Traditional Christianity has always taught that God is a Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But this can often seem like an abstract idea that does not have much to do with my life. Here are my reflections on how the Trinity can be experienced, originally shared at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican Church in June 2017.
Read MoreHow Early Was Mark’s Gospel Written?
Many of my blog posts begin life as answers to my students’ questions. This one is no different. A student asked a good question about how we know Mark wasn’t written much earlier than AD 65 or so. Here is my (lightly edited) reply. The starting point for dating Mark is that our earliest church…
Read MoreWhen God Breaks His Own Rules
Sometimes we can start thinking we know the limits of God’s mercy, who can and cannot be shown God’s grace. The story of Jesus’ conversation with the Syrophoenician woman reminds us that sometimes God can break his own rules.
Read MoreThe Meaning of a Quiet Life
Have you ever felt like your life is too ordinary to mean very much? Here are the thoughts I shared at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican Church back in October 2017.
Read MoreHow to Find Books and Articles for Your Essay
Here on this blog I’ve provided some lists of good commentaries, journals, and reference works. But how do you find these and other good sources? In particular, how do you go beyond the listed volumes to find other relevant books and journal articles? There are three basic tools to use. (Note that these tips focus…
Read MoreOnline Synopsis of Gospel Parallels
I recently stumbled across a very useful site for students working on the Gospels or on the Jesus tradition. The Five Gospels Parallels, by John W. Marshall at the University of Toronto, presents the gospel texts (in English) in parallel vertical columns. The text is divided into pericopes, and for each one Marshall provides links…
Read MoreMy Sermon on the Parable of the Duty-bound Slave
I gave this sermon at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican church in Pickering, Ontario on October 2, 2016. I hope some of you find it useful. The text for my sermon (from the week’s lectionary) was Luke 17:5-10: 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had…
Read MoreGod’s Plan and Our Choices
Here is my sermon from this past Sunday, based on Acts 16:9-15.
Read MoreCan We Trust the Gospels?
This was a sermon delivered at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican church in Pickering, Ontario, Sunday March 13th.
Read MoreIs Socialism Un-Christian?
I’ve been thinking lately about the debates in Christian circles (especially in the US) about “socialism.” By “socialism” I mean the basic idea that some justice can be preserved in a community if our government redistributes wealth — takes money or property from the wealthy and gives it to the poor. This socialist model has been…
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