Musings with PWC

On Secular Religion Before you read the following, I need to state my case clearly up front.  This is to avoid any misunderstanding in reading this blog: Thesis:  Canada is no longer a ‘Christian’ country.  Canadian culture worships at the throne of secular religion.  Canada as a ‘Christian’ country is dead, gone—and without revival will never rise again.  So I am writing this blog with that clear understanding.  I am not bemoaning the fact that  Canada is no longer a ‘Christian’ country, and am not playing that card.  I want to move on in the culture in which I am planted as salt and light.  I am going to make an attempt to delve into a vast subject with my limited ability.  An article by Mary Ann Waldron is to blame.  (See: https://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/sacred-and-secular-belief-can-we-have-peace/?_cldee=bmFuY3kud2Fyd2lja0BvdXRsb29rLmNvbQ%3d%3d&recipientid=contact-51a2a36dc0c8e71180ec3863bb35dde0-2725698...

I was reminded the other evening—as my family was gathered home for a meal—of a time in my childhood when we were ‘poor.’  My dad was a union man who worked for Generous Motors (as General Motors became known by my Dad, after his retirement).  I cannot recall how long he was on strike, nor how long it lasted. I do recall that money was scarce as the mortgage had to be paid. This resulted in eating what was called in our home ‘spud and onions.’  This was a British way of announcing the supper menu: Mashed potatoes, with a touch of onion—-and bread. This menu fit the strike budget. It also found a great degree of repetition, in that we ate this night after night.  Occasionally your pallet called out—‘is that all there is?’  I really want more... of something!!! I have recently been reminded of the spiritual truth in this statement—‘is that all there is?’ 1.  The early pentecostals (early 1900’s) had a central theme—the soon return...

This is a phrase I am using to define my spiritual walk.  It’s easily noticed that these words are the antithesis of one another. 1.  I want to be comfortable: The longer one serves Christ—and all that means by way of formation (Christ within!) —the more comfortable one becomes.   Here is a comfortable kind of verse: John 21: 20 (NIV) Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) So, there has to be some sense of abiding in the vine—some sense of “He’s as close as the mention of His name.”  I want to be comfortable with Jesus.  I want to walk with the Spirit.  I have to have intimacy with the Father.  I am comfortable around God.  I’m not nervous.  I’m not worried.  I’m not thinking He is waiting to clobber me.  I live with Him, in Him, because of Him. A very c...

First blog:  A ‘source’ must be found for your morals.  Mine is the Bible. Second blog: How to live and teach morality in an a-moral culture. Third blog:  Bible Morals and Marriage. So, what happens when a person has an appetite for fornication? an appetite for adultery? an appetite for pornography? an appetite for ‘same sex attraction’? Is that appetite wrong? Simply put—no.  Having an appetite for misdirected ‘wants’ or ‘desires’ in and of itself is not wrong.  It is not sin. Adam and Eve could have looked at the ‘forbidden fruit’ for a decade—thinking about eating it—and not sin.  Now standing there,or even pining after the fruit would have hurt their intimacy with the Father—but they still wouldn’t have sinned.  In the same way, having an appetite for mis-directed sexual expressions is not wrong. When does the ‘wrong’ begin? It is wrong when that is acted upon.  Once Adam and Eve ate the fruit—they sinn...

Biblical Morals and Marriage First blog:  It's a Question of Morals!   A ‘source’ must be found for your morals.  Mine is the Bible. Second blog: How to live and teach morality in an immoral/amoral culture. But, what exactly does the Bible teach about morals and marriage? First, we must define marriage.   Marriage is defined not so much by definition, but by example.  The most well known ‘marriage’ passage is found in Genesis 2:24, 25 “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame.”  By illustration here, and throughout scripture, marriage is defined as the ‘union’ between one man and one woman.  Marriage creates a spiritual, mystical, and physical bond between one man and one woman.  A man is emotionally, physically, spiritually, and mentally designed to join with a woman to creat...

 How to preach morality in an immoral/amoral culture Premise: Christians, followers of Jesus Christ, march to a different beat—than non-Christians.  There are three things that are noted about this: 1.  The ‘different beat’ is all too often unrecognized. 2.  The ‘different beat’ is used as a bat or stick to beat up non-marchers. 3.   The ‘different beat’ needs to be permeated with the soothing sounds of grace and mercy.  1.  The ‘different beat’ is all too often unrecognized. What I mean by this is simple.  If Christians see the Bible as the source of morality (see last blog)—that lifestyle should be easily recognized in our culture.  Our culture is basically ignorant of the Bible—at best—or at worst—anti-biblical.  If you choose to be Biblical in your morality you are juxtaposed to our culture.  The problem that exists is simple—that’s not true in too many situations! Persons, reportedly ‘Christians’ are not fol...

When Jesus was being ‘tried’ by Pilate, Pilate asked Jesus an interesting question: “What is truth?” (John 18:38) In the moral landscape that is present in our culture—truth and morals are becoming an increasingly difficult concept to process.  As a Biblical person, I believe there is a less complicated process of understanding this quagmire of opinions. There are simply three questions that need to be asked: 1.  Is there such as thing as morals? I am looking for a definite yes here.  But, perhaps you might find a more amoral culture. Let’s define these terms (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com)  # 1 Morals:  Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour. # 2. Amoral:  Lacking a moral sense;  unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something # 3.  Immoral:  Not conforming to accepted standards of morality, 'unseemly and immoral behaviour.' Most people—I am suggesting—will side with the first...