What was there about this man that God used him so mightily? There was an essential humility, a self-effacing, even self-deprecating, inability to take himself seriously. His ability to cross time zones and emerge from intercontinental air flights was an act of heroic proportions. … Read More
Back in 2016, I spent three months on sabbatical in Edinburgh. One of the highpoints for us was the week we spent on the island of Lindisfarne, about an hour south by train from Edinburgh. What makes Lindisfarne unique is the fact that when the tide goes out, you can drive across to the island, … Read more
A review of “Canoeing the Mountains – Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory” by Tod Bolsinger. Canoeing the Mountains Truth be told, I dismissed this book without reading a single page. It was a freebie, handed out at the PCC Pastor’s Conference back in 2019, which screamed “remainder bin.” And the title — way too cute. … Read more
Renewal groups can be found in many denominations. From time to time, we will take a look at others who adhere to the authority of scripture and resist bringing secular values into theology. “Gone by 2040?” The stark headline in the January 2020 Anglican Journal was an attention grabber, pointing to the grim conclusion of … Read more
Years ago, I worked in a grocery store. Cleanup went with the job. Boxes and sacks would break open, jars would shatter, cans would dent and lose their labels. There wasn’t much we could do with the broken boxes or shattered jars but the unlabelled cans could be sold at a fraction of the price. … Read more
Once, after a night of debauchery in my early thirties (at that time in my life debauchery meant staying up to the wee hours playing ‘Hearts’ – the card game, not the relationship pastime), I woke hearing the strains of *Slow Train Coming*. Our host had it hot off the press (it was a LP … Read more
“Clearly communicating the heart of the Christian faith presents a very significant challenge” in a culture that is “illiterate to Christian ideas, often hostile to them,” says John Vissers, formerly Principal of Presbyterian College, Montreal. This summer, Vissers spent three weeks in Ghana and Malawi. “It makes you wish that Canadian Christians had more passion.” … Read More
What can the faithful do when the church is spiritually adrift? When the authority of Scripture is being challenged over sexuality and ordination — what better opportunity to remind ourselves to be anchored in Christ and look for a safe harbour. For inspiration, we turned to our new friends at Cruxifusion, a network of ministers who are centred on Christ … Read more
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). This has become my life verse. It is a comfort when things go wrong. It is an inspiration when I feel small and insignificant. It is … Read more
The emerging culture has moved away from texts to images and from books to screens. Those born before 1962 are "immigrants" to this new ethos. "Natives" are in their thirties or younger, and they can't even imagine a world without computers. This presents a challenge to the church to reach them. … Read More