465 results for tag: blog

What is the Gospel? – Part 1 – by Greg Albrecht

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, "The righteous will live by faith."—Romans 1:16-17 Paul 1) categorically states that he is not ashamed of the gospel, 2) defines the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, and 3) asserts that the gospel inherently includes a righteousness from God—a righteousness by faith—precluding any sort of righteousness which may come, or seem to ...

Fabric of Our Life – Stuart Segall

Isn’t this amazing…. I was captivated when I saw this. It was like a sunset, a landscape, a wondrous seascape. Yet, when I imagine what this dress is made of and the work that went into it, I understand the heart, soul, and emotions involved in the final touch of the artist/tailor/seamstress that finished it. When you weave different fabrics together like silk or satin you get an amazing fabric. They are not durable and must be handled with care, but when that is done, you get a look of beauty and richness that is second to none. It is all about what the weaver and the tailor choose to create. As a boy, I worked in a tailor’s shop ...

A Renewal of Compassion – by Ed Dunn

The times in which we live have been, in a word, tough. The last two years have seen radical changes in our health, both mentally and physically, our nation, politically, racially and economically, and our world, as we try to move around it. It’s been easy of late to take up a position on any number of topics, to stop listening altogether to different points of view, and to see large groups of people as “other.” I know I’ve felt a strong pull towards this polarization, and the harmful attitudes that come along with it. I take public transportation to every destination I can’t get to on foot. Given my eyesight condition, I gave up my ...

Grace and Cookies – Three Lessons – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from May 2016 In a “Dennis the Menace” cartoon, Dennis and his pal Joey are seen leaving next-door neighbor Mrs. Wilson’s house loaded up with a plate full of cookies. Joey says to Dennis, “I wonder what we did to deserve this?” The forever-in-trouble, always-in-hot-water Dennis, well aware that he is far from perfect, astutely advises Joey, “Look, Joey. Mrs. Wilson didn’t give us these cookies because we’re nice, but because she’s nice.” The first lesson of grace (at least in this letter!) is this: We don’t deserve God’s love – God is not obligated to give us cookies because we think we ...

Uplift: A Pilot’s Journey – by Grant Corriveau

View video trailer for Uplift     Song: Travelers by Carolyn Arends Uplift - A Pilot's Journey - published by CWR Press Captain Corriveau has written a humorous and entertaining account of his career in aviation. Uplift – A Pilot’s Journey is a delightful, easy read. The self-deprecating humor is reminiscent of Dave Barry. Funny and fast-paced. I found it hard to put down. Corriveau captures the day-to-day aviation adventures in an entertaining and informative manner. Bravo, Captain Corriveau! What a gem of a book. Cathy Fraser, Captain, B787, Air Canada Take off with Captain Grant Corriveau in “Uplift – A Pilot’s Journey.” During ...

Reflections on Mother’s Day – By Stuart Segall

I have a Mother’s Day story that I would like to share with you. I was at my office at the end of the day on Saturday, May 7th, 2022. I usually come by at that time to feed the squirrels and birds around my office. My clients enjoy spending a few minutes watching all the activity. I was getting ready to leave while there was still light outside. As I got to my car, I looked behind the gated area where the dumpster is for the office and could see someone moving around behind the fence. I like to gather flowers during the week from several florists who support my little service of bringing flowers to widows and shut-ins at retirement and ...

The King’s Clothes – Jim Fowler

Once upon a time there was a king. He was king over the vast kingdom of Ecclesiastica. This king was known far and wide for his vain delight in royal vestments. Aware of his propensity to lust after the ego-satisfying need-fulfillment of “pomp and circumstance,” two enterprising con-artists offered to stitch for him some royal finery “fit for a king.” They explained that their product was so extraordinary and supernatural that it was visible only to the elite and knowledgeable, and invisible to those who “did not have eyes to see.” “Take my order,” begged the king. “Money is no object!” The king’s assistants in ...

10 Percent Grace and 90 Percent Law? – by Greg Albrecht

Recently I was asked about a church pastor who preaches 10 percent grace and 90 percent law. Apparently this church has a clock counter on its website to show how fast people are getting to hell. This church believes that one of the methods of "saving" people is to expose their sins, and (by embarrassing them) guilt them into obeying God. This church is but one of many which believes that the Ten Commandments (and at times other portions of the old covenant) must be preached to sinners to prepare them to accept Christ. The idea is taught in several different ways: 1) People must be convinced that they have a problem (that they are sinners) before ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Is Noah’s flood story true?

Question Is the narrative about Noah's ark in Genesis a true story? Response Oh, of course the *story* is *true*, just as the *story* of the Prodigal Son is *true,* which is to say, the story is telling us the *truth.* Discovering the truth the story is telling means honoring the genre the story is written in. If we treat a parable as if it is not a parable, and literalize it when Jesus wasn't telling it that way, we may be treating a story as a fact and missing out on its truth. So, to demand a physical address for the Father's house, the names of the prodigal sons, and what type of cow they ate at the banquet would be untrue ...

Five Generations: A Legacy of Love – by Laura Urista

One of my most treasured possessions is a black-and-white photograph of five generations of women in my family. Over the years several people have mentioned to me how unique and rare it is to have a five-generation photo. Pictured here are my great-great grandmother Mietz (seated in the middle), my great-grandmother Fiebick (seated on the far left), my grandmother Olga (affectionately called “Grandma Dee Dee”) and my mom, Charlotte, holding my oldest sister, Sandy, on her lap. This photo was taken in the summer of 1946. I wish I knew more about these wonderful ladies of my lineage. I do know that great-great-Grandma Mietz and great-Grandma ...

The Mother of Us All by Greg Albrecht

Back in 1990, after the Iraqi army was evicted from Kuwait, Saddam Hussein, then the President of Iraq, told his people to prepare for what he called the “mother of all battles” against the American-led coalition forces. Though Hussein did not invent the phrase, since that time the phrase “the mother of all...” has spread through the English language and is often used to define not only the origin or source of something, but also the significance or the greatest example of something. Two Mothers In Galatians 4:21-31, we read the story of two mothers. The historical background to Paul’s lesson is recorded in Genesis 16 and 21. ...

Reflecting On Grace by Ed Dunn

On a recent visit to see my parents, my mother caught me completely by surprise one morning after breakfast. With a smile on her face, she handed me a small treasure buried deep in the palm of her hand. She handed me a white-gold ring. “Here,” she said, “this was your great grandmother Grace’s engagement ring. I want you to have it.” “Whoa, wow!!...really?!…my great grandmother’s engagement ring?” The thought of such a personal and precious item from my great grandmother so many years ago took me back. “I’m honored and flattered, mom, thank you so much!” Beyond that, I was speechless. I didn’t know what else to ...