I had my morning all planned. I was going to get a haircut, but when I called the barbershop, my barber wasn’t working. It was a beautiful day, so I thought, I will get my car washed, but when I pulled up to the car wash, it wasn’t working. Then I dropped into my pharmacy…
Fiddling with Fonts
I love a good tiddle, or as you might know it, a serif. It’s that little decorative piece that is a part of some fonts and typefaces. The most common is Times New Roman, and it was the default on Microsoft Word, for as long as I can remember. And then it changed. In 2007,…
Being Human from the Beginning
If you are going to start a sermon series on being human, then it would be best to start at the beginning. And the first words of the Bible are found in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God . . .And that’s where I want to begin this morning. In the beginning. With God.Now, I…
It’s Just a Picture!
This will be my last Christmas Penn for a while. I promise. This year seems to be the year for public criticism of the family Christmas photos posted by public figures. The president and first lady were criticized for looking too stern in their official portrait. And to be fair, all they were missing was…
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…
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…
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…
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,…