Have you ever tried to do something nice and it backfires? That describes my life yesterday. I arrived home from Kitchener to find a foot of snow covering our driveway. Driving through it would have been impossible so I parked at the bottom and trudged my way up. After a fleeting family greeting I donned…
Last week I stumbled on a column written by the managing editor of Southern Grey county’s finest newspaper, “The Post”. She wrote a “how-to-understand-what-women-are-really-saying” guide for guys. I wrote a letter of response and it was published in today’s newspaper. Click here to read it.
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. I wish I was better at that. Lately, my mouth has led me into some uncomfortable situations. My most recent New Testament class is a good example of opening my mouth too quickly. Without thinking, I asked my class to reconsider…
Last Sunday evening we did church in a Walkerton coffeehouse. My tradition typically spends a lot of time preparing two aspects of a church service: the music (we call it worship) and the sermon. The coffeehouse was different. There was no live music and no sermon. We spent time reflecting on a painting and a…
“Change takes place when people relax and start conversing with each other.” One of my colleagues made that statement in a sermon this past Sunday. If that’s the case, and I believe it is, then why do we make such a big deal out of the Sunday morning show? Last I checked, I didn’t have very…
Tomorrow is my wife’s 30th birthday. Here are 10 things I love about her: 10. She uses “I” statements 9. She acts more like Jesus than I do 8. She has low expectations of me 7. This one isn’t for a public blog 6. I don’t know a better, more adaptable, visionary artist 5. She…
It’s reading week. Every year EBC students and faculty get a week off from classes: once in the fall and once in the spring. I decided to take my last week of holidays from the church to coincide with my reading week. Here’s what I’ve been up to:Cutting firewoodPlaying Dora CandylandDreaming with Erika about the…
Tomorrow is the Canadian Federal Election. In preparation for our trip to the polls, Erika and I put the kettle on and embarked on an evening of intense conversation. We talked about the candidates in our riding, reviewed the “Cole’s Notes” version of the party platforms, and chatted about how uninspiring this election has…
It’s been an exceptionally busy week. Here’s what I’ve been doing: I taught 3 Bible College classes I attended an EMCC pastor’s retreat (all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday) I drove 2.5 hours south, just to have an exploratory chat with someone about a PhD program. I slept away from home 2 nights I’m…
Is our Gospel too small? That’s the question of the day. As an attendee at the EMCC pastor’s retreat, today I’ve been part of an ongoing discussion about the Gospel. Two things that have been running through my mind: 1. Neat, modernist Gospel packages (ie. the wordless book, the 4 spiritual laws…) may have been…