I once went out on a date with a friend’s co-worker. It was a little awkward to begin with, because we’d only met once and chatted very briefly. But as we sat across the table from one another, sipping our smoothies, things took a turn for the more uncomfortable. As he peppered me with questions,Continue reading “First Date Questions”
Category Archives: Relevant
There Is Only Today
My family moved a number of times when I was a child. The first home I remember was near the center of Toronto, a little house that has long since been torn down and replaced by a modern monster. From there we moved to one of the city’s up-and-coming eastern suburbs where we had anContinue reading “There Is Only Today”
The Most Neglected Doctrine of Christ
I sometimes wonder how many sermons on the birth of Christ we evangelicals would hear if we didn’t celebrate Christmas yearly. If the number of sermons we hear on the ascension of Christ is any indicator, the answer is “Fewer than one per year.” The ascension is a “neglected doctrine,” according to the subtitle ofContinue reading “The Most Neglected Doctrine of Christ”
Three Score and Ten
As time passes, I find myself increasingly drawn to old authors and old books. I scour the used bookshops to look for lost treasures. At the back of one such nineteenth-century work I found this old poem by Edward Morris. I don’t know who Edward Morris was or when he lived, but I’m grateful forContinue reading “Three Score and Ten”
The Weak Made Strong
We have to be very careful in how we wage spiritual war. Thanks to some fanciful fictions and inspirational clichés, a lot of bad theology has crept into the Church’s thinking on these matters. The way some people talk about prayer owes more to New Age spirituality than biblical Christianity. Many of us were evenContinue reading “The Weak Made Strong”
A Primer on the Church in Africa
1. The African church is growing. It is said that the number of Christians in Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 9 million and that by the end of the twentieth century it was about 380 million. Church structures cannot cope with this kind of growth. So, churches are simply meetingContinue reading “A Primer on the Church in Africa”
The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian
“What’s church?” That’s one question my kids weren’t used to hearing. But one morning, a boy who lived down the street knocked on the front door to play with our sons. Because it was a Sunday, our young neighbor was informed that they’d have to take a rain check because they were headed to church.Continue reading “The Unchurched Do Not Hate You, Christian”
The Black Church in America Survey
Black Americans remain more religious than other Americans, according to a massive new survey. Yet fewer are attending or seeking out predominantly black churches. Among black worshipers: 4 in 10 now attend a non-black congregation—including half of millennials and Gen Z. About half say it’s essential for churches to offer “racial affirmation or pride,” whileContinue reading “The Black Church in America Survey”
Famine Is Back
We picture brutal, grotesque images. Cows’ hips protrude. Babies’ eyes are hollow. Bloated stomachs growl. Skin stretches tight across faces. The skull outline emerges. Joints swell. Grim, despairing stares replace smiles. Hope is gone . . . life is reduced to a harsh existence. Those who have seen it cannot forget it. Those who haven’tContinue reading “Famine Is Back”
Politics Cannot Bear This Load
A little more than a week after the storming of the Capitol, five Americans have died, the House of Representatives has impeached the President for a second time, Twitter and other social platforms have permanently banned the sitting President of the United States, Amazon Web Services shut down alternative social media site Parler, and NationalContinue reading “Politics Cannot Bear This Load”
