When we feel that we have been wronged, it’s a tough sell to ask someone to respond with blessing. And yet, that is exactly what Jesus teaches us to do. Image via Pixabay The teaching comes from the Sermon on the Mount. It is set within a larger passage about foregoing vengeance, and it leads right into Jesus’ famous teaching on enemy-love, which we will come back to. In that context, Jesus speaks a simple yet powerful and challenging sentence:... Read more
When Church and State partner up, they often produce really ugly offspring. Image via Pixabay Depending on what kind of Christ-follower you are (or if you are one at all), the views on the partnership between Church and State can vary wildly. I grew up in the Pentecostal church, and there was very much a belief amongst many (not all) in the Pentecostal/Charismatic wing of Christianity that our job was to “take back” the government, to get believers elected, and... Read more
I have flown first-class exactly one time in my life, and at the risk of exaggerating, I do need to say – it was the place where all of my hopes and dreams came true. Image via Pixabay Years ago, when my wife and I were flying back from our honeymoon, we had a layover where we needed to switch planes. The first leg of the trip home had been rocky, with cramped seating, long delays, obnoxious seatmates (the other... Read more
It’s the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada today, which I must point out to differentiate between my country and the Americans, who celebrate their Thanksgiving in late November. We Canadians apparently like to spread out our turkey feasts, and so we like to leave a larger gap between the Thanksgiving and Christmas carb-fests than the Americans do. I’m not saying that one way is right and one way is wrong, but really, when you think about, the Canadian way is right.... Read more
I can honestly say that I don’t have any enemies. I don’t hate anyone and I wish no harm on anyone. I genuinely like people and work very hard to see the best in everyone. Image via Pixabay I mean, sure, there are some people that I like better than others. And hey – I don’t get along amazingly with everyone. I’m only human. And yes, if I’m being honest, there are certain people that I don’t always love... Read more
Following Jesus is easiest when it’s nice and neat. We wrap up our theological convictions with a nice little bow, we clearly determine the behaviour that is acceptable and not acceptable, we put a spiritual routine into place that allows us to live out our faith in a predictable and manageable way, and if we’re being honest, we often quickly move to define who’s “in” and who’s “out.” Image via Pixabay But when we read the Gospels, it turns out... Read more
I’ve been in vocational Christian ministry for 20 years, and at some point along the way in those 20 years, I noticed that the language of what some Christians called themselves began to change. Image via Pixabay For many, “Christian” was a term that no longer felt quite right, even though it is a biblical term (Ac 11.26; 26.28). And to be clear, I do still use it all the time. But lots of people call themselves “Christian,” in the... Read more
So let’s say you really love Jesus, and God’s Word, and His people. But let’s say you are also concerned about how Christians often don’t look that much like Jesus, and have a tendency to cherry-pick Bible passages that let them bypass the teachings and example of Christ, and you’re alarmed at how the Church can so easily compromise with worldly political parties and systems and powers, and you long to get back to the pure simplicity of just knowing... Read more
At the risk of sounding controversial to my Christians brothers and sisters, I’m actually not a fan of school prayer. Image via Pixabay I’m old enough to remember a time when my public school used to begin every morning with the national anthem, and a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. In my province, the daily prayer stopped around when I was in the third grade, in the late ‘80’s. Now, just to be clear, I am a huge fan... Read more
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