Tag: Christianity
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The Opposite of Love Isn’t Hate—It’s Indifference (Lent Begins)
You’re still here. On earth. What difference will your life make? Elie Wiesel wrote something that changed me. He is a Holocaust survivor who saw things no one should ever have to see. Years after the War he published a 100-page book called Night in which he recounted his experience. He captured in words what no…
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What I Just Learned from Teenagers and 20-somethings (It’s something good)
Sometimes the best learning happens when you don’t know you’re learning. This past weekend the church welcomed the Presbyterian Young People’s Society Winter Weekend. A bunch of teenagers and 20-somethings arrived on Friday evening and stayed until Sunday afternoon. They organized the event themselves—everything from planning, to worship, to discussion groups, to activities, and more.…
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Jesus Without Tinsel (A 7-Year-Old Doesn’t Get a Christmas Tree)
In 1939 Eugene was 7 years old. And his mother decided they would not get a Christmas tree. She was a woman of conviction and had seen a passage from the biblical book of Jeremiah in a new way: “Learn not the way of the nations… for the customs of the people are false. A tree from…
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Making Christmas Meaningful
Christmas is like water. It can be a great source of nourishment—but it can also drown you. The beauty can be eclipsed by a distracted extravagance we can’t afford. So here are 12 ideas to help make Christmas more meaningful for you and your family. (FYI, I’ve borrowed many of these ideas from friends and…
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If You Make It About Presents, Guess What?
I think we all want Christmas to be awesome. Filled with awe. And as I drive through the neighbourhoods and see multi-coloured lights going up as the snow comes down in beautiful slow motion, anticipation builds. And it’s a strange time. For many people this season is quite sad, especially as they think of loved…
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Date Your Spouse
For those of you who are married, do you remember your wedding vows? Having had the privilege of marrying several people (no, I’m not a polygamist, I’m a minister) I kind of have them memorized. “I (so and so), take you (so and so), to be my husband/wife. To have and to hold from this day…
