Christianity
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The Day I Converted to Being a Hippie
On June 21, 1969 I was baptized into hippiedom. Up until then, I had been a pretty typical middle class kid from the suburbs of London, Ontario, but after that day, my life was never the same. Paul took the Damascus Road. I took the 401 to the Toronto Pop Festival. There I heard groups… Continue reading
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When a Virtuoso Played for Spare Change
As a 4-year-old, he strung rubber bands across dresser drawers and played classical tunes by ear, moving drawers in and out to vary the pitch. Today, Joshua Bell is one of the greatest violinists in the world. A number of years ago, a fascinating article appeared in the Washington Post about the “Joshua Bell Experiment.”… Continue reading
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Jesus on Soft Hearts in the Kingdom
“A sower went out to sow and as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up.” So begins one of Jesus’ most famous parables. He says it pictures a person who does not understand “the word of the kingdom.” This lack of understanding leads to the evil… Continue reading
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Is “Accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour” the First Step in Our Journey to God?
“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” Mark 1:14-15 My evangelical training taught me the gospel basically consists in believing that Jesus’ death and resurrection saves us. However, the… Continue reading
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How a Stroke Saved an Ornery Old Farmer
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For our slight, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for what… Continue reading
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What is More Important, Love or Right Beliefs?
In his book, “The Wounded Healer,” Henri Nouwen tells the story of a young fugitive who was taken in by people of a small village and given a place to stay. Eventually, however, enemy soldiers came and demanded to be told where the young man was hiding. When the people hesitated, the soldiers threatened to… Continue reading
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Like Helen Keller—“A Misty Consciousness Returning!”
In her autobiography, Helen Keller explains a mystery that has puzzled me since childhood—how could a blind and deaf person come to understand language? She says that after experiencing only frustration and anger as Ann Sullivan tried to teach her the meaning of words, the “aha moment” came while they strolled together in the yard.… Continue reading
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What Do You Think, are Angels Present in Church?
In a perplexing passage, Paul says that in worship services a woman “ought to have a symbol of authority over her head, because of the angels.” He is speaking about head coverings concerning which various interpretations have been given–a shawl, a veil, long hair or long hair not let down. Apparently he’s referencing some first… Continue reading
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What Wild Animals Come Rushing at You?
The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it . . . the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in… Continue reading