Grace in an Awkward Situation I knew something changed between us, all the talk we made was small, but what do you say to someone when they’ve heard you say it all.  It’s an awkward conversation in a most peculiar way.  How did we get from saying I love you to I’ll see you around…

It was the summer of 1980.  I had just completed my first year of university and for the summer I volunteered with an organization called the Shantymen Christian Association, now referred to simply as SCA.  In an article written for the Toronto Star in the 1970s the author wrote:  “If you have the zeal of…

There's a new Prime Minister in Canada and when you woke up Tuesday morning you were either ecstatic or disappointed, but however you feel about the new Prime Minister the Bible tells us that we have an obligation as Christians to pray for Prime Minister Trudeau and may I suggest for Mrs. Trudeau and their…

If you are like most people, then your family tree probably has some folks in it that you’d rather not talk about. Not just the nuts and saps that collect in most trees but people that when you are drawing your family tree you are tempted to use the white out.  We just don’t like…

For most of us, sometime over the next two days we will celebrate the Feast of the Dead Bird, better known by many as Thanksgiving Dinner.  And as a part of that tradition at some point before we actually begin to consume food someone will ask “Uncle Bob would you return thanks?” or “Aunt Martha…

The Pain of Growth You ever have growing pains?  If you didn’t you probably know someone who did, maybe your own kids.   You know when you were around 8 or 9 you’d wake up with your legs aching.  Growing pains are kind of a generic diagnosis that covers a variety of aches and pains when…

 You ever think about Church Growth?  You ever wonder about whether or not Cornerstone is growing?  Does it every cross or mind, is it even relevant in your life?   There are some folks at Cornerstone who honestly never think about church growth, they attend, they enjoy the services but whether the church is growing…

When I was a teen one of my favourite singers was folk singer Harry Chapin, you probably know that from my many references to different songs that I’ve used in messages through the years.  And one of my favourite Harry Chapin songs is a song called 30,000 pounds of bananas.  And it based on an…

Walking with God Every once in a while I will hear that someone has been elected to this hall of fame or that hall of fame.  Maybe the Country Music or Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I will think “Seriously, what took them so long?”  I would have assumed that they would have…

United we stand What a mess!  It should have been a model church; after all it had all the earmarks of becoming the greatest church in the denomination.  Its founding pastor was the most prolific church planter in the denomination; the next man was by far the best preacher that could be offered and tossed…