The first human temptation was about power; Adam and Eve thought they could be like God. Cain killed Abel because sin overpowered him. Even Jesus was tempted to use his power for his own selfish needs, to test God, and to succeed by the world’s ways. Jesus resisted the devil’s options for power, but most…
Mary’s Song is ideal for Advent liturgies. I have promoted its use in worship committees for years, from Edmonton to Ottawa. It focuses on themes of the great reversal, or the upside-down kingdom. These themes are rich in Biblical stories and symbolism, but they create some discomfort in the pews. Mary’s talk about taking down…
The Holdovers is the latest offering from Alexander Payne, a director known for satirical and often darkly comedic films (such as About Schmidt, Sideways, and Election). The film is set in an elite New England prep school in the 1970s and the story begins just before Christmas break. Since the gruff history teacher, Paul Hunham…
She is not one of the better-known women of the Bible and appears in only a few verses at the beginning of the gospel of Luke (2:36-39). The prophet Anna endured a long life and saw some of the most difficult events in Israel’s troubled history. As a descendant of Jacob’s son Asher, she is…
I go, every week, to this place on Main Street. I call it church, but others say it’s a mental health drop-in center. Every week I sit with my friends while they eat. Many of them pay for their food, but some cannot afford to, though the price is very low. They eat anyway, and…
When a close friend began to follow the teachings of a faith healing ministry in Texas, I was guarded and suspicious. I had a vague idea of what they would say – that disability was the result of sin and if you prayed hard enough, you could be healed – but I was shocked by…
As mentioned in my previous column, the Canons of Dort (1619) were formulated as an orthodox Calvinist response to purported errors in theology taught by Jacob Arminius (1560 – 1609). Although the theological differences between Arminians and Calvinists were (and are) complicated, they fundamentally hinge on different claims about the sovereignty of God. Calvinists claim…
The Three Forms of Unity is a collective name for the Belgic Confession (1561), the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and the Canons of Dort (1619) which reflect the teachings of Calvinism and which are accepted as official doctrinal statements by many Calvinist churches, including the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). Anyone seeking an official position (minister, elder, deacon) in the CRC must…
Sailors are believers; believers, sailors.Who else says,I need the breath of Godto reach my destination?Few souls are wind-driven in thisautomated, self-propelling society.Who even notices the wind?Do occupants of air-conditionedhouses, offices, cars,accustomed to ignoringthe soothing gesture of a cool breeze,understand the gentle stirringsof a Holy Comforter?Only those who favourthe fan of Godtrim the sail,straining to catch…
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