I love seeing my friend’s artwork which they post online. Pen and ink drawings, water colours, quilting, landscape art – I’ve got some very talented friends. Back in high school I took some art classes and it soon became apparent to me that the difference between good artwork and great artwork is the subtleties ofContinue reading “Subtleties, Shades and Nuances”
Author Archives: mervbudd
Reflections on the Commons Call
When it comes to keeping in step with the Spirit, discernment is a key piece in knowing what we should be doing. This is true for individuals who desire to follow Jesus into the world, but it is also true of the church both locally and nationally. But how does the church in Canada discernContinue reading “Reflections on the Commons Call”
Understanding the Times
The spread of COVID-19 has everyone from governments and business to families and churches trying to tell what the future holds and how they should respond. We’ve been confronted with a disease we’ve never seen before. Yet, this time we’re seeing unprecedented steps, like whole nations being put on lock down, to prevent and contain its spread. When uncertainty runs high, panic and fear begin to reign.
Recognizing Advent
Advent was not a season that I recognized growing up. I was part of a conservative evangelical tradition that, for one reason or another, eschewed the liturgical calendar. As I’ve aged and (hopefully) matured I’ve come to appreciate more of the rhythm and cadence of the church calendar, although I’ve had to grow into it and submit myself to its influence.
I had to learn that
We’re not giving up on evangelism
The latest EFC survey numbers are in and they aren’t pretty. Canada is increasingly trending towards secularism. This is probably not a surprise to many. I remember reading a blog by John Stackhouse in reference to the 2011 Statistics Canada census data. He made the observation that, as piety in Canada has evaporated, Canadians have raced the Dutch for the fastest de-Christianization since the French Revolution. It’s a pan-Canadian quiet revolution as older people slowly but surely abandon Christian identity while an increasing number of younger people have never known the inside of a church and are in no hurry to see it.
Living Between Epiphany and Apocalypse
January is the month in which Christians celebrate the Epiphany.[1] The commemoration of the wise men coming to worship the child Jesus. Epiphany means “appearing” and it is a celebration of the first appearing of God in flesh into human history.
What is Christmas?
What is Christmas? I know the question is almost passé. It’s been asked a thousand times over the holidays, used as a sermon title, and scrutinized by historians who point us to how the roots of Christmas grow out of pagan rituals…
The Fruit of Fear Properly Stewarded
I’m always a bit wary of lists that seem to systematize mysteries, yet there can be benefit in examining what Scripture says about the fruit of fear that is properly stewarded. Perhaps you can do a self-inspection and see if your fear is properly ordered…
Stewarding Fear
Perhaps you’ve heard, as I have, that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible – one for every day of the year. The impression given is that fear is a bad thing, something we should resist, avoid and turn from. The problem is that we are also told in Scripture to fear God. So are we to fear or not fear?
Fear of the Unknown
Recently the Heineken Beer company released an advertisement that sought to bring people together who would normally not associate. People who held not just opposite views but who held prejudices against them. What they found was that as people began to know those whom they had objectified as people, they began to be less harsh and less judgmental…
