Witnessing the Message
We’ve gone beyond the day where we build a building and people will come. Church buildings don’t necessarily attract and increasingly I find congregations are saying it’s when we go out of the building that we are church.
Faith
The Threat of Resurrection
Theologian Karl Barth once preached a sermon in which he described the resurrection of Jesus as a threat. I like that.
Minding the Minister
I have heard too many ministers say they have neglected to take off the time to which they are entitled. They always give reasons. Some are good; but most are insufficient.
The Called Out Community
The question we constantly ask ourselves is: What is God calling us to do here? How do we read the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3) in our city in light of the biblical and reformed tradition on which we stand?
Deaths and Resurrections
The younger son says, “Father, I can’t wait for you to die!” That’s not exactly what Jesus says he said, but that’s what people hear!
Receptive to the Word
The main scripture used to be Matthew 28; go make disciples of all nations, that was our evangelism verse. Now Luke 10 has become the new text for the missional church; go out as lambs among wolves, go out without money.
A Tale of Two Churches
Both churches have faced similar challenges. Why is one still open and the other not? Here, I believe, are some pertinent elements.
Conspicuous Faithfulness
The Ash Wednesday gospel is worth re-reading throughout the season. Maybe the gospel for us is, “Practice your piety before others in order to be seen by them.”
The Path of Renewal
When we start talking about renewal lots of ideas (and even some old prejudices) come to mind. But at its core, renewal is God’s life-giving, restorative work. It transforms us little by little into Christ’s image and brings the world under Christ’s reign.
A New Thing
Everywhere I look in the church today, I see congregations struggling to survive. What, I ask myself, does this mean for God’s church? Has God abandoned the church?
Bearing Witness to Christ
The Assembly Council adopted a motion that asked the church to examine whether it is wise stewardship to support three colleges financially. I spoke in favour of the motion because I believe it is time to think about how our church can prepare its leaders more effectively and efficiently.
Do You Need to Be Saved?
I was sitting in my office looking out at teenagers making their way to school. I thought to myself, “How many of them think about salvation?”
Are We Nuts?
Last year, Canada sent $49.5 million to Haiti. But that’s $49.5 million too much according to Don Cherry.
How St. Giles, Ottawa, Does Church
We do messy church every Sunday as we hold worship in the banquet hall as opposed to the sanctuary. (That’s another story). All I can […]
Saviour and Lord
We do well not to overlook the reality of human sin, nor to dismiss it. If we were not sinners, Jesus would have died for no reason.
The Joy of the Lord
The walls of the city are rebuilt. The gates are open. The temple is restored. Society is reorganized. Leadership is established. Markets are open. People have homes. Now what?
One Seamless Garment
I wasn’t in Malawi very long before I started questioning why things are the way they are. The way we consume resources while others go without raises disturbing questions of justice. It also highlights the way materialism seems to bankrupt our souls.
Dependence on God
Over the last year we have attempted to bring focus to the Fellowship so that we have a clear message and a strong understanding of what we are called to do and to be.
Constructive Anxiety
Anxiety is a funny thing. Too much and you find yourself in an unfocused whirl. Too little and you become complacent and lethargic. Either way, you become unproductive. It’s the same for groups or institutions.
Meeting Jesus in the Bible
I have been trying to talk about what it means to bear witness to Jesus Christ in a secular age. But this begs an important question. Which Jesus and whose Christ?