It seems that we live in a world of memes. According to Merriam-Webster, a meme, strictly speaking, is “any idea, behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another within a culture.” Most people have come to associate the word, however, with a captioned photo that is intended to be funny, often by ridiculing human behaviour. Every now and again, however, you … [Read more...]
Guided, Guarded, Gladdened (Psalm 119:105–112)
The website Phobialist.com lists no fewer than 541 different phobias. You will be aware of some of them (arachnophobia—fear of spiders; aquaphobia—fear of water), but some of them are downright ridiculous—either because you wouldn’t think there would be a need to actually formally name them as phobias (lilapsophobia—fear of tornadoes and hurricanes) or because they just seem so … [Read more...]
How Firm a Foundation (Psalm 119:89–96)
One of the older songs that we still sing frequently at BBC is “How Firm a Foundation.” The author of the hymn remains disputed, so there is no certainty as to the story behind the song. However, it is a great song, which could well have been written by a hymnist meditating on Psalm 119:89–96. The firm foundation of God’s word was the settled hope of the hymnist. Consider … [Read more...]
The School of Affliction (Psalm 119:65–72)
Recently, while scanning through a particular social media platform, the headline for a suggested article grabbed my attention. The article was titled, “The Top 10 Thankless Jobs in the US.” The tagline read: Do you consider yourself to be a part of that faceless workforce that never gets a thank you? Common sense demands that we categorize all those who are underpaid, … [Read more...]
Foundations for Prayer: Relationship
As a church, we have been deliberately working to grow as a praying community. As we continue to pursue this important goal, it may be worthwhile to remind ourselves of some foundational issues as they pertain to prayer. In her excellent book on corporate prayer (Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities and Churches), which I highly … [Read more...]