Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
While we love living in Nova Scotia, the hardest thing about our move here was that our two oldest children, Logan and Abby, had to stay in Ontario. We have regular Zoom meetings but it is not the same. I have been able to have a few in-person visits when I was in Ontario for … Read More “Good News: Amanda and the Kids” »
Genesis 15:1-6 Introduction How are you for waiting? Does it come easy for you? I happen to find waiting quite painful. Many years ago, I was helping out with a youth group and we took a bus to attend a special youth event in Toronto. This event was going to have a well known speaker—Jake … Read More “Waiting for the Child” »
This week has been packed with insightful articles, podcasts, and resources on Christian apologetics! Below, I’ve gathered some of the highlights from various apologetics websites to help strengthen your faith and equip you to engage in meaningful conversations. 1. Was Christ a Copycat? This article from Reasonable Theology examines claims that the story of Jesus mirrors pagan myths. … Read More “Weekly Roundup: Christian Apologetics Posts You Don’t Want to Miss” »
I have seen some recent claims by some Christians that pro-life activist, Paulette Harlow was arrested simply silently praying across the street from an abortion clinic. We are meant to be outraged that this 75 year old woman would be sent to jail and we are meant to see this as a sign of the … Read More “Was Paulette Harlow Jailed For Silently Praying?” »
I have been blogging since 2006 and have had a number of websites since then. I have been very active in creating content: blog posts, podcasts, and videos. Plus I have written a few books. But why? Why do I spend so much time doing all of this? What is the point of it? This … Read More “Why I Do What I Do” »
Here in Nova Scotia, we have had nothing but cloudy days and rain for some time. We only have had short glimpses of the blue sky over the past number of days. But that is not what I mean by Bluesky. One of the things I like to do is to interact with people on … Read More “Good News: Enjoying the Bluesky” »
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Introduction One of my interests is studying world religions. I find it fascinating how different people have addressed the big questions of life. Often when we compare the different religions, we begin by comparing and contrasting the different answers that they offer. But long before that, we should be looking at the … Read More “Grief With Hope” »
There have been plenty of books and movies that have attempted to portray an end-times figure called the antichrist. But what does the Bible actually say about the antichrist? In this video, I go through the relevant passages and share the biblical data. In the video, I mention something called Docetism. You can find out … Read More “What Does the Bible Say About the Antichrist?” »
What does a healthy church look like? We might begin with a large congregation, a sizeable budget, multi-pastor staff, and a building big enough for any event imaginable. I will say that none of those things are bad. There are many such churches that are healthy. But it is not those aspects of a church … Read More “5 Signs of a Healthy Church” »
The protestant Christian Bible has 66 books, 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. But why those particular books and who chose them? I frequently hear people say that the church did not choose the books of the Bible, God did. How can you argue with that? From the … Read More “Why Do We Have the Books of the Bible We Do?” »
Yesterday, Brookfield Baptist Church celebrated their 162nd anniversary. It is amazing to think that BBC has been around longer than Canada has been a nation. This year was also the 100th anniversary of our current church building. While the church is not the same as the building, the building is important. It is where so … Read More “Good News: Church Anniversary” »
Ephesians 6:10-20 Introduction I enjoy military-type stories, whether they are historical or fiction. It could be a fantasy world such as Lord of the Rings or history from the Second World War or even some futuristic science fiction epic. There are numerous things that I enjoy about this genre but there is a particular kind … Read More “Our Marching Orders” »
It is October and November of 1941. The weather is getting colder and only so much can be done before General Winter makes his appearance. Can the Germans make it to Moscow? In this episode, we look at Operation Typhoon and Germany’s attempt to gain a major victory while they still have time. My recommended … Read More “SWWP 41 – Operation Barbarossa: Part Three” »
There is currently an exodus of people leaving X, formerly known as Twitter. To a certain extent this has been happening since Elon Musk took over Twitter. This has increased recently, most likely related to the election of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s close connection to him. Some people want to distance themselves from Musk. … Read More “Why I Am Not Planning on Leaving X/Twitter” »
If you had asked me a couple of years ago about which DC character I would like to see in their own television series, the Penguin would not have been near the top of the list. In the comics, he is just not that interesting of a character. Enter Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the Penguin … Read More “The Penguin: Season One – Review” »
Today is Remembrance Day, a day that has always been important to me. I have observed it in different ways over the years but I really appreciate the opportunity I now have. Here in Brookfield, we have a community Remembrance Day service sponsored by Knox United Church and Brookfield Baptist Church. As one of the … Read More “Good News: Remembrance Day” »
Ephesians 5:15-20 Introduction Today, being the Sunday before Remembrance Day, is Remembrance Sunday. We take time to remember those who have served and those who serve. We think of those who died in combat and those who came back with wounds, both visible and invisible. For a long time, this has been one of the … Read More “Attitude of Gratitude” »
There are no lack of superhero movies, between Marvel and DC and the other franchises. Young people today have no idea how long we waited between seeing a new superhero movie. Some are suggesting that we are now experiencing superhero fatigue. I do not exactly accept that, although the comment does reflect a real shift. … Read More “5 Things I Look For in a Good Superhero Movie” »
Way back in October 2016, just a few weeks before Donald Trump was first elected President of the United States, I wrote a blog post titled Thank God for Donald Trump. My thesis was that conservative Christians in the United States had long put their hope in the Republican Party. Now they were stuck with … Read More “I Was Wrong About Donald Trump” »
Just over a decade ago, I began to habit of sharing first a daily and then a weekly Good News post. This was part of my attempt to create a habit that would support good mental health. Some of my posts are about major events and some are small. There were days that my Good … Read More “Good News: Having a Good Day” »
Ephesians 4:1-3 Introduction There is one particular theme that I have personally returned to over and over during the past number of years and I know this has been reflected in my preaching. That theme is this: What does the Christian life look like? In some ways, that seems like such a simple question, one … Read More “Leading a Life Worthy of the Calling” »
There are certain Marvel characters that people have long waited for their appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Agatha Harkness is probably not near the top of the list. In the comics, Agatha is an elderly witch that first appeared in Fantastic Four. She is very different from the Agatha that appeared in WandaVision, which … Read More “Agatha All Along – Review” »
Last weekend I found myself in a low mood. I made the decision to take a break from blogging and from social media. Now you will notice that this is less than a week later. That short of time is probably the regular space for many bloggers and people on social media. There is nothing … Read More “Reflections on a (Brief) Break” »
Ephesians 3:1-13 Introduction Do you enjoy either reading or watching murder mysteries? Growing up, our family always watched shows like Matlock and Murder She Wrote. To be honest, I never really liked those shows, but my parents insisted. I think what bothered me was that ultimately, the mystery was not really solvable for the audience. … Read More “Solving the Mystery” »
I have read a number of G.K. Chesterton’s nonfiction works. I knew Chesterton was an influence on C.S. Lewis and so I wanted to check them out. I am less familiar with Chesterton’s fiction, although I had listened to his The Man Who Was Thursday on audiobook years ago. I had known that Chesterton had … Read More “The Innocence of Father Brown” »
I have enjoyed the series of movies in the “A Quiet Place” franchise. It is a fresh take on both alien invasion and post-apocalyptic themes. The need to be absolutely quiet to avoid the alien monsters taps into some of our primal fears. The previous movies took place after the alien invasion had already taken … Read More “A Quiet Place: Day One – Review” »
Each week I share some sort of Good News as my personal discipline of developing a positive attitude. Some times there is a major event that took place that I want to share. But not always. As I sat here, thinking of what I could share, I began to think of a number of little … Read More “Good News: The Little Things” »
Ephesians 2:1-10 Introduction In just a week and a half, it will be Reformation Day. This is the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg church. That act is considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, a tradition that we belong in as Baptists. One of the concerns … Read More “Christian Works” »
What Lewis tries to accomplish in his popular apologetics is to let the readers taste the symbolic universe of Christianity from the inside. He invites them to immerse into the grand story and to soak in the atmosphere of the Gospel. He avoids watering it down with abstractions and moralistic platitudes. The modern reader is … Read More “C.S. Lewis and the Language of Apologetics” »
If Rush is my favourite band, then Yes is a close second. In fact I have seen Yes in concert more than any other band I have seen. When we think of classic Yes, we might thing of The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, or Fragile. Most people do not think of Tormato, even … Read More “Tormato by Yes” »
It is always easy to recognize the things that you wish were different. There are regrets in the past and fears for the future. I doubt anyone has the perfect life. The reason I first started blogging about “Good News” was to boost my mental health by focusing on at least one good thing that … Read More “Good News: Being Thankful” »
Ephesians 1:15-23 Introduction As we seek to live our life, there are three general frameworks that people tend you use. The first is to live in the past. These are the people that are nostalgic for the good old days and find themselves reminiscing about the past rather that focusing on what is happening right … Read More “Reaching Toward Hope” »
I do enjoy studying theology. However, I sometimes have my doubts when theologians confidently state what God is like. They make it sound so easy. Too easy. They might say that it is relatively simple because we have the Bible and all we have to do is summarize the Bible. What the Bible says about … Read More “How Much Do We Know About God?” »
The album that ignited my love for music was Fly By Night by Rush. In many ways, this album helped shape the rest of my music tastes. Not only did Rush become and still is my favourite band, but it also bean my love for both prog and heavy rock music. Fly by Night was … Read More “Fly By Night by Rush” »
The second season of Rings of Power has been very divisive. There were people who didn’t like the first season but it seems that with the second season, certain people disliked it even more and others absolutely loved it. The main problem, from what I can see, is that this is not based on a … Read More “Rings of Power: Season Two – Review” »
What does the New Testament say about same-sex relationships? Three of the so-called “clobber passages” are found in Paul. These are 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, and Romans 1:26-27. This is not a full scale study of those passages but rather a reflection of how they have been used to exclude 2SLGBTQIA+ people and … Read More “Same-Sex Relationships and the Letters of Paul” »
I enjoy my work as a reserve army chaplain. It allows me to keep my pastoral ministry and to serve in a different way. Most of my time is spent serving my units at the armoury, connecting with the troops as they train. Aside from weekly training, there are also some weekend exercises. Most of … Read More “Good News: A Great Weekend” »
When we think of Adolf Hitler, we think of him as the monster responsible for the Holocaust and the dictator that almost destroyed Germany. But how often do we think of Hitler as a military leader? A leader of a nation does not necessarily have to give direct leadership to the military. In fact, in … Read More “The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader – Review” »
Way back in high school, I purchased my first album (I am referring to both cassette and vinyl) at Sam the Record Man in St. Catharines, Ontario. What album did I choose? It was The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden. I need to make a confession, I had never heard Iron Maiden before. … Read More “The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden” »
I enjoy church. As much as I enjoy worshiping with my home church, Brookfield Baptist Church, I even more enjoy worshiping with BBC and another congregation together. This past Sunday, at Brookfield Baptist Church, we welcomed Lifepoint Church to join us for the service, as well as a barbecue lunch. BBC and LC have a … Read More “Good News: Combined Service” »
James 5:13-18 Introduction When I think about my spiritual journey, I can pinpoint a number of major events that helped shape how my faith would develop. Among those events, there is one that radically changed the trajectory I was on. That event was a dramatic answer to prayer. I will not go into the details … Read More “Embracing Prayer” »
One of the questions that Christians disagree on is whether Christians can serve in the military. It is a complicated issue and people on both sides have strong convictions. Quoting “turn the other cheek” or “love your enemy” should not shut down the conversation. Those verses are part of the conversation but they are not … Read More “Soldiers in Luke-Acts” »
There are a lot of people who have very strong feelings about the Billy Graham Rule. This is the rule that a man and a woman should not be in a room together with no one else present in a ministry context. It goes back to Billy Graham’s stated policy of protecting his ministry with … Read More “More Thoughts on the Billy Graham Rule” »
It has been some time since I have added a new blog topic to this website. Wisdom would probably say that I already have more than enough. But I have been thinking for some time that there is one area of my life that is not reflected on this website. My love for classic rock … Read More “Classic Rock Albums Blog” »
In this episode, I speak with Mark Aedy, son of Ken Aedy. Ken served in the Royal Air Force (RAF), beginning his career during the Second World War and wrote his story, which became From Biplanes to Fast Jets. Unlike many of his peers, Ken did not release after the war but continued to fly, … Read More “SWWP 40 – From Biplanes to Fast Jets” »
My Good News this week is that I have people in my life that encourage me. They are able to speak positive messages into my life, even if my natural inclination is to see where I have fallen short. I do not want to design my life to bring on the next compliment, that is … Read More “Good News: Words of Encouragement” »
James 4:13-17 Introduction It was early in 2019 and I was a pastor at a church in Ontario. I had been at the church for about four years and was ready to work on a plan of where to take the church next in terms of our ministry. Thinking about the year, I realized that … Read More “The Problem With Plans” »
The Penguin was reintroduced to us in The Batman movie from a few years ago, portrayed by Colin Farrell. While this Batman and Penguin are not part of the new shared DC Universe that is being built, they are a part of their own shared universe. The story of the Penguin is being filled out … Read More “The Penguin – First Thoughts” »
Are Christians ever allowed to lie? I once taught ethics at a Christian university and we discussed this. There is no consensus as to the answer. The discussion generally revolves around something like lying to Nazis about Jews that you are hiding and that telling the truth would lead to their death. Many Christians (but … Read More “Is It Okay For Christians to Lie If It Helps Their Cause?” »
My Good News this week is that I finally had the opportunity to have a bonfire. I had a bunch of brush and branches that I wanted to get rid of. What is so good about that? The best thing is that I had the chance to enjoy the bonfire with my son and daughter. … Read More “Good News: Family by the Fire” »
James 3:1-12 Introduction Have you ever said something and you have known immediately that it was the wrong thing to say? It’s almost like you can see the words leaving your mouth and you wish you could grab them and shove them back in. I have done this more times than I would like to … Read More “Taming the Tongue” »
One of the best zombie movies that I have ever watched is Train to Busan. If you have not seen it, you should. It is a South Korean movie and it is about so much more than zombies. A prequel to Train to Busan was made and it is called Seoul Station. Unlike Train to … Read More “Seoul Station – Review” »
I enjoy the summer and I appreciate the lighter schedule that it offers. But I am also a creature of routine and I like things to be a certain way. This past week has been that time of returning to routine. In terms of family, two of our children are back in school as they … Read More “Good News: Getting Back to a Rhythm” »
James 2:1-10 Introduction I love the Bible in general but the letter of James in particular. I believe that all of the Bible is relevant and applicable. But I will also admit that some books and some passages need more work for us to bridge the gap between the text and our context. But when … Read More “Favouritism” »
Some people are probably surprised that this question even gets asked. And when they see it asked, they might suspect an ulterior motive. Yet, it has come up as a conversation on social media. The reason is that a certain person was given a very significant platform to state that Winston Churchill, and not Hitler, … Read More “Who Were the Good Guys and Bad Guys in the Second World War?” »
Game of Thrones was a huge phenomenon and so it was natural that there would be a spinoff. The Targaryens were a natural place to start, both because of their past possession of the throne and their use of dragons. Season two starts where the first season ended. The fight for the throne is bitter. … Read More “House of the Dragon: Season Two – Review” »
This past week we took our cat Whitney to the vet. Whitney is about fourteen years old, has a significant limp, and does experience pain. We know that one of these visits to the vet will be her last one. We went to the vet open to hearing the options. We understand that at some … Read More “Good News: Some More Time” »
James 1:26-27 Introduction I remember very clearly a time approximately thirty-five years ago at Brock University in Ontario, early on in my undergraduate studies, sitting around with a group of friends between classes. Somehow, the question came up about whether any of us were religious. This question surprised me because religion was not a common … Read More “True Religion” »
One of the television series that I had heard good things about and was on my radar was Kingdom. Now, there are lots of shows and movies similarly named. This one is about a zombie outbreak set in 17th century Korea. That should narrowing things down a bit. At first glance, this show seems bizarre. … Read More “Kingdom (Television Series) – Review” »
It is common to hear the claim that the Gospels are not trustworthy because they are just myths. Is this true? Are the Gospels myths? Well, it depends on what you mean by “myth.” The Cambridge Dictionary gives two definitions of myth with the first being: a traditional story, esp. one which explains the early … Read More “Are the Gospels Myths?” »
There are a lot of people who are eager for vacation time because they hate their work. While I enjoy my vacations, I also enjoy my work. I get the best of both worlds. For me, my vacation time is not so much as a break from work (I will actually be doing some work) … Read More “Good News: Back on Vacation” »
Acts 9:26-30 Introduction Have you ever found yourself in the position of being an outsider? This can be because of almost anything. It could be because you are the new person in a community. It could be because you are the smallest person in gym class. It could be because you are the only Christian … Read More “The One Who Steps In” »
I recently re-read the classic mid-1980s comic maxi-series: Crisis on Infinite Earths. What I am going to talk about here is this comic series and not the recent animated movies (which I have not seen) or the Arrowverse crossover (which I have seen). It is difficult to overestimate the impact of Crisis. The original purpose … Read More “Crisis on Infinite Earths” »
One of the roles I have is as a chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces in the Primary Reserve. This means that in addition to my ministry at Brookfield Baptist Church, I get to serve as a chaplain to mostly reservists. For the past couple of weeks I have had a more extensive time in … Read More “Good News: Military Chaplaincy” »
There is no lack of disagreements among Christians. We have Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Mainline, Evangelicals, Anabaptists, and Charismatics. Even within each group there are plenty of diversity on interpretations. Just one local congregation will likely have a variety of beliefs on certain issues. Christians have tended to disagree rather publicly, with Martin Luther nailing … Read More “Public Disagreement as Apologetics” »
One of criticisms I hear about Christianity is that there are all these denominations and churches and they do not get along. If Christianity was true, this would not be the case. There are numerous problems with that argument but I will only address one here. Can pastors from different denominations with different interpretations and … Read More “Can Pastors With Different Beliefs Be Colleagues?” »
When we think of businesses and severance packages, we have a very specific thing in mind. But what if a company severed the memories of their employees so that their life at work and at home were completely separate? That is the premise of the television series Severance. Lumon Industries employs a certain amount of … Read More “Severance: Season One – Review” »
When evangelicalism, as we know it today, emerged from fundamentalism in the twentieth century, there was some semi-unity. Yes there were various denominations within evangelicalism that had different views on charismatic gifts, women in leadership, eschatology, and a few other issues, but there was still one tent under which they co-existed. I see a change … Read More “Fracture Lines Within Evangelicalism” »
In this episode, we look at the summer of 1941, specifically the battles for Smolensk, Leningrad, and Kiev. The Germans move forward and the Soviets attempt to push back. Discover the resources at Fiverr. Get Operation Barbarossa: Hitler’s Invasion of Russia 1941 (Amazon affiliate link) Support me through Patreon.
I found myself today with no specific responsibilities. What would I do with such time? One thing I did was have a long nap but I wanted this opportunity to be more than that. So I did some writing. I really do not know why I do not schedule more time for writing. I get … Read More “Good News: Refreshing by Writing” »
Matthew 3:1-12 Introduction As I was talking to Amanda about our current sermon series looking at various people from the Bible, she recognized that I had picked people who could be considered “B list.” That is not to say that they are not important. We have already looked at Ruth and Jonathan and they both … Read More “A Life of Repentance” »
I have always been interested in mythology and have read widely, especially Greek myths, as well as some Egyptian. But I have always had a soft spot for the Norse myths. Reading the Norse myths brings us to a whole other world. I recently read the Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings … Read More “Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings” »
I assume that most people who wanted to see Deadpool and Wolverine enough to avoid spoilers, have already seen the movie. If not, I will give you some space to go and see the movie and then return to this post. S P O I L E R S One of the things that makes … Read More “My Three Favourite Cameos in Deadpool and Wolverine” »
We are hearing more and more about pastors who are abusive, not physically or sexually, but in terms of spiritual abuse and abuse of authority. These are toxic pastors who create a toxic church environment and leave spiritual casualties in their wake. Many of the stories that we hear are from large, megachurches. That does … Read More “Toxic Pastors and Church Growth” »
One of the things that we have noticed since we started having dogs and cats as pets is that addition or subtraction of one animal significantly changes the dynamic of all of their inter-relationships. This is not always for the better. But sometimes it is. We recently added Maggie, a young kitten to our household. … Read More “Good News: The Animal Dynamic” »
1 Samuel 20:1-17 Introduction Many years ago I read a book by a very well known pastor. He was sharing some leadership principles and he touched on the friendships that we have. He challenged the reader to look at the people in their life and to ask this question: “What are they doing to get … Read More “The Foundation of Friendship” »
I went to seek Deadpool and Wolverine aka Deadpool 3. I need to preface this review by saying that I have never been a fan of Deadpool. It took me quite a while to see the first one and I have never been able to embrace the crude humour. My problem with the humour in … Read More “Deadpool and Wolverine – Review” »
It has been a couple of years since the revelations about Ravi Zacharias came to light. Still, there are issues that came up in that controversy that still affect us, especially how organizations protect abusers. In this video, I reflect back on what happened with RZIM in light of more recent events. Visit me at … Read More “The Ravi Zacharias Controversy Revisited” »
The first time I encountered what is often called annihilationism was in a talk about the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The idea that God would just cause the wicked to cease to exist was another blatant example of how heretical the Jehovah’s Witnesses really were. But then I heard about well respected evangelical scholars such … Read More “My Move Toward Conditional Immortality” »
I have been following the Bruxy Cavey and Meeting House situation, not because I have a particular dislike for Cavey. I have never actually met him. But I am interested in the Canadian church and I am concerned about abuses of pastoral power and authority. Part of the story is the assertion that Cavey was … Read More “Bruxy Cavey and Assault Charges” »
This past Saturday, both our girls were working for the day. It is not an official position but they are helping some friends of ours with their business. That would be good news enough. But this was actually the first time that Faith has ever worked for money. This was a huge step for her … Read More “Good News: Working Girls” »
Ruth 1:1-18 Introduction We all have loyalties that help to guide us in the decisions we make and in the people we want to interact in. This is found in numerous areas of life from politics to religion to ethnicity to local community. I have been watching and observing a little too much of American … Read More “New Loyalties” »
The latest Star Wars series, The Acolyte has just completed its first season (we don’t know yet if there will be a second season). This series is unique in that it takes place during the High Republic era, thus making it chronologically the earliest stories, far earlier than Star Wars: Episode One. The story revolves … Read More “The Acolyte: Season One – Review” »
The recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has a lot of people talking. Including Christians. What is the significance of Trump’s survival? One of the conversations I saw was about how Trump narrowly survived this attack. Did God intervene in what would have been an otherwise successful assassination or did God predetermine before … Read More “Trump, Assassination Attempts, and God’s Intervention” »
One of the series that I had been meaning to check out was Outer Range. I like science fiction but this did not look like typical science fiction. It looked more like a typical ranching drama, such as Yellowstone. But do not be deceived, this is science fiction and some pretty wild science fiction at … Read More “Outer Range – Review” »
I just finished a week’s vacation from my work at Brookfield Baptist Church. Having a week off would be enough for my Good News post. However, the best part was that it ended with a weekend at our cottage. More specifically, a weekend at the cottage with Amanda. Because of her health, Amanda has not … Read More “Good News: Vacation and Cottage Time” »
One of my favourite series of movies as a kids was the Planet of the Apes. You might think I was a “purist” that would reject the reboots but it is exactly the opposite. I have thoroughly enjoyed them We have had a trilogy of Planet of the Apes movies that ended with the death … Read More “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Review” »
Apologists put a lot of time and energy into their activities. But what is it that they are actually trying to achieve? I am not suggesting that all apologists should share the same goal. But I do think that apologists should reflect on what they are trying to accomplish. Some potential goals Choosing goals I … Read More “Apologists Need to Clarify Their Goals” »
Last week I had the opportunity to go to Cape Breton Island, specifically Sydney. This is an area of Nova Scotia that I have not had much opportunity to explore. My main purpose was to do some work as a chaplain, but it worked out that I was able to bring two of my daughters. … Read More “Good News: Fun on Cape Breton Island” »
2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Introduction I am no medical doctor, although I have had plenty of experience with the medical care system, both with my own health concerns and those of family members. We have had to face a number of health issues from injuries to illnesses that have been caught to those that probably had … Read More “Chronic Suffering” »
I have blogged previously on The Devil’s Brigade as an actual unit in the Second World War. In that post, I commented on a movie made of the same name but at that time I had not seen it. I just recently watched the 1968 The Devil’s Brigade movie. I have a soft spot for … Read More “The Devil’s Brigade Movie (1968)” »
I have had a number of people ask me about cremation over the years. I hear some wide variety of opinions, even among Christians. Some take it for granted that no Christian would ever get cremated and others taking for granted that few Christians should want to pay the high prices for burial. Should Christians … Read More “Christians and Cremation: Another Perspective” »
Batman is no doubt one of DC’s most popular heroes. He is considered a part of DC’s trinity, alongside Superman and Wonder Woman. Batman was also one of the few superheroes to keep getting published after superheroes lost popularity after the Second World War. What many people today do not realize is that the Batman … Read More “Batman: Year One” »
My intention for writing about Bruxy Cavey is not to target one individual but to try and learn something from what happened with him and with the Meeting House. While there has not been much about him in the news lately in terms of his charges, there has been some news about the Meeting House. … Read More “Bruxy Cavey, Choices, and Consequences for the Church” »
I grew up always having cats and for the last fifteen years or so, our family has had cats. A number of months ago we lost our cat Pekoe. Would we get another one? Apparently so. Today, Maggie came to live with us. She is about seven weeks old, which is far younger of kitten … Read More “Good News: Meet Maggie” »
Mark 5:1-20 Introduction What does Jesus want us to do? Jesus wants us to follow him. Jesus wants us to love God, neighbours and each other. God wants us to work for justice, especially among the marginalized, and Jesus wants us to grow as disciples. All of that would seem to be plenty and I … Read More “Growing the Kingdom” »
I am writing this the day after the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in 2024. This debate has made the news more than others in recent memory. The main story was not the question of how truthful Trump was but how competent Biden is. I did not watch the entire debate … Read More “Presidential Debates and Leadership Evaluations” »
In this episode, I speak to Mike Croissant who is the author of Bombing Hitler’s Hometown. This book is the story of the last major bombing run of the war in Europe. It also happened to be the town where Adolf Hitler grew up. This book gives an amazing description of the experience of dozens … Read More “SWWP 38 – Bombing Hitler’s Hometown: A Conversation With Mike Croissant” »
One of the recommendations of the Office of the Chaplain General in the Canadian Armed Forces is that all chaplains have a spiritual retreat. We are supposed to do it annually but I have never done it. Until last week. One of the things that had made me hesitate to go on a spiritual retreat … Read More “Good News: Spiritual Retreat” »
