I was reading articles about the history of church pews and it seems most writers feel that pews became important at the time of the Reformation. In Roman Catholic worship the focus was on the communion and provisions for congregational seating were not of major importance. With the Reformation, the focus switched to the sermon … Continue reading Worship styles – what is essential?
worship
Worship then and now
Then was sixty years ago when I was a teenager and member of the Anglican Church of Canada. Services would begin with this exhortation: Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face … Continue reading Worship then and now
Hazards of cross-cultural ministry
At a worship service in Québec the visiting minister rose to begin his message. He had just heard us singing in an unfamiliar language but the melody was familiar and he felt he had found a common thread to connect with the congregation. He began by referring to several words of the English hymn he … Continue reading Hazards of cross-cultural ministry
Who is our Lord?
We are told in 1 Kings chapter 17 that the people of Samaria "feared the LORD, and served their own gods." In reading the whole account, we find that the people understood that they needed to reverence Yahweh to save their lives from the lions. But when it came to the mundane affairs of life, … Continue reading Who is our Lord?
Grace for daily life
We have gone hurtling through the sky in a series of hollow metal tubes and are now safely home. We left a week ago today, flying by WestJet from Saskatoon to Winnipeg and Winnipeg to Montréal and came home two days ago by the same airline, flying Montréal to Toronto and Toronto to Saskatoon. We … Continue reading Grace for daily life
Little men
Two little men attended our worship service last Sunday. Kirk and Gary have Down Syndrome and their "handicap" was apparently too much for their birth parents to cope with, so they became foster sons of a couple who used to live here. Here they were loved, cared for and taught responsibility. They were also taught … Continue reading Little men
The difference between worship and entertainment
Worship is an act of homage, reverence and devotion paid to a deity. Entertainment is something that offers us amusement, excitement and a diversion from the mundane problems of our life. Worship is something we do; it implies an active participation in the act of worship. Entertainment is an activity where we are merely spectators. … Continue reading The difference between worship and entertainment
Why I go to church on Sunday
It's not because the Fourth Commandment demands it. The Fourth Commandment says nothing at all about worship. It's not because the ceremonies of the church are a means of imparting the grace of God. I was a member of a liturgical church in my youth, and took part in the Eucharist every Sunday, as much … Continue reading Why I go to church on Sunday
Home
We had a wonderful weekend, except for the last 80 km. Saturday was sunny and mild. We arrived at the home of my cousin in time for supper and spent the night there. Kara and her husband have four children, aged 9 to 18. Their oldest son is an enthusiastic lad of 16, almost six … Continue reading Home
Good people don’t go to church
It was different when I was a boy; then all the good people went to church. We didn’t come right out and say that those who didn’t go to church were bad people, but they were considered rather disreputable. Somewhere along the line the churches got the notion that their calling was to make the … Continue reading Good people don’t go to church
Flatlander Faith 