Midwinter Meditations on Scripture’s Sweet Promises
Winter’s first semester was warm, erring on the side of balmy. Albertans tentatively accepted the lingering fall weather, painfully aware they’d been fooled before by the sudden arrival of a tsunamic dump of snow or a frigid pop quiz.
The Time Traveller’s Question
Imagine an EMC time-traveller from the 1920s visiting us today. Would they find any clue that, of all the churches in town, this was their descendant?
Hidden In Their Hearts
One of the many gifts children give us adults is the freedom to be childlike again. There is nothing more freeing than running in a gym playing pool noodle tag. (The fact that I couldn’t keep up is neither here nor there.)
The rules of the game
“16 million,” my son places his rent card on the discard pile. Grandpa’s brow furrows. “How did you get that?” My son points to his colorful wild cards.
The ancient global treasure of EMC faith
We’re sitting on a gold mine. The world is gasping for it, and we have it, though we don’t always grasp its biblical beauty.
The Grace of Vocation
“Stand back,” the guide told me. “Just a little bit further.” I was carefully examining a rich blue shard of stained glass as the midday sun lit up the walls of the magnificent 18th-century manor. We had spent that morning in the workshop of a local artist who explained the nuances of colouring which went into the creation of each piece of glass. I was now looking closely to appreciate the unique tones of this particular piece.
The zeal of the Lord
When Phineas witnessed an Israelite blatantly transgressing God’s law for holiness, he acted with righteous passion. God said, “He was as zealous for my honor among [the Israelites] as I am” (Numbers 25:11). And God promised, “He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God” (v. 13).
Intellectual Moms and Dads
Intellectuals have unique challenges when it comes to raising their children for Jesus. Why is this? I write this from hard-earned experience, both in my own childhood and in my parenting.
The Power of Vocation
It was a moment of simple joy. You have likely experienced similar moments. Sitting on the grass in the cool shade of a tree, I bit into a fresh peach. It was perfectly ripe. I could smell its rich, fragrant aroma already, before I brought it to my mouth. What a beautiful picture of the way God has designed every aspect of his creation.
A Bird’s View
Confession: I’m suspicious of most rodents and fowl. I know that my bird-watching friends will be exasperated that I lumped the predator with the prey. I’m not an ornithologist (that’s someone who studies birds … I looked it up), but I do find both species rather erratic. They silently stare at you, then start darting or fluttering at an alarming, instinctual rate.
Pedal To The Metal Love
Do you realize how unusual God’s love is? If I could really hold this in the depths of my soul, I would be a joy-filled person. This is it: God loves naturally.