Interesting quote from a Christianity Today article posted today – “America could lose 10 Million Christians to Mass Deportation”.
“The world’s migrants are disproportionately Christian, and demographers say they are helping stanch secularization in countries like the US and Canada.”
Spent a little time concentrating on the impact of St. Patrick on both Ireland and a Christian world that encountered evil up close. I’ve abridged part of his poem “I Rise Today”. You can see he was aware of his culture, his trust in God and his reminder (we could use this in our day of mental health issues!) that each day he arises with fresh awareness of who is in control!
I Rise Today by St. Patrick
I rise today in the power’s strength, invoking the Trinity,
believing in threeness, confessing the oneness of creation’s Creator.
I rise today in the power of:
Christ’s birth and baptism,
his crucifixion and burial,
his rising and ascending,
his descending and judging.
I rise today with the power of God’s:
ability to pilot me,
strength to sustain me,
wisdom to guide me,
eye to look ahead for me,
ear to hear me,
word to speak for me,
hand to protect me,
way before me,
shield to defend me,
host to deliver me,
from snares of devils,
from evil temptations,
from nature’s failings,
from all who wish to harm me, far or near, alone and in a crowd.
Around me I gather today all these powers against:
every cruel and merciless force to attack my body and soul,
the charms of false prophets,
the black laws of paganism,
the false laws of heretics,
the deceptions of idolatry,
spells cast by women, smiths, and druids,
and all unlawful knowledge that harms the body and soul.
I preached at the Evangelical Free Church in Regina, SK on Sunday. The sermon was recorded and is on their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez17dvHcuZU&t=4s)
I listened to the sermon today. No big gaffs or guffaws! Almost 40 minutes long – or shorter if you go at a faster speed.
We even made up a new song from Psalm 1. The song we created begins at 34:07. Enjoy!! Oh, and you can listen to the rest of the sermon if you want to!!
Heritage reminders bring off the blinders.
I have an anabaptist religious background. Within the Christian church Anabaptists were radical reformers when the European Reformation of the 1500’s was taking place. Meaning – – – if you could change things just a little you were not radical. If you could change things enough to be noticeable you were not radical. If you got yourself killed or persecuted for your reformations – you were getting close to being a radical reformer.
Now, 500 years later, the caricatures of those within the radical reformation have had time to sink in – at least into the communities that were formed. Yesterday I was given a Mennonite Starter Kit (one of the anabaptist groups was Mennonites) booklet. You might not get some of the “inside” humour, but here goes.
– Prior to a Mennonite college’s first authorized dance, 15% of the student body believed that Mennonites shouldn’t dance. Afterwards the feeling was unanimous.
– Fifteen percent of Canadian Mennonites suffer from some degree of chronic Winnipegosis.
– Congregations adjust their pastor’s income based on: a) the cost of living index, b) the number of dependents, c) “living more with less”.
Although my own background is more along the line of Swiss Anabaptism (you may want to check out historical records of “Dunkards” or “Tunkards”), there are some characteristics that seem to flow across the branches of Anabaptism, giving fruit to the idea that you can compare apples with oranges as long as they are both ripe.