To baptize originally meant “to immerse” or “place into.” Usually. (Etymology can be complicated and controversial stuff.) Some of the oldest “baptism” references we have in the Greek language outside the New Testament are found in descriptions of a ship sinking beneath the water and an ancient pickling recipe. Essentially, to be baptized in the Spirit is to be “pickled” in God’s presence.
Watching my friend struggle with her three-year-old, I smiled sympathetically. Her daughter, like many three-year-olds, was willful, perhaps exceptionally so, full of spirit and determination, and eager to explore the world on her terms.
Many of us dream about how we might spend a large, unexpected windfall. Some imagine travelling to exotic locales, or owning a new vehicle or dream home. Some dream about making a difference.
When my husband asked me to join him to watch 42, a movie about baseball legend Jackie Robinson, whom he had followed since the 1950s, I felt less than enthusiastic.
Reference to age of the cosmos distracts from editorial’s main point
After denials and evasions, we learned that two successive administrations lied to the American public about unprecedented spying on ordinary citizens.
It was an average supper for us. My partner made potato-leek soup and I put some buns on the table. We said grace and we ate. I liked the soup, so I had a second helping and another piece of bread. It wasn’t long before our soon-to-be-two-year-old was no longer interested in eating and wanted to go outside. I cleaned my bowl, finished the rest of his serving and took him out.
Which of these is most important to be a follower of Jesus: belonging, behaviour or belief? This is not a trick question, so chew on this one for a while and dissect its nuances before moving on too quickly.
“I’m not an appliance or computer program!” That’s a comment I’ve heard from ministers as we planned an installation service in their new congregation. “Can’t we find a better word than ‘install’ to describe what we’re doing?”
Money or God: Which do we love more?
Religious historians say that every 500 years, Christianity goes through a "massive transition," as noted religion writer Phyllis Tickle puts it.
Since last summer I have been responding to a rich crop of invitations to discuss healthy ways of grandparenting and relating across generational divides. I’m enjoying the ride. Rewarding conversations with old and young have ensued. I’ve learned about many creative ways grandparents stay in touch with their grandchildren, and I’ve made some new young friends.
Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC) recently completed the printing of Giving Your First Fruits: Money, Faith and Worship, which contains the collected writings of Edwin Friesen.
I cohabited with my husband before we got married. Not in the current form of lovers sharing a home together as a preamble—or alternative—to marriage. Our cohabitation involved sharing a residence, but not a bedroom, with a dozen others. At the time, we were exploring communal living and were influenced by Acts 2:44 and by our Anabaptist cousins in the Bruderhof.
Editorial sets up false dichotomies
Each year 90,000 parents in the U.S. confront the profound suffering that follows the death of a child or adolescent.
“Write about things that make you glad, sad or sorry,” advised a Facebook friend recently, after I asked for writing ideas for this page. But, truth be told, I was really wondering how to start on something that was already swirling around in my mind and weighing down on me.
It seems that money is a large part of my job. Every aspect of my work involves money in some way or another.
Two church leaders came to my city last month: one was big, the other small. They both said things I found inspiring. But in the end, which one would I like to follow? I want to listen to the one who is big, but follow the one who is small.
I’m Ryan Dueck—a husband, father, pastor, blogger, student, and follower of Jesus Christ.
Overcome Evil with Good
Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons recently committed suicide after humiliating pictures of her alleged rape and shame flooded social media. While the powers-that-be considered what to do, in a cyber version of frontier justice a loose network of computer hackers known as Anonymous claimed to have discovered the alleged culprits and threatened to go public if the authorities didn’t act.
Where does the problem lie: With the people or the path?
Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of "Just Wondering, Jesus" and founder of the Church Wellness Project. His website is http://www.morningwalkmedia.com Follow Tom on Twitter @tomehrpiscopal priest based in New York.
I sat with my gospel choir colleagues, in a pew, while the host choir at Park Avenue Synagogue rehearsed a lovely Psalm setting in Hebrew.
Some sang the Hebrew text with ease, some with difficulty – a reminder that faith generally means learning a language other than one's own.
For me, the Holy Spirit is the central character and protagonist of the New Testament, especially after Jesus’ death and resurrection. As John the Baptist was the forerunner—one who goes or is sent in advance to announce the coming of another—of Jesus, I see Jesus as the forerunner of the Holy Spirit.
“What are you reading?” I’ll ask my mother, a friend or colleague. Partly I’m trolling for good titles, and partly I’m inviting them to tell me about their lives, what they are interested in, moved by, curious about or are learning. We read because it helps us navigate life. We draw from the content of the books to mull over and make sense of life in all its mystery, wonder and complexities.
