December 24, 1955. At 11:15 PM my parents and I got into our old GMC half ton and drove into town and through it to the little white Anglican church on the north side. I was driving, even though I was only thirteen, almost fourteen. An RCMP constable attended this church, too, but he carefully … Continue reading Memories of Christmases past
youth
Hitherto hath the LORD helped us
Those words from 1 Samuel 7:12 came to me as we were listening to the young people singing from the church conference. A word of explanation is needed here, the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite holds a general conference about every seven to ten years. The 2022 conference is underway now at Tupelo, Mississippi … Continue reading Hitherto hath the LORD helped us
When did you reach adulthood?
If a man is not a Socialist at 20 be has no heart, but if he remains one at 30 he has no head. -Anselme Barbie, 1828-1887; mistakenly attributed to countless others. In my youth I stressed freedom, and in my old age I stress order. I have made the great discovery that liberty is … Continue reading When did you reach adulthood?
Fifty years ago
It is 50 years since the Jesus people movement began in California. It followed close on the heels of the Summer of Love, that brief period in time when disillusioned young people believed they had found the solution to all the world’s problems. “All you need is love” by the Beatles was their theme. They … Continue reading Fifty years ago
Do you think wisdom comes with old age?
That was the question my barber asked me yesterday. My answer was that I don’t want to believe I have wasted all 76 years of my life. I hope I have learned something from the things I have experienced. BUT – If a man would spend his whole life trying to demonstrate that he is … Continue reading Do you think wisdom comes with old age?
The problem of age
I was sitting in the food court with my 95-year-old mother. A young oriental lady rushed up to us, on the verge of tears, and wanted to meet and hold the hand of this old lady. I was startled at first, but as the young lady talked it warmed my heart to see her love … Continue reading The problem of age
Still looking for an entry level church
We still appreciated the people at the Lowe Farm church, but decided we needed to go shopping for another church. We wouldn’t have been able to put it into words, but we were looking for an entry level church, one that wouldn’t cost us too much in the way of commitment. Nevertheless, we had been … Continue reading Still looking for an entry level church
Attitude correction
For more than 200 years, the government of Canada has graciously extended the privilege of exemption from military service to members of religious denominations which objected to participation in warfare for reasons of faith and conscience. At first, the law required conscientious objectors between the ages of sixteen and sixty to register annually and pay … Continue reading Attitude correction
Food for the hungry
Back when we were living in southwestern Ontario we made the trip back to Saskatchewan every two years. The trip was 3,000km and took 3 days each way. The first two days we tried to get an early start and got our meals at fast food restaurants to save time. When we stopped for gas … Continue reading Food for the hungry
Authenticity and tradition
On Saturday we travelled to Moose Jaw to attend a workshop for writers. We've only lived there for short periods of time, the last one being 37 years ago, but it still feels like this is where our roots are. I wanted to visit my 91 year old cousin after the workshop, but there was … Continue reading Authenticity and tradition
Flatlander Faith 