Labour (-free) Day Weekend
Welcome to Labour Day weekend, when, ironically, we celebrate the value of work by not working! For most people outside the trade union movement, however, […]
Authorjeffloach
Pride can get caught!
Yesterday afternoon, commuter traffic was snarled in the area around Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario, due to an accident. While this is nothing new, the kind of accident […]
Marked for Jesus…and persecution
One of the challenges we face today, having so much information at our fingertips, is that important information often gets covered over by newer information. For example, when was […]
“If I get to heaven, I’d better not see you there.”
On the news the other night, I saw a tragic story about an elderly couple who, in the process of giving away kittens via Kijiji, fell victim […]
Prayer: our real work
Benedict of Nursia (480-543) is best known as the father of modern monasticism; his feast day, for those who mark such celebrations, is today, July […]
Be Practically Thankful
This weekend, most Canadians will mark Canada Day (which falls on July 1) with merriment: a barbecue, perhaps camping, maybe fireworks. We often take for […]
Getting at the olive pit
About a week ago, our dishwasher started making a really nasty noise. Not being too familiar with the internal workings of this marriage-saving appliance, we […]
Why Aren’t We Panicking?
In the wake of the 140th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, an ecumenical friend who was in attendance asked me a most interesting […]
Covenant faithfulness – like your dog
Regimental funerals, whether for police or military personnel, are always moving experiences. But one of the most heart-rending images from the funeral for the three […]
Monuments that point to growth
Today marks the seventieth anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. News and social media outlets are chock-a-block with stories commemorating the valiant efforts […]
Does the Bible read you?
I imagine you’d expect me, as a pastor, to ask you if you read the Bible. And, as a follower of Jesus, I, likewise, would […]
Soul Food
I’ve been thinking this week about the importance of Scripture. That’s probably not a bad thing for a pastor to do, right? But here’s the […]
You are honoured and loved!
This Sunday, I’m going to preach on the story of Daniel’s three friends and their time in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Every time I […]
Living in Regulation Time
I announce, with sadness, that the Boston Bruins tied its series against my beloved Montreal Canadiens last night – in overtime. Overtime always brings tense […]
Who are you when no one’s looking?
I once heard character defined as ‘who you are when no one is looking.’ I think it’s a pretty apt definition! Our character is, like […]
He’s got the whole world in his hands…right?!
The political tension that exists in the Ukraine these days reminds us that the world is not exempt from turmoil that results from everything from […]
Today…with me…Paradise
On this Good Friday, I thought I’d share some encouragement from a few years back. Take a look… If you are a listener to sermons, […]
Iron sharpens iron
Yesterday, I had a three-hour conversation with a colleague whom I deeply respect and genuinely like. Our conversation went ‘around the world’ in one sense, […]
Sanding off the edges
Most readers of Encouragement From The Word are involved in a local church, so I probably don’t need to sell you on the importance of […]