A Work of Hospitality

Posted on by Shannon

Nothing warms the soul like hospitality. Yet we often shy away from its work and planning. Yet God urges us to practice it. Next weekend hospitality is essential if our youth event is to be a success. People need food and accommodation.

Hospitality only works well if accompanied with love, sacrifice, generosity, unity, and a high-minded spirit. Jerusalem set this pattern for generations to come. Their love and unity motivated them to be kind to people; “The congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32). The Hebrew writer would later note, “Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…” (Heb.13:1).  That marvelous unity was threatened in Acts 6:1-6, when some grumbled over the arrangements for hospitality. Special servants were promptly chosen to expedite wisely the serving of meals to the burgeoning crowds of new Christians. These high-minded servants were willing to overlook complaints, and realign hospitality so that it was a blessing, not a problem. This demonstrates the importance of wise, loving hospitality to a healthy church. Continue reading →

The Church That Celebrates Jesus Every Sunday

Posted on by Shannon

Easter. Many people feel today is the highlight of the year. Churches swell on Easter Sunday, just as they do at Christmas time. While we enjoy having extra people this day, let’s think a little more about Easter.

The entire Bible revolves around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that these events are the heart of the faith. But isn’t it strange that the New Testament does not mention the celebration of Easter – as a specific yearly day above all others? Historically there was a debate over the date when the crucifixion took place; nobody really knew for sure. It grew into an early church squabble, so a date was chosen at the first church-wide council (Nicea) in 325 a.d. Even then the controversy continued. Two hundred years later the church had become more institutionalized and preferred to baptize people only on Easter Sunday. While Jesus Christ didn’t reveal in the New Testament a special yearly day to celebrate his death and resurrection, men chose one anyway. Continue reading →

Our Captain

Posted on by Shannon

The world values good leadership. Without it armies falter, companies go bankrupt, the economy sours, and whole countries weaken. We’ve seen all of these things happen lately in the world. When wise leadership does not exist, people long for someone to provide guidance.

Jesus Christ is described with an interesting term in Heb.2:10 – “The captain of our salvation” (KJV). More modern versions translate the word as “author” or “leader.” It’s used a second time in Heb.12:2, where he calls Jesus the “author and perfecter of faith.”  We’re told in that verse to keep our eyes on Him, for He is our leader. Continue reading →

An Anchor of the Soul

Posted on by Shannon

 If you’ve been to the Maritimes, you probably saw something that’s common to all coastal communities: an anchor propped up in a seaside park. Besides being a nice spot to take pictures, anchors are a connection to great ships of the past that were manufactured there, or maybe the town served as a home port. Some anchors are man-size, but many are gigantic. Once deployed, a huge ship isn’t going anywhere.  Continue reading →

A Reason to Believe

Posted on by Shannon

I am always interested in reasons to believe in God, and one such reason is science’s law of biogenesis.  But before talking about biogenesis, we should define what makes a scientific law a law in the first place.  A scientific law is a discovery achieved through extensive investigation which consistently points to one conclusion.  The laws of science explain how things work in nature all the time, without exception.  The most common scientific law that I can think of is the law of gravity; when we let go of something, we know where to look for it – it’s down there.  The difference between a “law” and a “theory” is that a scientific law points to one conclusion; all the time.  A theory points to a possibility among many possibilities. Continue reading →