A Noble Theme

Several years ago, one of the young women in my congregation reached out to me via Facebook. She had participated in an event organized by the Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school as a way of supporting her gay and lesbian friends. She was upset and somewhat confused by the reaction of another friend, a Christian, who told her that, if she was a good Christian, she should not support such an event - that no Christian could because the Bible so clearly taught that LGBTQ people had to be rejected. She contacted me because she wanted to know if her friend was right and if I thought she was not a good Christian because of her support of the Gay-Straight Alliance. I reassured her that, while there were many Christians who I thought and acted like her Christian friend did, it was definitely not the only faithful Christian way of looking at the issue. Her friend's interpretation of the Bible was not the only one that people who take the Bible seriously could come to. I resiste...

In less than a week I will be hopping onto a plane headed for Vancouver British Columbia as a commissioner to the 2015 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. One of the first things I decided when planning my travel was that I don't want to check any baggage. Anyone who has flown frequently knows how much a checked suitcase can tie you up upon arrival and I want to avoid that problem as much as possible. That means that I am going to have to fit everything I need for a week into a space that  21 in. x 9 in. x 15 in. plus a personal item. Can I do it? I think I may have to make some tough decisions to make. I've already decided that I'm not going to take my laptop and I may have some  withdrawal  issues there! And, as much as I like to talk up my book, I'll probably only be able to bring a few copies. But what else might I have to leave behind? What will I just not be able to fit? An Open Mind As many will know, this General Assembly ha...

Spiritual Meaning in Secular Songs Starting on June 14, the congregation of St. Andrew's Hespeler will be making an exploration of various secular songs that may belong to many different genres to discover how and why we sometimes find deep spiritual meaning in songs that are written for a secular audience and context. The following secular songs have been nominated by people in the congregation. They are songs have often helped people though dark or difficult times. Though we will make efforts to relate our explorations to all of the songs that have been named, we would like to identify a few that resonate with the most people. Therefore over the coming weeks we will be voting on the most meaningful secular songs on Sunday mornings. To allow people to listen to all the songs, we would like to provide the following links that will allow you to hear the songs and review the lyrics. Better Way by Ben Harper ( Lyrics ) Imagine by John Lennon. ( Lyrics ) ...