Jesus is in the house!
There are many churches in Canada that are in decline. That’s not news. In my own denomination, congregations are closing at a rate never before […]
jesus
Two Awesome Rules for Your Home No Matter Who You Are or What You Believe
Every home has rules. Even the homes without rules have rules. (‘No rules’ is a rule!) Some are spoken, like ‘Put the toilet seat down.’ […]
Scars
Thomas encounters the risen Jesus in this Sunday’s lectionary passage: John 20:19-31. A new poem based on this passage of scripture. Scars Running blind ‘round a […]
Religion or Relationship?
A friend on social media recently asked an interesting question: Is Christianity more about religion or relationship? Or a bit of both? How would you answer? […]
Fear not!
I have a calendar in my home study that has a strange trait: it has two November Fourteenths instead of one November 13th and one […]
What Jesus ACTUALLY Said and Did Most
“I am a Jew,” Albert Einstein wrote, “but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene… No one can read the Gospels without […]
Will we serve God or serve ourselves?
Can I lock my kids up forever? Ok maybe not forever, perhaps just until 30ish?
The Guilt and Shame That Binds Us
The article by Dr. Martina McGowan in the links below is very helpful. I especially appreciate the way the link photograph captures the oppressive mood […]
What To Expect When You’re Expecting… God
Those books are everywhere. What To Expect When You’re Expecting… a baby. The idea is this: Help parents-to-be feel more prepared for something they will […]
National Immigration Day?
My parents are immigrants to Canada. My mom and dad came to this country with their families, from the Netherlands, in 1951 and 1952 respectively. […]
My New Daily Devotional Called “Up.” (Why bother?)
I’m increasingly convinced that we don’t need more time or less tasks—but clearer priorities. Albert Einstein had 24 hours a day. So did Michelangelo. And Jesus! […]
“I never lost faith in the end of the story” (A Former P.O.W. Gives Perspective-Shifting Words for Easter)
Admiral James Stockdale was a prisoner of war for eight years during Vietnam. After those eight long years, author Jim Collins asked him how he […]
Poem for Palm Sunday
PALM SUNDAY by Roland De Vries hymn Time-pressed sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic rocks Burst with anticipation that, human voices stayed, Their moment of unlocked […]
Three Of The Biggest Misunderstandings About Jesus
Albert Schweitzer famously said that when looking for the “real” Jesus, it can be like looking down a well: Our search can be so polluted with personal […]
Get the job done
As is quite common with newly-elected politicians, the new mayor of the city of Toronto, John Tory, has come out of the gates bucking to […]
The 10 Things I Get Asked Most as a Minister (And How I Answer Them)
Einstein said that “curiosity has its own reason for existing.” As if wonder has its own self-propelling magnetism. Curiosity and questioning are daily menu items […]
6 Things I Love About My Church
My home church is called Westminster. And I want to briefly share 6 things I love about it. Yes, I’m the pastor, but I’m also in the […]
What Makes A Church “Small”?
Would you like that super-sized? It’s a time of anxiety for a lot of churches, especially as we educate ourselves in what Montreal philosophy professor […]
Congregational Aesthetics – beyONd our walls (3/3)
In this short blog series I’ve been exploring this question: What is the aesthetic profile of your congregation. Otherwise put: What do the artwork and […]
temptation and love – a conversation with Jesus
Jesus, when I hear again the story of your temptation – when I read about those 40 days you spent out in the wilderness – […]