How shall we read the Bible? In the many ways to read the Bible today, it seems there are as many interpretations as there are interpreters. Christians all over the world read the Bible in different ways. My hope is to consider the different contexts and different readings that have shaped how the Bible has been interpreted in recent years. The variety is indeed part of my point—variety makes a world of difference!

I will explore the biblical text from several angles—what lies “behind” the text, what lies “in” the text, and what lies “in front of” the text. So first we will look at the text in its ancient social location, that is, what lies behind the text. Then we will take a look at what’s in the text. In particular, my focus is Deuteronomy and the “family” of books related to it theologically (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings) that tell the covenant history of Israel and Judah. Then I will consider those who read these ancient texts today, that is, what lies in front of the text. This approach might differ from your usual Bible study, but by looking at ancient writers and contemporary readers, we can think about how we might read and interpret responsibly amidst multiple voices in the contemporary world.

Only God can make the seed grow,” observes Rev. John-Peter Smit, “and only God can make the church grow.” Smit made his comment before getting into the details of an ongoing survey on the health of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
The details aren’t pretty. They suggest that if the church is soil for the seed, it is sorely in need of some tender care.
In all categories, Presbyterians ranked themselves poorer in spiritual health than other Christians in Canada. The lowest ratings are about how people live out their faith on a daily basis, what the survey calls “passionate spirituality,” and an ability to discern and meet the needs of people outside the church, what it labels “need-oriented evangelism.”

The survey results were compiled over a seven-year period under the auspices of Natural Church Development. NCD’s program is designed to help churches assess their own organizational health through a benchmarking survey of church members. Smit is congregational development consultant for the Synod of Central, Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda and the national church’s staff liaison with NCD.

Of the best rulers … when their task is accomplished and their work is done, the people all remark, “We have done it ourselves.”
– Lao-Tzu

It was a group of a dozen who gathered one November morning in a church sanctuary to start a long and arduous journey. Half of them are going to spend 2009 under a great deal of scrutiny, analyzing their own approach to being leaders in their community, in their church, and being analyzed by their congregation and others. These ministers have willingly and voluntarily submitted themselves to a process of further developing and sharpening their leadership skills. The next day, lay leaders from their congregation will join them. Together, they will face the challenges of being a church.

For many years, especially after performing the hajj in Saudi Arabia, I had a passionate desire to visit Jerusalem. For me, it became all the more urgent because in my interfaith work, I speak about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam flowing from the same source and that despite our differences and challenges, we are the children of Abraham.

And, when we ask, God answers. All of a sudden there was an opportunity to go. My husband and I decided that a visit to the Holy Land must be shared with those who have similar dreams. So we invited our dear friends Jim Evans, a United Church minister, and his wife Karen to come along.

Poor Work Performance

• Consistent late arrivals or frequent absences/sick days
• Decreased productivity
• Lower quality of work
• Increase in errors
• Decline in dependability (e.g., not meeting deadlines or completing work tasks)
• Decreased interest or involvement in work
• May work longer hours, but performance still poor

The sign outside an Ontario church read, “We're too blessed to be depressed.” The author of the sentiment almost certainly meant to encourage gratitude, but the truth is the message betrayed a sad fact about many of our congregations: we do not understand mental illness and we do not appreciate how deeply it is affecting the life of the church. Not only are people in the pew suffering, but our clergy show alarming statistics of depression and anxiety disorders.

Mental illness in Canada is on the rise, and according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will develop a mental illness in their lifetime. Among the most common are depression and anxiety disorders, and the World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2020, depression will be second only to heart disease as the leading global cause of disability and mortality. This is no small matter to be kept under wraps; the economic, personal and social costs of mental health problems are immense. It has been estimated that the cost of lost productivity due to workplace mental illness in Canada is in excess of $30 billion per year. Mental health issues can also lead to strained relationships at work and at home, erosion of self-esteem, and for some, even suicide.

The Centre for Clergy Care and Congregational Health conducted the study Clergy Well-Being: Seeking Wholeness with Integrity in June 2003 under the guidance of Rev. Dr. Andrew Irvine. In addition to focus groups, the study examined responses from 338 clergy from the six major protestant denominations in Ontario: United, Anglican, Presbyterian, Evangelical Lutheran, the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, and the Pentecostal Assemblies.

Last year's General Assembly formally commended chaplains for their work and ministry. As recommended by the department of Ministry and Church Vocations, along with the Committee on Church Doctrine, the assembly agreed that ordination is not just for ministers heading off to a congregation, but to those who consider their pulpit to be in both Christian and secular institutions across Canada.

I grew up in Panaehperkho, a village in the mountainous regions of Karen State, Burma. Our village was one of several in the area.

There's no Christmas in Taiwan, or at least no Christmas in the same way you think of it here. Only five per cent of the population is Christian; the rest are Buddhist or atheist, so there's no national recognition and no big celebrations. It's not a national holiday (although a party holiday happens to coincide with it) and celebrations are modest even among Christian communities.

I grew up in Denmark, and that means I grew up Lutheran (although I admit that my family wasn't the most conscientious of church-goers).

In rural Jamaica, where I grew up seven decades ago, going to church was at the heart of Christmas in my family. In my memory the night was moonlit or bright with stars, the air warm and soft, as we walked home together after the midnight service on Christmas Eve. Sounds of merriment were distanced by the hilly country as our neighbours set off fireworks in celebration. I felt secure and satisfied because the preparations were over, the baking and preserving done, gifts of new clothing and food distributed to the poor, and our parents, who taught school and served in church and community, were at leisure at last. The feasting and visiting could now begin.

It is usually an expression of genuine incredulity – you celebrate Christmas?

As a child growing up in rural Jamaica, I found Christmas a very exciting time – a lot of fun. I looked forward to getting a new dress to wear to church on Christmas Sunday. Christmas chorals would be coming from every radio as early as November. The men would be standing or walking with their transistor radios on the highest volume. One could feel the fever in the air. It was a time of getting together with families and friends to celebrate more than just material things, of which we didn't have much, but rather life. The Christmas story was a meaningful and essential part of my life as a child. While we knew that our little gifts did not come from Santa Claus, because we did not know such a person, we knew that Jesus was the reason for Christmas.

Christmas in Korea by Nam Soon Song Christmas in Jamaica by Joyce Gladwell Christmas in Taiwan by Lily Yen Christmas in Jamaica by Sybil Mosley […]

Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;

You can take an African out of the village but you cannot take the village out of an African.

The original walled city of Damascus still stands and its kilometres of narrow streets with overhanging balconies and street level shops is a strange and wonderful world. Some of the original gates to the city can still be seen and as one walks through Bab Touma, the Christian quarter, it is easy to imagine the adventures the Apostle Paul had in his day. My road to Damascus experience was less dramatic though full of blessings – but it was also a window into a tragedy of enormous proportions.

The federal policy of assimilation had its origin in the Gradual Civilization Act of 1857, which was reinforced by the Indian Act of 1876 and sanctioned by successive parliaments of Canada. The Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and United Churches provided staff and administration to the schools established by the government.