All posts in Columns
Your Turn
We have shied away from issues of sexuality and gender. Readers get riled on either side of the political spectrum; they say nasty things to each other and subscriptions are cancelled en masse. It has made us overcautious; but, is it time to talk about this in our church?
Our Comfortable Pew
I can still remember reading Pierre Berton's The Comfortable Pew. I was about 14 or 15 I suppose and was starting to pull theological paperbacks from my dad's
Visible From Outer Space
"What on earth is that thing on the beach? It's about half as big as a bear." I snorted awake, fell out of bed and staggered out to
Death Becomes Us All
In recent months I have attended more than a few funerals and sent numerous notes of condolence. It is always a tender moment and a holy privilege. We've
That All May Be One
Seventh Sunday of Easter May 12, 2013 - John 17:20-26 That they may all be one …" Those words, in Latin, are on a crest on the lobby floor at
Christian Style
The website c28.com sells T-shirts with ‘Christianized’ pop culture slogans. Clothes Many years ago, I became more than a little annoyed with the way Christian clothing companies trampled all over
Process Myopia
Boy, did we mess up! We had this challenging and provocative quotation from an interview we did for the March cover story. We used the quotation in the editorial.
Clean Hearts, Loyal Spirits
"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me."—Psalm 51:10 Renewal, like commitment, is not something that happens once and is done with. Sometimes
The Great Continuous Conversion
In a wonderful little book called The Return of the Prodigal Son, the spiritual writer Henri Nouwen reminds us that the world often seduces us to claim a
Light From Underground
Dad was a creature of habit, many good, a few not so good and one or two that were downright peculiar. I am not sure what category his
Unlikely Apostles
Third Sunday of Easter, April 14, 2013 Acts 9:1-20; John 21:1-19 When did you last hear, or preach, a sermon on a story from the Acts of the Apostles? Other
Desiring Faith
The interest in the papal election last month was quite extraordinary. It was curious to see the church and its mission analyzed so intently on the front pages
Serving Hospitality
It would have been easier if St. Andrew's, Sutton, Ont., had done nothing. A few dozen people were worshipping on Sunday mornings with all the now ubiquitous demographics
The Threat of Resurrection
Theologian Karl Barth once preached a sermon in which he described the resurrection of Jesus as a threat. I like that. We tend to think about the Easter
Minding the Minister
Easter comes in April more than 80 per cent of the time this century. This year it comes at the end of March. For me it means Lent
Deaths and Resurrections
Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 10, 2013 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Jesus says, "There was a man who had two sons…" People hunker down for a good two-son story.
When There’s a Cow in Your Attic
"Do either of you have any idea of how to get a cow out of the attic?" exclaimed Elsa in her delightful German accent. "Say what?" I said. Linda
Receptive to the Word
Last summer the Record's intern Helen Pye, from England, did some interviews for her feature article in this issue on the challenges facing the urban church. Full transcripts
Learnin’ Online
Education Crash Course is the brainchild of the "VlogBrothers" (John and Hank Green). It is a clever little animated series found on its own YouTube channel. It teaches big
Conspicuous Faithfulness
Ash Wednesday Season of Lent, February 13, 2013 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 What will you, your family, or your congregation take on for Lent? You might have pancakes for supper on