Minister’s Musings ::

Choosing Gratitude?

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

Nathanial Brandon’s “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” was recommended to me years ago. It is a book I return to again and again, though infrequently. Of the many nuggets of wisdom to be found in Brandon’s book, one is related to the subject of self-talk, the messages we give ourselves internally, the dialogue we have with ourselves as we go…

Is Einstein’s Theology Important?

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

It will certainly come as no shock to you when I state that we live in an age of increasing cynicism and suspicion surrounding not only the Church, but the Bible itself, and not only from beyond the walls of the church itself but from within. Thus the excitement now burgeoning among academics, atheists, and some Christians concerning the recently…

Can We Accept A Mormon As US President?

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

Within a few hours of me writing this reflection (Wed. afternoon) the first of the 2012 Presidential debates will be underway. I don’t know about you, but I find these debates extremely riveting. I plan for them in my calendar of events as I might plan for a Superbowl or Ryder Cup competition. I am always intrigued by American politics. Who…

Did Jesus Have A Wife?

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

So it appears Jesus may have had a wife. This new discovery, or possibly unlikely discovery, came a few days ago out of the academic studies of one Karen King, divinity professor, possessor of the Hollis Chair (first woman ever) at Harvard Divinity School. Dr. King has discovered a tiny piece of papyrus, a minute fragment, from a Coptic Christian…

The Blessing of Pets

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

Miho and I hiked Lake Agnes a few days ago, late in the afternoon. Strange but we hadn’t done it for many years. I’d forgotten that the trail is pretty much a steady incline virtually from the shoreline of Lake Louise. For Miho the hike that day was easy, for me not so easy, but we saw a couple of…

Does ‘Nomadic Spirituality’ Work?

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

We started our new Book Club last night – Diana Butler-Bass’s Christianity for the rest of us: How the Neighbourhood Church is Transforming the Faith. I read this book in 2007. I’m enjoying it again. I’ve decided I may read it again in a few years, or at least read more of Butler-Bass’s other works. I believe this is a book every…

What is Truth?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

“What is truth?” (John 18:38) You may recall this provocative, profound question in the context of Holy Week or Good Friday services in the past. Unfortunately we rarely hear or read these words, or the extended conversation of which they are a part, the rest of the year. Jesus is near the end of his earthly life, the wheels have been…

Does God Require More Then Tolerance?

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Rundle Memorial United Church

Would you consider yourself to be a tolerant person? What does that mean? To you? To others? I’m not sure when it was or how it came to pass, but at some point in our fairly recent history, as a culture, the word “tolerance” and its derivatives rose to the level of the sacred in our national vocabulary. A word expressing either…

Christian Language, should we use it?

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Rev Dave Crawford

In a recent book, prolific author and Bible scholar Marcus Borg tackles the subject of Christian language. Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words have Lost their Meaning and Power, and How They can be Restored (2011), makes the argument that “Christian language has become a stumbling block in our time. Much of its basic vocabulary is seriously misunderstood by Christians and non-Christians alike……

Is life fair? Should it be?

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Rundle Memorial United Church

Last holiday Monday Miho and I were just about ready to go for a hike up Sulphur, or at least 2/3 of the way. A guy my age, my size, needs to be a bit careful on a 30 degree afternoon. But just as we were mentally geared-up to leave the house, an interview with Christine Sinclair (Canadian/International soccer star)…