Response to Diane Eaton’s comment: In *We Need to Create New Wineskins*, I had written about PCC clergy being able to recover Biblical marriage within the context of a new “wineskin.” Creating a new wineskin is not foreign to the PCC. It was done in 1875 and in 1925 when there was a resetting of … Read more
Once, after a night of debauchery in my early thirties (at that time in my life debauchery meant staying up to the wee hours playing ‘Hearts’ – the card game, not the relationship pastime), I woke hearing the strains of *Slow Train Coming*. Our host had it hot off the press (it was a LP … Read more
We are an intergenerational community of believers seeking after the transformative power of Christ to live out the purpose and plan of His calling on our life. Since 1844, the congregation of Cheyne has been serving its community on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario. In 1960, the current building was opened in the centre of … Read more
When repairs are required – or if we need to build something new – we go to our toolbox. Ministry is no different. Trouble is, fixing or starting a new ministry isn’t as easy as tightening a few bolts or opening a box and following assembly instructions. While we appreciate the hearts and minds of godly folks who offer handy step-by-step guides – which may indeed accomplish the task – we at Renewal Fellowship believe that the first step in renewal is right thinking: we have to have the mind of Christ before we act. … Read more
We are fond of naming our halls after church builders and major donors. Inside, you will see benefactors’ names attached to stained glass, crosses and baptismal fonts. … We might also question the names of our congregations. Should we name anything after a sinful human soul? … Read more
It was the first time in more than three months that I’d been in a sanctuary with other people on a Sunday morning. I was filled with unspeakable joy. I sat in the first available row and was swaying with the music, hands raised, grinning like a crazy man. It felt good. For the first … Read more
It’s time for the church to issue its own marriage licences. This writer is old enough to remember the burning of draft cards to protest the Vietnam war and bras being burned to somehow advance a feminist agenda. Similarly, as both a protest and affirmation, he would have no difficulty shredding his government-issued marriage licence … Read more
Here’s the basic truth in two and a half minutes. … Read more
We mix and mingle among those with whom we’re most comfortable. Shared interests and culture are at the top of the list. As a student at Knox College, I was delighted to find people from my same culture and age group. We hit it off and stuck together. I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t make much of an attempt to get to know those whose first language was not English … Read more
More than 100 people joined us for our first online Renewal Day and AGM on Saturday, April 25th, 2020, using Zoom Webinar. The theme was “20/20 Vision: Vigilant and Vital.” Speaker Rev. Jonathan Hong, of Toronto Korean Presbyterian Church, spoke about the current theological division in the denomination … Read more