the high for the day was -26° Celsius.  We are saving energy on our … Continue reading Lament for the incandescent light bulb

Do we well?

There is an account in the Old Testament of a time when the Syrian armies laid siege around the city of Samaria until the people of the city were about to perish of starvation.  There were four lepers at the gate of Samaria who were also near death from starvation.  One night they decided to … Continue reading Do we well?

Missing Fathers

Twenty years ago, Québec psychologist Guy Corneau published a book entitled père manquant, fils manqué.  The title is a French play on words that is untranslatable, but means that there is something lacking in the development of a son when the father is missing.  Mr. Corneau explained that he did not only mean  fathers who … Continue reading Missing Fathers

Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand – conclusion

True prophets of God have always told people the things they needed to hear, not what they wanted and expected to hear.  John the Baptist taught that being a natural descendant of Abraham did not qualify one to belong to the kingdom of God, only repentance that brought forth good fruit would do.  The Pharisees … Continue reading Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand – conclusion

Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, spoke of the corruption of Judah and Jerusalem and a coming day when the Lord, the Sun of righteousness would set all things right.  In the last two verses of the Old Testament God declares that He will send Elijah before this day. The kingdom of Israel … Continue reading Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

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

What is Christian Stewardship? Part 3

The New Testament admonishes us to “redeem the time”. Our understanding of this phrase is closely bound to our concept of stewardship.  Those who see stewardship primarily in material terms interpret this phrase as an injunction to occupy every minute with some gainful employment. Interestingly enough, if we look at the context, we find the … Continue reading What is Christian Stewardship? Part 3

The mommy cat did it

I was visiting with my neighbour’s one hot Sunday afternoon, sitting outside with them on the shady side of the house by the back door.  Their children were playing around us and going in and out the door.  After a while, a half-grown kitten came out the door and we all took note that the … Continue reading The mommy cat did it

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

Maybe No The date and most of the customs associated with Christmas originated with the Roman Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival celebrating the rebirth of the Sun.  Schools were closed, great feasts were prepared, gifts were exchanged, all in honour of a heathen god.  Early Christians considered this an abomination, but somehow it has crept … Continue reading Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?