As she made her way along the road, she wondered about the sense of it all. Although she had agreed she still couldn’t understand why. She lived in a poor country that was occupied by a foreign army. Violence was never far away and often during the night you would hear soldiers entering the home…
Did you Get Your Christmas Wish?
So, did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Were all your wishes fulfilled? Were you ecstatic or disappointed on Christmas morning? Maybe a little bit of both. I know how you feel, for the sixth year in a row I didn’t have a new BMW convertible in my driveway. Actually, for the sixtieth year…
The Gift of Hope
How often have you heard the phrase or description “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”? But what if it’s not? What if Christmas doesn’t bring alive warm happy memories for you? What happens when there is an empty chair at the table and Christmas becomes a reminder of a lost loved one or…
Tending the Kettle
I’ve been doing it for the past 14 years, so it must be a Christmas tradition. In 2011, I decided I should give something back at Christmas. Something that wouldn’t benefit me or Cornerstone. So, I bought a Santa hat and signed up to tend a kettle for the Salvation Army. I know that technically…
The Gift of Joy
The words that were just read, came from the prayer of Jesus, in the garden just before he was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the temple guards. And you’re thinking, that’s a weird advent reading. Maybe, or maybe not. This Advent season your preaching team has been focusing on Gifts from the King. Normally…
Redeeming a Broken Hallelujah
I am a Leonard Cohen fan, and like many of his fans, I love the haunting melody and angst-ridden lyrics of his iconic Hallelujah. But for the love of all that is holy, I wish people would stop including it on Christmas playlists. The song has nothing to do with Christmas and realistically has very…
T’is the Season
And so, it begins! Apparently, they have allowed Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey to come out of hibernation, and now the season of Christmas music and Christmas specials is upon us.From my favourite radio stations to my favourite coffee shops, I am hearing the good news of Jesus as they begin their annual tradition of…
The Gift of Love
In case you have missed all the subtle clues, the season of Advent is upon us. In case you are wondering, Advent is not another word for Christmas. Instead, it comes from the Latin word, Adventus, which means coming or arrival and today it is used to describe the four weeks leading up to Christmas.…
It’s who we are, Not who we say we are
And just like that, he wasn’t. He thought he was, but then it was proved that he wasn’t, and now he isn’t sure who he is.Thomas King is an award-winning writer and academic. The author of several best-selling novels, including, The Inconvenient Indian and Indians on Vacation.Ever since the 82 year old author was a young child,…
Beyond the Algorithm
The other day, as I was driving along, the radio played one of my favourite songs, and then surprise, surprise, the next one was a song from my teen years. When the third song played, I was marvelling at what great, and somewhat bizarre, taste the radio station had. They played a Jim Croce hit,…