(This scene told from the point of view of a 1st century Jew) Imagine the scene. Herod’s great temple. A towering building, central to our worship. The white of the stones, the bronze of the altar. And the smells! They were overpowering! Even the blind would know where they are. The musty smell of animals mixing with the sweet incense …
Introduction to the Psalms
In this day and age, the Book of Psalms is generally forgotten in the larger church communities. Of course Psalm 23 is known and read, maybe at funerals or in hard times, but as for the other 149 Psalms…what should we do with them? Thinking about the Psalms tends to go a little like this: The Book of Psalms doesn’t …
A Thankful Thanksgiving
If you ever need to be more thankful, talk to a senior citizen. No, seriously.
Home Maintenance? How about Life Maintenance.
Have you ever lived in a brand new house, one that’s just been built? I have, and it’s wonderful in so many ways. Everything is new and bright and easy to clean. Clean … for someone who doesn’t like cleaning, that’s the best. Of course, you still have to do regular housekeeping, but the deep-seated cleaning and maintenance issues related …
“Don’t Talk to Strangers”: Hostility or Hospitality?
Every year during the flurry of Halloween preparations, it strikes me how unusual this event is. For one night of the year, people open their homes to strangers, cheerfully welcoming them with candy and a type of hospitality that is almost extinct in today’s world. Children, who have had the maxim “don’t talk to strangers” drilled into them by well-intentioned …
And it was very good…
By now, many of us have eaten our fill of the fresh blueberries available in great bounty this summer, and have feasted on the fruit hanging heavily on the blackberry bushes around town. Throughout the summer, we have also enjoyed a wide variety of fresh vegetables, and look forward to more in the fall.
Life after Death
If there’s one thing that the reading the news does for us, it certainly reminds us not to take our life and safety for granted. Who of us knows when our life will be endangered, or when we will draw our last breath? One of the Psalms of David states: “As for man, his days are like grass. He flourishes like …
Calendars
By now, most of us have become accustomed to the new year. We usually remember to write the proper date on our cheques and appointment calendars. Businesses generously distributed calendars to valued customers, and those calendars grace the walls of offices, classrooms, and kitchens, hanging at the ready to record important meetings, dinners and other events. This year I have …
What Do You Need?
Just in case we didn’t buy enough and receive enough during the holiday season… there are the January sales! At this time of year, many of us are mall-weary, and unhappily facing December’s aftermath in the form of our credit card bills. Yet, the stores are doing what they can to lure us back, and many of us are biting. …
The Greatest Love
Our media-driven culture is dominated by the worship of heroes and super-heroes. True, heroes have sometimes affected the outcome of events in history. By emphasizing only the greatness of the hero and the value of his or her contribution, we miss something important. We miss the role of the ordinary man. This is especially sad and unfair on Remembrance Day …
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