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…
This evening I went on a date. Erika (my wife) had other plans so I asked her if I could ask another woman. She agreed. My companion was beautiful and charming. We talked about her best friend, dating, and our favorite foods. And before I knew it I told her I loved her. Maybe it’s…
Recently, I’ve had a few of the hardest days of my year. At first I thought I was losing my mind: small comments seemed to irritate me, my heart felt strangely heavy, and I couldn’t focus on simple details. My counselor suggested that I might be experiencing the initial stages of burn out. So, I…
Tonight, Erika and I went to our first ever Murder Mystery fundraiser. It was organized to raise money for our community drop in center. Most of the people on the stage were folks from our church so it was a lot of fun. It was extra juicy because two of the actors were ministry council…
Strengths. We’ve all got ’em but few of us spend much time honing them. I suspect most of us spend our lives trying to achieve balance. I’ve committed my life to doing the opposite. I was reminded of this valuable insight from a sermon that Rick (HMC discipleship pastor) preached on Sunday. Why do we…
I love teaching! These days I’m in the classroom 3 days a week. It’s demanding. But I don’t mind. Here’s a secret: lately I’ve been getting the itch to pursue further studies. You’d think I’d have my fill by doing what I’m doing. You’d think that my weekly research and course development would satisfy my…
I’m given occasional opportunities to “check out” other churches. That’s built right into my job profile. Thanks HMC! This past Sunday, Erika and I popped by the Meeting House in Oakville. It was our first visit to their new venue, located in the heart of an industrial complex. I was struck by the magnitude of…
Kudos to Mike. He has found the best christian music video I have ever seen. Check out the killer moves at the 2 minute mark.