We got home last night from a visit to our granddaughter Tami and the congregation at Carrot River. This morning I got up at 7:30 and prepared to face the day, then sat down at my computer and almost made a serious error in bookkeeping for a client. The light dawned on me in time … Continue reading Grandpa’s musings
Mennonite
PHARISAISM
The Old Testament era ends with Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. Many Jews had returned from captivity, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the second temple was being built. One ancient Jewish source said that five things that had been in Solomon’s temple were missing from the second temple: the ark of the covenant … Continue reading PHARISAISM
PIETISM
Hassle-free piety? Jesus said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19) . The apostle Paul wrote: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]” (Ephesians 5:11). Those people who were … Continue reading PIETISM
PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
There are two kinds of conservatism: a living one by which the faith is passed on intact and unchanged, always being kindled anew by the power of the Word and of the Holy Spirit; and a conservatism without life, that makes outward formalism the exclusive evidence of faith, with no reference to the condition of … Continue reading PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
The Martyrs Mirror: The Testimony of a Faith that would not be Repressed
The Martyrs Mirror, a monumental work of Anabaptist literature, chronicles the lives and tribulations of faithful Christians throughout history. It is a profound reflection on faith, suffering, and the enduring spirit of those who stood firm in their beliefs. The persecution of Christians was begun by pagan authorities and later continued by the Roman Catholic … Continue reading The Martyrs Mirror: The Testimony of a Faith that would not be Repressed
kisiskāciwani-sīpiy
In the Cree tongue kisiskāciwani-sīpiy means swift flowing river. It was the name they gave to the largest river system of our province. Newcomers to the region struggled with the eight syllable tag and eventually reduced them to four: Saskatchewan. The North and South Saskatchewan Rivers are 350 km apart when they enter the province … Continue reading kisiskāciwani-sīpiy
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy … Continue reading Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
Wells Without Water
For the past few days most of the posts on this blog have been articles that will find a place in a book I plan to call Wells Without Water, a title taken from 2 Peter 2:17. The book arises out of a concern that many people who are converted in their youth haven’t taken … Continue reading Wells Without Water
Wells Without Water
Solomon said that God made man upright but he has sought out many inventions. Christendom is infused with inventions masquerading ass essential manifestations of the gospel. Early in my Christian life I found those inventions stimulating to the imagination and the emotions but eventually came to the conclusion that they had nothing to feed the … Continue reading Wells Without Water
Let’s be Christians, not chameleons
[A slightly revised version of an article first posted March 31, 2019] Some members of the early church wanted Gentile converts to be chameleons. They thought that circumcising Gentile believers would make them appear to be converts to the Jewish religion, thus sparing Jewish believers from persecution by other Jews for associating with Gentiles. Such … Continue reading Let’s be Christians, not chameleons
Flatlander Faith 