Toronto, Ontario - United Church of God
Latest Blog Posts
Forgiving & Forgiven
Each of us has experienced a time when another person either purposely or inadvertently did something to hurt us emotionally or physically. At times the hurt is so deep, it is hard to get past it – to let go – to forgive. Yet, research has shown that holding on to such hurt can actually harm us physically. We can literally make ourselves ill from it.
Occasionally, we hear stories of remarkable people who, despite horrible experiences they have suffered, have been able to forgive the offender. One such person is Angela Gevaudan whose husband, Fabrice, was killed last year by Justin Bourque who also killed two other RCMP officers and wounded two more.
Our Actions Do Matter
Recently a news reporter challenged an individual who was assaulting her with inappropriate language. Not only did she challenge the sports fan, the video of the confrontation went viral. The result was that the individual was banned from BMO field for an entire year. Additionally, he was recognized by his employer, which has a strict code of conduct prohibiting the type of behavior and fired the person even though the incident did not occur on the job site or during work hours.
Some believe that losing a six-figure job is too harsh punishment for an infraction that occurred outside of work. However, it would appear that the punishment will stand because his actions reflect badly back on the employer.
Facing Our Mortality
This week I officiated at the memorial service for a very dear friend. Whenever we are faced with the death of a loved one, we are reminded of the trouble we all face at one time or another during this life. As I prepared for this memorial, the news reported the horrible Amtrak train derailment. We have since learned that there was a Canadian killed in that tragic accident.
Additional news this week included a young woman killed in Scarborough when she was struck by a car and a machete attack in Edmonton. Meanwhile a trial is beginning for a heinous stabbing that occurred three years ago.
Stary, Stary Night
I recently watched a documentary about the Hubble space telescope which was launched into orbit in 1990 by NASA. The documentary showed the complicated process envisioning and building the telescope. Then the horror to find once it was in orbit that it wasn’t working correctly because of a small imperfection on the mirror, which is 7.9 feet across. This left the scientists worrying that billions of dollars might have been wasted.
In the end, a solution was found and a highly complicated repair brought about. The results have been a multitude of wonderfully beautiful photos of our universe that we would not have otherwise been able to see. To a believer, they are proof of the amazing engineering and artistry of the Great Creator God.
A Book Like No Other
Dr. Reginald W. Bibby has carefully monitored social trends in Canada for four decades. His surveys and data analyses have covered a wide range of people from many different walks of life.
One study has shown that church attendance is declining rapidly and that atheism is rising. Christian standards are being replaced by secular ones. As a result, some fear that Christians are becoming the persecuted minority.
In actual fact, only about 7 percent of Canadians claim to be atheists. Two-thirds of Canadians claim to be Christians and 64 percent believe the Bible is the Word of God.
Egerton Ryerson
Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882) was a Canadian provincial educator as well as a Methodist minister, who for a time was a missionary in North America. He founded the first non-Anglican school to receive a royal charter in Canada. It later was renamed Victoria College.
Egerton Ryerson held the office of Chief Superintendent of Education for Canada from 1844 until 1876 enabling him to promote his belief that education should be universal and compulsory. He also believed that education would produce a literate society adept at reading the Holy Bible daily. Much of what he did was based upon his belief that with education and religion man could improve himself and society.
Spring Holidays and Holy Days
Spring is such a joyous time of year. We can finally put away the heavy winter clothing and boots – not to mention snow shovels! It is a time of year when students have a break from classes. And, the time of year when we begin to watch for the first signs of buds on the trees, the first sign of spring flowers and the return on song birds.
It is also the time when many Jewish people, and a few Christian people who keep the same days Jesus Christ kept, begin gearing up for a very holy time of year. This year the Passover is on April 3. The service is held the evening before (Thursday, April 2) to commemorate the time the death angel passed over the Israelites and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Are You Successful?
If you do an online search using the key word “success,” you’ll find a vastly wide range of pages that come up. Some will offer a series of definitions for success, while others will give steps for becoming a success.
What is ”success” anyway? Is it hitting a certain salary range, receiving a coveted position, receiving recognition in your field or having a prestigious marriage? Certainly, for many it might include any or all of these. But, do any of those types of “success” bring true and lasting satisfaction?
So many struggle with their relationships that are just not working. Others are worried about their children and how to guide them to make decisions that will have a positive impact on their rest of their lives. Of course, there is the daily struggle to make ends meet and on-going financial decisions.
How It All Began
The Middle East continues to be very much in the news. While it is known as the “cradle of civilization,” what we see happening there now seems anything but civilized.
How did it get to this point? Many of today’s problems can be traced back to what is recorded in the first book of the Bible. The book of Genesis records the history of early man. Some of those early events add to the feeling of protracted ill-will that is there today. It gives us information about God, the origin of nations and where life comes from.
Unfortunately, many read this historical account of early man and believe it is fiction or a record of legends. They believe it cannot possibly be true. How can you know if this book is really an accurate record of ancient events?
Was It a Lie?
One of the dominating news stories this past week has been that of a prominent American television anchorman and his “misremembering” events of more than just one news story. For him, it has been a very costly situation as it will cost him dearly for years to come.
Some are very critical and rightly so. If we cannot trust our professional journalists to be reporting the news and their experiences accurately, how can we know what is really happening in the world around us? Others have justified what happened saying that all of us can have episodes of faulty memory.
