God's agape love is abiding, steadfast, and inclusive. In love, God in Christ came into our sin-sick, war-torn, disaster-plagued, disease-ridden, self-centred, hard-hearted world to assume all that degradation on His own shoulders, to suffer and to die in our stead. … Read more

Jesus often ended his parables with this phrase: "He who has ears, let him hear". I have a friend who has just returned from a family vacation in Hawaii. She was commenting on how she would sit on the beach … Read more

How long is eternity? How can it be measured? Is it possible to grasp the concept of living on and on and on? Believe me, it is difficult for my mind to grasp the fact that there is no end … Read more

I come into the Presbyterian Church from the Baptist Church where I served as an ordained pastor. One of the main differences is how the two groups do their baptisms. Presbyterians can be much more dignified, while Baptists can be … Read more

Shrove Tuesday On Shrove Tuesday our whole town becomes Polish. We all enjoy then eating delicious paczkis (pronounced poonchkeys). Even my neighbourhood Italian bakery was taking orders for paczki for weeks before Lent. As I bit into my tasty apple-filled … Read more

A recent devotional entitled Giving Thanks rekindled my own little fire on 'giving thanks'. It spoke of the writer's fear for her daughter's warmth and safety in the midst of the terrible ice storm in Quebec, and while … Read more

You remember those wonderful women of the Bible — Mary and Martha. They were among Jesus' closest friends and followers. No one loved Jesus more than those two great women. Jesus loved them both. To my way of thinking, each … Read more

The first year that our family went to Hurricane Ridge, none of us made it to the top. Some members made it closer to than others but all of us fell short of our goal. However, last year all of … Read more

Isn't it interesting to hear the fans instruct the football team and its coaches? I have attended several Ohio State football games. I have been present when they have had a season in which they won each game; but let … Read more

A number of years ago when I was a pastor in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada, we were travelling back to visit family in southern Alberta, two provinces west. Our daughters, now in their twenties, were very young, and a long car … Read more

I have waited for Grace all my life. We waited for Grace at every meal, for it seems we were born with the notion that one didn't eat until everyone was seated and Grace was finished. Grace always came first. … Read more

White cross emblazoned upon black leather vest Red circled hash-mark crossed Bloodied words "Bad Religion" Tattered black jeans sporting lethal knife chained to black belt Black commando boots bleached blond mohawk tipped with blood red stain loudly proclaiming hate loudly … Read more

For the past couple of summers, our family has spent part of our summer holidays hiking up Hurricane Ridge which for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Port Angeles area, it is hike up through the Olympic Mountains. … Read more

Some years ago a high school student came to see me concerning some very frustrating problems. She was disturbed about a number of things, but especially disturbed about the advisor of their literary society. This girl was a senior and … Read more

On February 14th, we give cards, candy and other gifts to show our loved ones that they are special to us. What a feeling to know that someone loves you. All obstacles are minimal, when you have the love of … Read more

I spent my career in the financial world and dealing with risk was an everyday necessity. We called it "risk tolerance" and had to determine how much of it a person possessed when they talked about making an investment. It … Read more

The other night, I had been crying for several minutes, totally depressed and sad about my friend, Susan, moving away, back to Ontario, 2600 miles away. Then I decided to pick up a devotional book which this same friend had … Read more

It seems to me that Christianity has many strengths, not only in its interest in saving souls, but also in its concern for the physical and mental well-being of people in the here-and-now. One movement, Christian in base, that has … Read more

Recently someone commented to me that they wondered why Christians couldn't be involved in building a sense of community and solidarity, to be participating in social justice events. I was, frankly, surprised. And yet, as I thought about their question, … Read more

Behind our home runs a gully. It begins by a little Anglican church nearby and ends up down on the beach close to where the ferry docks. It is a nature lover's path in paradise. A group of inmates from … Read more

You may be familiar with the exercise of filling a jar to the half-way mark with water, putting it in a prominent place and, upon rising, seeing if you view it as "half-full" or "half-empty". Some may even check on … Read more

While walking my dog a few days before Christmas, she hesitantly drew me towards a beautiful hemlock tree. There, underneath, lay a fair sized grey tabby cat, front paws crossed, but very, very still. There was no question. He was … Read more

I firmly believe that prayer is the work of the church. It is not an exercise which we learn to do to help us with the work of the church. It is the work of the church. It is not … Read more

John Congram, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and Editor of The Presbyterian Record, was in Pictou County for a Cursillo weekend many years ago and was talking about grace. He used a story … Read more

A few years ago a neighbour moved into the house next door and one of the first things he did was to dismantle a pole fence which had been constructed between our properties. To me it felt like an act … Read more

The Word of God ends with a beautiful promise to His children. Revelation 21 and 22 describe our home in heaven, very vividly. Precious materials here are ordinary in heaven. There they use gold like we use asphalt here. There … Read more

The best place to rest and relax is home. We enjoy family and good meals at home. We spend a large portion of our income making it comfortable and pleasant. It is the largest purchase most people make in a … Read more

Consider that passage from Mark's Gospel. They had busy days, even twenty centuries ago! Put that verse in a modern setting, and you get: "Jesus and His group was so busy they didn't even have time to grab a sandwich … Read more