Hopewit

Jasper Our congregation is meeting over a bag lunch today to decide whether or not to pursue the possibility of covering the south-facing roof with solar panels. Obviously, the work and expense that that would take, the possible compromise to the roof, the appearance of the structure as it is mean that there needs to be a compelling reason to proceed with such a project beyond saving money. It would take years of reduced power bills to recoup the cost of such a project. The compelling reason for considering the solar-panel proposal must link to our overall convictions regarding our calling as a congregation. Whether or not that calling includes earth care will certainly weigh in on the discussion. It’s possible that some of us will see environmental concerns to be overblown, their urgency exaggerated in comparison to, say, economic challenges. Some will probably express the view that climate change is potentially so great a threat to human, animal and plant life that to ...

Today, I’m pondering the speculations of theologian N.T. Wright on the nature of evil in Chapter 6 of Surprised by Hope. I don’t think I’m alone in the puzzlement that inevitably assails non-theologians or amateur theologians or “ordinary Christians” when reading “the great ones.” Nevertheless, we probably all have understandings/misunderstandings of the great theological concepts, impressions that shape our images of us in the world, us under God, us with our neighbours. Most head-scratching for me is how past and current theology seems never to have abandoned the reliance on treating evil (or heaven, or hell for that matter) as a thing , or spiritual forces as personalities . Unless, of course, our sages have and continue to assume that belly-scratching pew sitters can only understand the God of whom Jesus spoke as a loving but intolerant, bearded man on a heavenly throne.  Emmanuel Kant is supposed to have said that “only a scholar is qualified to evaluate anothe...

Where in the World?? "He owns the cattle on a thousand hills . . ." “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life (possessions?)—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (I John 2: 15-17) It seems evident that at the time of the writing of the John letter, his audience was a young church struggling to survive, almost as a Jesus-cult under siege. The letter draws severe lines in the sand regarding conditions of faithfulness, even using the term “Antichrist” to refer to those who have left the fold (1 John 2:18 & 19). Acknowledging what audience the writer(s) had in mind is critical; modern-day Christians not experiencing persecution, not looking toward an imminent rapture should proba...

When it's really, really dark, any light will do.   Suppose a king of an unnamed country becomes ill with cancer and is desperate to know if he will recover or die. And suppose he hears that a wonder-working seer is passing through the countryside and decides to send his chief servant to meet the seer and ask him if there’s a chance he might recover from his illness. The seer accepts some gifts of courtesy and gives audience to the chief servant who puts to him the question of the king’s chance of recovery. Naturally, the see-er sees far more than the immediate question but tells the servant, “Say to your master the king that he will recover.” But then the seer begins to weep and the chief servant asks why he’s crying. The seer says, “I foresee that you, chief servant of the king, will yourself become a wicked king that will attack my people.” Chief servant, of course, asks, “How can that be since the king will recover and I’m just a servant?” The seer sa...