The world can be a violent place. That much is easy to see. What are Christians called to do about the problem of violence? This question is much more difficult to answer. In church, I learned very early about terms and themes that, whether coming from Sunday School songs, Sunday morning hymns, or Bible passages, […]
Okay, so what is the secret? Here it is. The reason I didn’t need to have the answers — the reason leadership is not about having the answers — is that no one is asking the question! When, in your life, did someone approach you to ask you why you were so hopeful? When did […]
For the past decade or so, I have had the privilege of teaching students at MB Seminary, part of ACTS Seminaries in Langley BC. Anyone who has known me for a long time might realize that I am an unlikely seminary professor. As a seminary student, I did not fit the typical profile of a […]
Some of you may not believe me, but our family dog, Java, was the greatest dog in the world. He was part of our family for almost 13 years, until had to put him down in 2012. He was suffering with advanced congestive heart failure, and we chose to put him down before his suffering […]
A few weeks ago I participated in a webinar conversation on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) that was sponsored by MB Seminary, where I teach theology. MAiD is a thorny theological and existential issue that requires a great deal of reflection from Christians. A major reason for this is that deciding one’s moral opinion regarding […]
I must say that I am sympathetic to those who are experiencing COVID fatigue and who articulate their wish to have restrictions lifted. I am not qualified to judge whether the science behind the restrictions is capable of reducing the impact of the virus and reducing the number of infections that will accrue from the […]
Why is it that the remedies for economic injustice — work hard and persevere — seem to be personal and individual, but the obstacles– racism, unfair taxation, unjust legislation, lack of education, lack of opportunity — are structural and systemic? For many Christians, the emphasis in economics continues to be on the individual element, and […]
Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and when I tried to buy food you gave me nothing to eat. You accused me of stealing and called the police. I […]
A theological response to COVID-19 from the faculty of MB Seminary. The God Who Loves Us Christians believe that God rules with love, justice, and gracious care over the humans he created in his image, and all of the created order. The Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith begins with this statement: “We believe in the […]
The formula of Chalcedon didn’t sit well with everyone. There were Eastern Christian for whom the official language of two natures (physis) in Christ was not acceptable. These Christians, known as Monophysites, sided with Cyril of Alexandria, and thought that the alternative two-nature Christology tended toward the heresy of Nestorius. They did not want to […]
