Lest we forget. To never forget. Around the time most will receive this edition of the Record, Canadians will take time to observe Remembrance Day. It is how we reflect on the tremendous sacrifice made by so many Canadian men and women and their families. It is a time to tell the next generations that … Read more
Human sexuality issues are front and centre for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. There will be study and dialogue at every level of the church and eventually decisions made concerning the numerous overtures forwarded to our General Assembly this past June. There will be votes by commissioners in the coming years together with votes in … Read more
A year ago, in the June Record, I shared about the 2014 Encouragement Road Trip I took through Western Canada. Because the trip was so well received and because the support of individuals and churches exceeded the expenses by a good margin, I floated the idea of a trip east this year. The response was … Read more
“There is so little room for genuine give-and-take in our Presbyterian discussions these days, while at the same time so much hangs on how our conversations go. The issues that we are discussing are not simply topics about which we happen to disagree. They are matters that are vitally connected to the question of whether … Read more
He is risen, indeed! It is an ancient liturgy translated into countless tongues and spoken by billions since the historical event of the resurrection. It is the core of the Church’s Easter worship. It is the centre of Christian belief over the past two millennia. It is the announcement that reminds us that Jesus is … Read more
After almost eight years at Bridlewood in Scarborough, Ontario, I accepted a call to St. Andrew’s, Calgary, in beautiful Alberta. In September of 2014, I decided to drive across the country to begin my new journey. Along the way, I dropped in on friends that I had met on a retreat to Florida in 2013 for Korean pastors ministering in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Here is a brief account of their ministry. My first stop was in Kapuskasing, Ontario, where the Rev. … Read more
Adapting to differences between generations. We live in a country of ever-increasing cultures and subcultures. We live at a time when we realize that in the past, many confused winning folks for Jesus with winning folks for our culture. Cultural insensitivity has many times held us back from an effective witness to our faith in … Read more
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). This has become my life verse. It is a comfort when things go wrong. It is an inspiration when I feel small and insignificant. It is … Read more
Let’s begin correctly. The church of my youth gathered each New Year’s Eve to usher in the New Year with prayer. It was the acknowledgement that the enormity of the challenges ahead could only be faced with divine help. It was the idea of focusing individually and corporately on surrendering our agendas to the Lord. … Read more
Sweating profusely after the hot midday hike along a winding road, I carefully eased myself into the crowded and dilapidated Toyota minivan. The minibus was made for eight and had seen its better years in Southeast Asia as a taxi, but, like Abraham and Sarah, new life was being wrung out of it. Two nursing mothers and several preoccupied Muslims were my nearby companions. For the next hour, 18-20 of us lurched along the potholed highway, occasionally stopping at tattered villages to … Read More