In the midst of this pandemic, I've heard from a number of students who are feeling disoriented and out of sync. Like many others, they find themselves stuck at home. Rhythms and routines are gone. Welcome to life in limbo.…
Remembering Zora in the Pandemic
Two years ago, this Saturday, Zora Kightley won her battle with cancer. It had been a long, protracted battle, one demanding patience, resilience, and faith. She, and her faithful husband Jim, withstood the devastating blows of bad news from oncologists. …
Divine Detours
It's a strange feeling to preach to an empty room, but that's the experience many pastors are having these days. In recent days, I have recorded a few sermons in virtually empty rooms. I also wrote a blog post giving…
Pruned
A Master Gardener, an older kindly gentleman, came to prune our apple tree yesterday. He doesn’t seem to know there is a coronavirus – he’s whistling while he works outside. He mentioned that he had asked advice from a professional…
Still
“Be Still and Know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 For over a year, one single word has felled me: [1] Still. As in: “Be still and know that I am God.” Over the past year, through a simple brochure…
The Church in Action (Acts 8)
Acts 8 divides into two halves, both focused on the ministry of Philip, one of the seven leaders chosen to serve the widows in the Jerusalem church (6:5). The first half of the chapter tells of Philip’s ministry in Samaria…
Praise and Prayer Update (March 12, 2020)
Thank you for praying for us and being part of God's work in and through Heritage. Last week I asked to you pray for some teaching opportunities that Linda and I had scheduled: I preached in Mississauga on Sunday; Linda…
The Preacher and Laziness
The following is a chapter from my book, The Heart of the Preacher. “Must be nice to have a job where you only have to work one day a week.” Like many pastors, I’ve grimaced whenever I’ve heard someone make…
The Church in Action (Acts 7)
Acts 7 is the longest in the book of Acts (60 verses), following the shortest (chapter 6 has 15 verses). In chapter 7 we hear Stephen’s defense before the Sanhedrin. Having been charged with “speaking against this holy place and…
Praise and Prayer Update (March 6, 2020)
As I write this update, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" here in Cambridge. I shoveled 6 to 8 inches off my driveway this morning. It's actually quite beautiful but we are still rooting for spring! I'm rejoicing…
