Ballast Lodge – a place of stability in the midst of life’s storms
Right in the heart of Atlantic Canada, on the shores of Shepody Bay, is a gorgeous little retreat centre designed specifically with you in mind. Pastors have a unique need for spiritual refreshment and peaceful solitude, but their schedules and budgets often prohibit them from travelling to far-away, upscale resorts. The weight of caring for hurting people has been especially heavy for pastors in Atlantic Canada over the past couple of years. Now, more than ever, pastors need to schedule periods of deep rest....
Cradle of Indoctrination: Radical Proposals in In Education in the Cradle of Confederation
Its hard to argue against the fact that the moral landscape has been shifting at a dizzying pace. Neither is it an exaggeration to say that what it is to be human is being reinterpreted before our very eyes. The biblical categories that have been broadly accepted by Christians and non-Christians regarding human sexuality are being challenged and overturned at a rate that scarcely allows us to find our feet....
Convictions
We are living in confusing times and there have been many voices calling us to always trust God and rest in Him (Psalm 62), to maintain unity through Christ in the bond of peace (John 17:20-23, Ephesians 4:1-3), and to keep the proclamation and modelling of the gospel the main thing while avoiding a myriad of distractions, pre, mid, and post-COVID (Matthew 28:16-20). These convictions are based solidly on God’s Word, and these voices ought to be listened to and followed as a clarion call amidst much confusion....
How to Suffer Well
At the cross Jesus sets an example of how to suffer well. He demonstrated three qualities that we can learn from and apply to our own experiences of suffering. ...
The 1879 Revival in the Margaree Valley Baptist Church (Part 4)
The following is written by G. W. McPherson, A Parson’s Adventures, (Yonkers, New York: Yonkers Book Company, 1925), 37ff. The headings were created by Pastor Ross Morrison of Alberton Baptist Church. Ross & his wife Wendy were brought up in Margaree Valley, Cape Breton....
Why Is Taking on the Role of a Servant for a Christian Leader so Difficult Yet so Necessary?
I witnessed an antithesis of the servant-leader mindset in a pastor who pressured his small congregation to pay a full-time salary fitting for the work he was putting in, an amount well above the church’s budget. He demanded greater sacrifice of them based on the scriptural standard that “the laborer is worthy of his wages.” Another church leader displayed an admirable example of servanthood by foregoing a month’s wage to assist a needy widow in his community. These two examples present a stark contrast in their object of consideration: “self” for the first and “other” for the second. ...
Digging in The Dirt & Digging in The Word
Many years ago we went to Boston as a family. That great city was in the midst of the “Big Dig” at the time. It turned out to be a fifteen-year dig! The total cost is estimated at over $24 billion USD ̶ the costliest tunnel/road works in US history! Yes, truly a big dig. Seeing that amazing digging project more than 20 years ago has left a lasting impression. Perhaps in all of us there is a wonder in digging. Even the simple wonder of digging at the beach ...
The Voice of the Church Amid the Pandemic
The year 2020 will certainly be marked in our memories as one of the most challenging of the century. The pandemic has brought unique struggles that are testing the church’s steadfastness to its mission of proclaiming the Gospel....
Cherishing the Ordinary in Extraordinary Times
Rarely have we passed through a more extraordinary time than we are now experiencing. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the church. These times have forced many of us to think outside the box when it comes to doing ministry, and in many cases to great effect and with surprising results. But it's not like the church hasn't found itself in unique situations before. The people of God have always found a way to navigate through the choppiest waters the kingdoms of this world could stir up. What strikes you about many of the great world-changing epochs in the life of God's people was that they met their extraordinary challenges in remarkably ordinary ways...
What Church Can Be
A Book Review: What Church Can Be: An Optimistic Vison with Some Blueprints. Matthew Kruse. Maitland, FL: Xulon Press, 2020, 317 pp., paperback. ISBN 978-1-63050-564-6...
The Necessity of the Old Testament to Understand and Interpret the New Testament
There is great validity in yearning for the promises of God to the saints in the Old Testament. These intemporal words of hope are well-suited for the New Covenant community just as they were for their original audience. Reading through the Scriptures of the OT gives us a sense of familiarity with the moral bankruptcy of its characters. The many quotes of OT Scripture in the New reinforce this awareness. Even so, what would be the necessity of the OT in understanding and interpreting the New? A few points are to be considered....
To My Brothers in Arms
We are weary. We are struggling. We have probably thought about quitting. Yet, we can do it, united to Christ....
We Remember...
A little more than a stone’s throw from our church in Cape Traverse on Prince Edward Island stands a house from which a young 23-year-old man left to serve his country in the Second World War. His name was Flight Sgt. Elmer Bagnall Muttart....
Seeking to Serve Atlantic Canada as We Look Ahead
This year has been unlike any other that most of us can remember. This might even apply to us in some greater ways here in Atlantic Canada. Yes, all our provinces are affected by the global pandemic. However, there have been some unique circumstances we have felt on the eastern shores of Canada...
