Tag: Current Events

Christian Living

The Right to Die?: How to respond to the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling

Chris

Late last week the Supreme Court of Canada made a monumental ruling. It will put Canada and its people under a microscope. Though it does not take effect for the next twelve months, those months will be filled with debate, concern, and the drafting of interpretations and regulations on national and provincial levels.

If you didn’t hear about it, the Court’s decision lifts the ban on doctor-assisted suicide. (CBC News article; CTV News article; Global News article). The ruling brought cheers and concerns. Though the ruling was very specific, it isn’t freely accepted and triumphed.

empty hospital bed

As Christians we can be loud when issues like this hit the spotlight. We consider ourselves champions of life. I found it interesting that the Court used the Charter of Canada to explain how their decision puts them on the same side, defending life. Before we start banging on doors and shouting through megaphones, we should stop and consider what drives a people to desire such a law. You might be surprised at how your response will change.

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Remembrance Challenge

Chris

November 11 was a special day in our countries. In Canada it is a day to remember the ultimate sacrifice paid by men and women to secure and maintain freedom. To all those in the Canadian Forces who paid that complete prices, and those who serve even now, we remember you. We bring you to the forefront of our minds this Remembrance Day.

In my homeland of the United States, it is a time to recognize veterans, whose who have served in the Armed Forces, and those who serve now. It is a day we look to and honor the living. You, too, are not forgotten, whether you serve thousands of miles from home, or your sacrifice is marked by the decades that have passed.

Great battles have been fought over the years. Some of them have seen incredible casualties, and times we are amazed that anyone survived. There are tales of great heroics, of standing against impossible odds and obtaining victory.

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Christian Living

In Need of Peace

Chris

It’s ironic, I think, that as we stand at the gateway to the Christmas season, we find ourselves suddenly in a panic. When we should be echoing the angel cry, “Peace on Earth,” we instead find ourselves full of fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

What’s driving this sudden assault on peace in our lives? If you’ve been in a box for the past week or so, it is the H1N1 virus.

I’m not going to take a stance on whether or not you, as a Christian, should go out and get the vaccine. Something tells me that if you want to find an argument for one side or the other, there are plenty out there on the internet. For some of us it might be as simple as logging in to Facebook. Like I said, though, that’s not why I’m writing.

Honestly, it seems that whether we have had the vaccine or not, we still find ourselves handcuffed by the spread of this virus. What does that mean for us? Does it reveal something in our lives? That’s why I’m writing today.

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Ministry

Community Revival

Chris

Subtitle: How do you change the heart of a city/town?

I’ve made the move from big city to small town. I joined up in my current position almost two years ago now. There has been a lot of pastoral turnover in those couple of years, and as we all settle in and get the lay of the land, we’re noticing that the heart of our town is basically dead.

What does it mean to have a town that is dead? There is no heart, no desire to be more than it is, no spirit, no pride. The people in our town are like zombies, having any spark of life sucked out of them at every turn.

As pastors, having made this diagnosis, we now find ourselves trying to find out the best way to bring life back to this “valley of dry bones.”

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Christian Living

Bristol Palin: Confused and Confusederer

Chris

That’s where I’m at after reading CNN’s article on Bristol Palin, teen daughter of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, who gave “her first interview since giving birth.” Chances are that the media and the professional bloggers will be all over this soon, if not already. But I just have to get it out there since most of my local readers won’t see it on CNN.

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