Author Archives: mervbudd

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”

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.

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

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.