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Yea, all things

come not by chance but by His fatherly hand - Lord’s Day 10

*****

The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
– Proverbs 16:33

The Heidelberg Catechism is both a confession and a summary of the doctrines of Scripture. The words of the Heidelberg can be easily understood, even though they convey the deep truths of the Bible. Two men, Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus, were commissioned by Frederick the Pious (III), Protestant ruler and devout Calvinist, Elector Palatine of the Rhine (1559–76), to write this catechism for the people. Ursinus was a timid scholar, who preferred study to the limelight, and Olevianus was an eloquent preacher. Both were uniquely gifted and were providentially brought together by God to write the wonderful questions and answers in the Heidelberg.

When our children were younger, my husband Anco and I spent much time in teaching them the Heidelberg Catechism. We considered Lord’s Day 10, dealing with the providence of God, an important section, and we took our time with its questions and answers.

Question 27: What do you understand by the providence of God?
Answer: God’s providence is His almighty and ever-present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come to us not by chance but by His Fatherly hand.

At the close of breakfast each morning, even at the risk of missing the school bus, we would recite the phrases in unison. These words were a spiritual intake that contained the past, the present and gave much confidence in the future.

Odd but true

The truth that God is totally in charge of all things, things that occur each day, has been a comfort throughout my life. There is a rather odd, and simultaneously humorous, story which I heard from my sister some forty or more years ago – a story which illustrates God’s providence. Because she is a truthful person, I believe it happened. It runs like this.

A retired preacher was living out his days of retirement together with his wife in a two-story condo somewhere in the States. On Saturday mornings he was wont to take a bath in preparation for Sunday. One Saturday, as he was soaking in the tub, his wife let out a blood-curdling scream in the living room. It chilled him to the bone and he hopped out of his bath. In the altogether, he raced through the hall, into the living room, only to find his wife standing on a chair, totally upset.

“What is it, Mary?” he asked, alarmed by her loss of composure.

She pointed to the couch. “A snake,” she finally managed, “there is a snake under the couch.”

“A snake?” he responded, slowly turning his head, searching the room.

“Yes,” she went on, “I was watering the flowers and suddenly it crawled right by me and crept under the couch.” She again pointed to the couch.

Cautiously Stan, the preacher, walked over and knelt down to take a peek. He couldn’t really see much as it was dark under the couch. As he was investigating, their dog came up behind him, nudging the pastor’s posterior with his cold nose. Thinking it was the snake, Stan promptly fainted, face-down, on the carpet. Mary, brave woman that she was, got down off the chair and hastened over to her husband.

“Stan!” she called out, “Are you all right?”

Stan, however, was out cold. Thinking that he’d suffered a heart attack, Mary ran to the phone and dialed for help, calling for an ambulance.
The ambulance arrived just as Stan was recovering consciousness. Two men raced up the stairs, introduced themselves and skillfully maneuvered the pastor onto the stretcher they had brought with them. Gently and carefully covering him with a blanket, they took his blood pressure, finding it high.

“Sir, it is possible you suffered a heart attack,” they explained, “and we’re just going to take you into emergency to make sure you are not in trouble.”

Reassuring him and his wife in this way, they calmly carried him out of the room into the hallway. Standing at the top of the staircase, one of the two ambulance attendants began a slow descent, holding onto the foot end of the stretcher. The other man, also beginning to descend the stairs, suddenly dropped his carrying end. The snake, who had left the nether region of the couch, had quietly slithered into the hallway across his shoes. It startled the latter attendant to such a degree that he lost control over his end of the stretcher. Stan, the preacher, tumbled down the steps, breaking his left leg.

The providence in this little story lies in the fact that two ambulance attendants were immediately on hand to give first aid to an aging preacher in a rather unfortunate, strange chain of events – events orchestrated by God. The attendants were there to help the preacher in his time of need as God intended.

Our heavenly Father is One who not only sees everything beforehand, which is what providence essentially means, but He also brings about all He determines. Knowing and accepting the fact that God sees everything and brings events about can be a scary thought because it demonstrates that sinful man cannot hide anything from God. But providence is also comforting because it illustrates that God knows and cares for His people.

God has us in the little things too

Last week I had an unanticipated dental appointment. An infection in a bottom molar caused sudden and painful swelling in my left cheek. Resembling a chipmunk, I could barely open my mouth. The dentist immediately prescribed an antibiotic to take care of the infection. After the antibiotics had run their course, I had a second appointment – a consultation about what to do about a tooth that would very likely require an extraction. Like many people, I have anxiety, concern and wariness about sitting down in a dental chair. Yet, the morning of that second appointment my morning devotional had the heading of Psalm 81:10 which read: “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

Our God is a God of not just the things we consider huge in life, (such as cyclones and world wars), but also of the little things, the mundane and ordinary. The given text, prior to my dental appointment, made me grin. But the reality is that it also greatly strengthened and encouraged me.

The truth of it is that we may be encouraged to ask God to bless us in all matters pertaining to our daily life. We may open our mouth as wide as we can and request whatever is needful. Spurgeon, in his Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith, gives the example of baby birds being fed by their parents. Squawking away, beaks open so wide you’d think they were going to split their little mouths, they are sustained. Spurgeon says:

“God is ready to fill us if we are only ready to be filled. Let our needs make us open our mouths; let our faintness cause us to open our mouths and pant; yes, let our alarm make us open our mouths with a child’s cry. The opened mouth shall be filled by the Lord Himself. So be it unto us, O Lord, this day.”

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Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews

8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them

by Michael Brock 2024 / 224 pages Climbing the ladder out of the tranquil waters of Middleton beach, my ears were assaulted by an angry rant. A mother was giving her son a verbal lashing right there on the pontoon deck. The issue, I could not help but learning, was the misuse of some borrowed snorkeling equipment. But the incident was apparently indicative of what a completely useless boy he was in general. “Give me a break, lady. Do you really think your caustic belittling is helping? What chance does this kid have of growing up into a confident, well-adjusted adult? Listen to yourself!” Now I didn’t say any of that aloud. I dove back in and swam to the jetty. But it got me thinking. What does my parenting sound like? Renae and I were reading the recently published 8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them by Michael Brock. When a friend recommended it, I had raised my eyebrows at the word “Error” in the title. Couldn’t he have titled it, “8 Principles”? Put it in the positive. Give us a bit of encouragement here. But I’ve read the book (twice). “Errors” is the right word. You could even say “Sins.” The book is concise, but incisive and biblical. Nothing new Author Michael Brock opens by admitting that he’s not giving anything new here. In his introduction, he cites some of the materials he and his wife have benefited from. These include a lot of the titles we read earlier in our parenting career: Douglas Wilson, Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, the Tripp brothers (Paul and Ted). But Brock’s contribution is that he nicely balances the explanation of biblical principles with specific practical application. He’s not afraid to describe what this can look like in practice. He acknowledges that other parents have raised godly kids, doing things differently. He’s not saying that if you don’t raise your child as he counsels, you are guaranteed a rebellious child. But he is saying there are clear biblical principles that must be applied by everyone. We ignore them to our peril. Parenting begins with parents For example, the first error is “Shifting the blame.” We like to spread around the blame when things go wrong. One of his mantras is that “parenting begins with parents.” If you are an angry person, your children will likely be angry. If you are a lazy person, your children will likely be lazy. If you are a joyful person, your children will probably be joyful. For sure, there are exceptions. Prodigal sons and daughters break the hearts of their godly parents. But still, parents need to recognize that their training has a massive impact. They have received both authority and a call to train their children. Now, this might not sound like good news, but it is. Because when we see we are shifting the blame, there is grace and power to change. For example, Brock emphasizes that you need to pray with your kids. Not just prayers at mealtimes but meaningfully bringing your needs and theirs before the throne of grace, through the ups and downs of life. You might say, “I’m not good at that. I’ve never done that.” Well, you must learn. With the help of the Lord and His people, you can. When the stakes are low The book has a chapter on each stage of child development: toddler through to teenager. He advises parents to be strict and teach obedience when children are young, so that they can loosen up and give more independence when they are older. Otherwise, older children get frustrated. But many parents do it the other way around. They smile at the foibles and rebellion of their toddler. Tantrums are kind of cute in a one-year-old. But later on, it’s not so cute, and then parents try to rein things in. But sin is sin, even in the young. So, discipline when the stakes are low (“Eat your broccoli”) so that later they will listen when the stakes are higher (“Don’t date that guy”). What does that discipline look like? Our culture has all but lost an understanding of what a loving spanking looks like. Brock gives clear step-by-step guidance on what discipline looks like as the child matures (here he riffs on Ted Tripp’s book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart). Without proper discipline, parents must resort to controlling their young children by berating them. The tirade I heard on the Middleton beach pontoon was much more painful than a couple of paddy whacks. Joy and laughter You may be getting the impression that this book will turn your home into the VonTrapp residence (pre- Maria). But far from it. Brock paints a picture of how beautiful and fun a Christian family is. It is not a dour, unpleasant place. It can be full of more laughter and joy than you can imagine. And children who are disciplined and trained when they are young can grow to be your lifelong friends as adults. Was there anything I didn’t like? Anything unbiblical? I wondered whether by emphasizing the responsibility of the parent to train, Brock might miss the grace and sovereignty of God. When a child grows up to love and serve the Lord, that is the result of a miracle of God’s grace. We can’t take credit for it. But Brock affirms that too. There are no perfect parents. God uses us through our weaknesses. Parents are responsible to do their best and then trust the results to the Lord. The solution to regret Brock describes the day his daughter left for college. His heart was full of regrets. “I should have spent more one-on-one time with her. I have not taught her the best ways to have personal devotions. Etc....” When we are overcome with a feeling of failure, the solution is not to get defensive. It is not to try to remind ourselves of the good things that we’ve done. The solution is to confess our weakness and sin to the Lord. And then to trust that there is grace and forgiveness in Christ. And rest in that grace. God uses us in our weakness. We can trust that by His power we (and they) can grow. While reading the book for the first time, I found myself regularly stopping to repent and pray. I’d recommend Brock’s book to new and experienced parents. You might wince at times. But that’s good. It’s the clear, biblical, practical instruction that parents need. Rev. Arend Witten in the pastor of the Free Reformed Church of Baldivis. This is reprinted with permission from the June 2025 issue of “Una Sancta.”...

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Book Reviews, Children’s fiction

Akimbo and the Lions

by Alexander McCall Smith 1992 / 66 pages Rating: Good/GREAT/Give Alexander McCall Smith is best known as the author of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency but it turns out he's written a number of children's books as well. And they are good. Really good! Akimbo is a boy who has access to all the coolest animals in Africa – his dad is chief ranger in charge of a wild game reserve, which means that from one book to the next Akimbo is having adventures with snakes and baboons and elephants and crocodiles, oh my! In Akimbo and the Lions he accompanies his father to trap a lion harassing a small village. But things don't go as planned – instead they trap a cub and scare the momma away. That means someone needs to take care of this wee little lion, and Akimbo convinces his dad that he is just the boy for the job! McCall does a wonderful job of balancing the tension in the book. There were moments where my 5 and 7-year-old were covering their mouths (and sometimes their eyes) but these moments didn't last too long. This is just a good old fashioned adventure, perfect for their age group. It is short – a book that can be read in an hour – exciting, sometimes sweet, with gentle humor along the way too. And in this first story, there is absolutely nothing to object to – Akimbo doesn't talk back to his parents, or teacher. No sex, no language, no weird philosophies. The only downside would be God's absence. In an adventure where God's creation has such a big role, it would be only natural to give God his credit for these wonderful creatures. But it seems that Akimbo and his parents are not Christians. And if I was going to add one other nitpick I'll also say this is not the sort of children's book that works equally well as an adult book (this is no Narnia, for example). The story is too simple and predictable for older folk. I only mention that because, since this is by a well known, and well-loved adult-fiction author, that might raise some expectations. But while these are very good kid's books, they are kid's books. There are five in all, in this order: Akimbo and the Lions Akimbo and the Crocodile Man Akimbo and the Elephants Akimbo and the Snakes Akimbo and the Baboons The others In addition to Akimbo and the Lions we've now read the other four in the series. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man was a bit scarier as there is an actual crocodile attack. It all turns out fine in the end, but that extra bit of tension means I was glad we did read things in order, starting with Lions before Crocodile Man – that order meant even in Crocodile Man's scariest bit, my girls understood that this sort of book was going to have a happy ending. Akimbo and the Elephants had Akimbo going behind his dad's back to stop ivory (which comes from elephant tusks) poachers. He has good intentions, but lies a number of times, and even steals some ivory to serve as bait for the poachers. We had to explain to the girls that Akimbo was doing something downright dumb here - that he should be talking his plan over with his dad. So while we enjoyed reading it together, I would have some reservations about my children reading this by themselves. In Akimbo and the Snakes we come along as Akimbo visits his Uncle Pete's snake farm for a month and learns what it means to "milk" snakes. My nine-year-old enjoyed learning more about snakes but said this was definitely a day time and not bedtime book. The only objectionable bit would be in the notes after the story where it briefly mentions that snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards. In Akimbo and the Baboons a "baboon lady" comes for a visit. This is a visiting scientist who has come to study that baboons, and Akimbo and his cousin Kosi get jobs as her assistants. The author believes in evolution, and while that only comes out clearly in a section in the back – "Brilliant baboon facts" where McCall notes baboons are not in the same genetic family as human beings – the scientist, Jen, notes a few times in the story, how the baboons are "a lot like us" or "just like us." True, in some ways, but when we read between the lines here, we can see this is about being similar in an evolutionary sense. I'm making much of this and will note my nine and under kids didn't even notice the evolutinoary angle. So if I was getting these for a school library, I would get the first two – two very enthusiastic thumbs up! – but maybe give the third a miss, and the fourth and fifth with a note about evolution in the front. What's the ideal age range? I'd think kids in Grades One to Three are sure to enjoy them. Akimbo and the Lions is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca....

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News

Saturday Selections – July 19, 2025

One man band This is an amazing performance – one guy sounding like a whole band – on quite the machine! "Scottie Scheffler's take on success in golf: 'What's the point?'" ESPN covers sports, not philosophy, so their article on how the best player in golf doesn't find fulfillment in winning stuck out from their usual fare. But as a secular media organization, they didn't dare ask the question the article raised: if winning golf isn't your reasons for getting up in the morning, what is? I don't know golf, and hadn't heard of Scottie Scheffler before, but I do know how to read between the lines. Scheffler was speaking to how what he spends most of his effort on didn't bringing him but the briefest moments of joy, and that's the sort of thing a depressed guy sitting at a bar might confess to you, or what someone who has found joy elsewhere is happy to admit. Scheffler didn't look like a sad barfly, so I did a bit of digging and discovered he is a professing Christian, and though ESPN's article doesn't share anything about Scheffler's true source of joy, he has been happy to share. They've found a mass dinosaur grave in Alberta... ... and it is seeming very Flood-related. Chip and Joanna feature gay couple on their show After Not the Bee reported on Chip and Joanna Gaines (of Fixer Upper fame) featuring a gay couple on one of their shows, Chip doubled and tripled down on social media, pulling out the most popular verse in the Bible "Do not judge" while ignoring all the rest of what the Bible has to say, including about same-sex relations. Chip called the questions coming his way "hate or vitriol" but as Franklin Graham noted, Chip wasn't acting loving himself. "While we are to love people, we should love them enough to tell them the truth of God’s Word.... His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman. Promoting something that God defines as sin is in itself sin." Whatever happened to villains? With Disney recasting its biggest baddies as simply misunderstood, it's following a trend where there is no real wrong or bad. It's another sort of relativism, it'd seem. Do we want to force our religion on others? When you get hit with an accusation, a knee-jerk temptation can be to deny it. But when it comes to the charge of Christians wanting to force our religion on others, we need to plead guilty.... in part. God has no interest in hypocritical worship, so we should never want to force people to go to Church (see Amos 5:21-24, Is. 1:11–15, etc.). But stopping the murder of unborn babies and the infirm elderly is both biblical, and it is a restriction that should be universally applied. So yes, we do want to "force our religion" on others in the laws we want to make. However, while the you-just-want-to-force-your-religion accusation sticks, it actually applies much more so in the opposite direction, and the secular world has little reason not to violate consciences. That's why they'll try to destroy a Christian baker for not wanting to bake a cake to celebrate a same-sex commitment ceremony or gender "transitions." It doesn't matter if there is another bakery in town that could fill the order, this Christian must be punished. Or maybe you know euthanasia is murder, and want no part of it as a doctor or other health professional. You better refer them to another contract killer who will do the hit, or you could face reprisals. The secular ethos must be imposed. The fact is tolerance – within limits – is only a Christian virtue. The Western world has only the remnants of their Christian heritage to restrain them from "or else" demands and as those remnants fade, their religious demands will increase. ...

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Animated, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

The George Müller Story

Animated / Biography / Drama 2019 / 30 minutes Rating: 8/10 In his day, I'd imagine George Müller (1805-1898) was accused of being irresponsible, or maybe even insane. He ran orphanages that helped thousands of children, and yet he never sent out an appeal letter or solicited donations. Instead, he went to the Lord to ask for help. And again and again the Lord delivered what Müller and his orphans needed. One of the most extraordinary examples of God's providence – an account that made it into this fantastic animated biography – is the morning that there was no food for the children for breakfast. So, Müller and the children prayed, and shortly thereafter a baker showed up with fresh bread for the children that, as he put it, God had put it on his heart to donate. And a milkman came knocking, wondering if the children might like his milk, since his truck had broken down nearby, and the milk would spoil anyway. Müller's orphanages served 18,000 children over the years, all of them helped without a request being made to any but the Lord. Cautions I knew a man whose multiple sclerosis had trapped him in a wheelchair. His suffering was physical, but also brought on mentally and spiritually by the brothers and sisters in his Pentecostal circles who questioned if the reason he was in his wheelchair was because he hadn't yet prayed for healing with enough faith and trust. They thought, if you prayed the right way, then God had to do what you say. And that's not so. Our children watching this need to understand that yes, God does provide, and in extraordinary fashion sometimes – twenty years later, this same man was able to walk away from his wheelchair, his MS in remission. But God also answers in ways that might not match with our hopes, and we will simply have to trust that He knows what is best for us, even if that means difficulties and even death. Other cautions could be offered with regard to some of Müller's views, but this video doesn't really get into them. Still, he had his faults and confusions. Parents can address this, not so much by researching him and finding those flaws, but simply by directing young hearts to where their admiration most belongs. George Müller was quite a man, but he served an astonishing God! Conclusion I've seen God act in amazing ways in my own life at times, and I don't think it a coincidence that it was at times when I stepped outside my own comfort zone and acted in obedience to meet a need that I knew was beyond my own ability. I've seen the same happen, all the more so, in others' lives who have been all the more obedient to act in faith and trust. I know of how God has precisely answered prayers, sometimes providing the exact sum required and not a penny more – whether it was as small as a nickel raise, or as large as a cheque for $30,000. Müller got his milk, yes, and that's not the first story I've heard of a Christian having milk arrive out of the blue on their doorstep. I've been told of a needed house downpayment appearing in the hands of a mysterious stranger who was never seen again. Our God is our Father indeed, and He loves us, and generously provides for us. And I do wonder what He might work through us, if we were bolder still, like a Müller, a Corrie ten Boom, or a Brother Andrew (of God's Smuggler fame). This, then, is a film to watch to see what God has already done with a man obediently acting in such faith. And you can watch it for free below. ...

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Book lists, Book Reviews

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Saturday Selections – July 12, 2025

Josiah Queen's "A Garden in Manhattan" On the crowded streets, all the people that I see Want them to know the Jesus that I know If I'm the closes...
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You now live on šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street

“911, I need an ambulance at 232 šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, and quickly please!” “Sorry, I didn’t get that. Can you repeat the address?” “The first letter is an s with a hat on it, followed by an x with a w above and to the side of it… BUT CAN YOU PLEASE COME? WE NEED HELP NOW!” This exchange may sound like something from a bad dream, but it is a new reality for about 100 residents who live on what was once called Trutch Street in Vancouver. Vancouver’s city council made a unanimous decision in June to change the name to this indigenous word, which means “Musqueamview,” even though it recognizes that there are no fluent speakers of the language remaining in the world today. Trutch Street was named after Joseph Trutch, BC’s first Lieutenant Governor. Trutch is now seen by many as a colonialist oppressor, particularly because he didn’t recognize aboriginal land title. Those who work for emergency services shared their concerns that the new name will make it difficult for people to get help when they need it, but the city decided that it is sufficient to add “unofficial” signs that read “Musqueamview St.” When the English version is used in writing, city staff clarify that it should include a footnote that says “Musqueamview St is a translated name available for use while colonial systems work to accept multilingual characters.” The city also provided a QR code in a letter, which residents can scan to hear the proper pronunciation. The decision also means that those who live on the street will need to update their licences, insurance, registrations, land titles, credit cards, and more. The city of Vancouver is planning “education opportunities” and invited residents to a “community celebration” to commemorate their decision. Yes, this is another example of woke activism and critical theory at work: stepping on those whom we deem to have been oppressors while justifying today’s oppression as deserved. But it is more than that. It serves as a very clear example of how a secular system, divorced from God, is so enthusiastic about its own religion that it is willing to descend into absurdity. It isn’t enough to remove a name they don’t like, nor to replace it with a name that is politically correct today. It has to go one step further by adopting a language that we aren’t actually capable of speaking or understanding, and then asking the public to celebrate this. Like changing the pronouns “him” or “her” to “them,” the secular worldview is demanding that we ignore logic, truth, and reality, and simply conform to whatever we are told is justice today, even if that changes next year. If others don’t like this, the strong-arm of the state is used to coerce and fine transgressors and celebrate those who conform. What a contrast this is to God’s unchanging will for our lives – it is based on the truth, and our lives are blessed when we live accordingly!...

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News

Government quietly disbands inquiry into residential school graves

Allegations of “mass graves” of indigenous children at residential schools in Canada was one of the top news stories of 2021, making ripples around the world. Those same allegations have inspired annual “every child matters” community events. They may also have triggered the vandalism of over 100 churches since. In response, the federal government established the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools, Missing Children and Unmarked Burials to investigate the allegations. Three years, and 216.5 million dollars later, the committee has quietly been disbanded. The CBC’s coverage of the decision provided extensive criticism of the decision but failed to mention that not a single grave has been verified in the years since the “discoveries.” To add to this, reputable reports have been published which question the “findings” that sparked the allegations of mass graves. But due to the political narrative that has evolved, seeking the truth could have you labelled a “residential school denier.” A private member’s bill was even introduced in Parliament last year that would have made it an offence to “downplay” the harms caused by residential schools. There is no doubt that inexcusable harms were done at residential schools. Scripture speaks strongly in defence of the vulnerable. The young boys and girls at residential schools, separated from their parents, and under intense pressure to abandon their culture, definitely qualify as vulnerable. And Christians of all kinds now publicly recognize that it was wrong, even wicked, for the government to forcibly separate children from their parents. But the fact that evil was committed at these schools does not mean that the only appropriate response to new allegations can ever be an assumption of further guilt and evil at these institutions. Justice can only be achieved when built on truth. When truth is verified, trust is built, and then a foundation exists for genuine justice and reconciliation....

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Saturday Selections – July 5, 2025

N.T. Wright gets it wrong on abortion and the unborn A recent public gaffe by this famous Christian intellectual highlights how few seem to understand the basic argument for the unborn's worth. Even the linked article, by two great Christian thinkers, John Stonestreet and Shane Morris, only gets it right in part. Yes, it is wrong to kill any innocent human being, but why? What makes a tiny human being of the same value as a big one? From where do we get our worth, and from where do we get this notion of equality? The secular world has no answer. But Christians know that there is one thing we all share, and in equal measure. What sets us apart from the animals, but not the unborn, is that we are all made in the very Image of God (Gen. 9:6). It's this foundational truth that N.T. Wright forgot, and that many other pro-lifers neglect as well. But it is this distinctly Christian point that is the only foundation for equality, and in raising it we highlight the antithesis – God's truth vs. the world's emptiness – to the glory of God. So ridiculous, it has to be God A husband whose wife has had to endure 98 surgeries shares how, in the midst of the craziness, they've been reassured that, "God is good. "Christ is near. "Grace is sufficient. "Even when nothing else makes sense. "Maybe especially then." An amazing, encouraging story... God's guidelines for sex aren't arbitrary This is a longer read, but it might shake how you think not only about sex, but how you think about politics, and conversations over the office cooler. Trevin Wax talks of sin as "our hearts bending inward, turning away from God." "The Latin phrase is incurvatus in se – a curving in on ourselves, where we grasp for God’s blessings but push away God himself." Does that not strike you as the popular Christian, Jordan Peterson-esque approach to public debate? We try to teach our world about how they can get some of the blessings of God by following His laws – turning away from pornography, envy, and adultery are all good for us and for our society – even as we pitch it to them completely separate of God Himself. It's what we do because we think our world isn't interested to hear what God has to say. But Trevin Wax seems to call this sin! The massive lies ChatGPT might be telling you A longer read, but this real conversation with ChatGPT takes increasingly bizarre turns. Even if you've already been regularly catching ChatGPT lying to you, this'll be the eye-opener! Would you rather be colonized by Aztecs or Christians? "The right of conquest" is the centuries-old (and longer than even that) notion that if a country conquers and manages to hold an area of land for a length of time it should then be understood as theirs. But many are rightly suspicious of this tradition, and Christians should be in particular, because this tradition runs right up against the 8th Commandment. Or, it would require the commandment be modified such that it says "Do not steal... unless you are bigger and stronger and can hold onto what you've stolen for at least so long." But if we don't like that kind of modification, we should also object to another alteration that's been proposed, though never explicitly: "Thou shall not steal what I stole." As Michael Knowles highlights in this video, we're all immigrants and "colonizers," even including the tribes that were supplanted. As Nathaniel T. Jeanson also highlights in his They Had Names: Tracing the History of North American Indigenous People, tribes fought against tribes, and one supplanted the next. In a very real sense, there are no original owners to give the land back to. Does that mean that it's okay then, to have taken land from the tribes that were here before? No. But it does recast them as, not simply victims, but also victimizers – what was done to them, their ancestors did to others to gain this same land. Let's get that into the land acknowledgements we hear so often: "Before we begin, I'd just like to acknowledge we are on the traditional hunting grounds of the --- tribe, who took these grounds from the ---- tribe, who in turn took them from other tribes, and so on, down through time immemorial...." Where does that leave us with treaty negotiations? I don't know, but I do know more honesty is better than less. If it is wrong for the Western world to have taken what they would by force of arms, then it is no less wrong when it was done by the tribes who were here before us. ...

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News, Pro-life - Euthanasia

MP says: No MAiD for the mentally ill

BILL C-218 PROPOSES TO SCRAP EXPANSION OF EUTHANASIA FOR MENTAL ILLNESS ***** MP Tamara Jansen has introduced a new bill that would repeal the expansion of euthanasia to those with mental illness. Four years into the conversation about euthanasia for mental illness, we can be incredibly happy that there is another proposal to eliminate one of the most egregious parts of Canada’s euthanasia regime. History of the planned expansion of euthanasia for those with a mental illness Euthanasia for those with a mental illness was first raised in Bill C-7 in 2021, which originally set a date of March 17, 2023 when euthanasia for those with mental illness would be legalized. After a report by a committee of the Quebec legislature recommended against euthanasia for mental illness and an expert panel report on euthanasia for mental illness noted significant risks, the government passed Bill C-39, which delayed the expansion of euthanasia for mental illness until 2024. As that date approached, former Member of Parliament Ed Fast introduced Bill C-314, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying). If passed, that bill would have repealed the expansion of euthanasia to those with mental illness as the only condition causing their request. Although that bill received unanimous support from the Conservative, NDP, and Green Party, along with 8 Liberals, it failed to pass by a vote of 150-167. As ARPA noted at the time, such a close vote, especially on a social issue dealing with a matter of life and death for those with mental illness, sends a message that Canadians have serious reservations about expanding MAiD further. If only nine more MPs had voted in favour instead of against, the bill would have passed 2nd reading and advanced to committee for further study. In response to the close defeat of the bill and in light of concerns raised by nearly every provincial government that they weren’t prepared, the government decided shortly after to delay the expansion of euthanasia for mental illness for a second time, this time until 2027. In the wake of the vote, the Conservatives – who had unanimously voted in favor of entirely repealing the expansion – were riding high in the polls, were expected to form government, and promised to repeal the expansion of MAiD to those with a mental illness. But Trudeau’s resignation and Carney’s ascension led to a different outcome in the recent election. With no Conservative government in charge of things and no commitment from the Liberals to revisit the issue, MP Tamara Jansen used her opportunity to introduce a private member’s bill on the issue. Her Bill C-218 is identical to the previous one introduced by MP Ed Fast and intends to permanently eliminate – rather than just delay – the expansion of euthanasia for the mentally ill. The tragedy of euthanasia for mental illness Every case of euthanasia is a murder. And every case of euthanasia in our health care system is fundamentally at odds with the central premise of health care of doing no harm. But extending MAiD to those with a mental illness is particularly tragic. Simple logic dictates that MAiD isn’t appropriate for people with mental illness. People who have a mental illness are not able to give fully informed consent to MAiD. By definition, their reasoning isn’t entirely sound, and so they should not be put in a position where they could choose to end their life. We should be providing suicide prevention – not assisted suicide – for those who are suicidal because of a mental illness. As a nation, we have poured resources into suicide prevention across the country, particularly for people with mental illness. Canada has a suicide crisis hotline to help people escape suicidal ideation. We should continue support suicide prevention rather than encouraging suicide assistance through MAiD. Indeed, offering suicide assistance undermines suicide prevention efforts. As a country, we raise awareness around mental illness and encourage people to seek help or treatment. For example, Bell Let’s Talk Day is all about reducing the stigma around mental illness and getting people the mental health care that they need. MAiD for mental illness entirely undercuts these efforts. Rather than encouraging people to access mental health care, legalizing MAiD for mental illness encourages people to end their lives instead. To really drive home the tragedy of euthanasia for mental illness, consider this story that we shared with young people at ARPA Canada’s “God & Government” conference a few months ago: It’s February, and as you’ve experienced it is cold, and snowy. Just behind Parliament Hill the wind howls across the Alexandra Bridge. It’s just after dinner time, and a man originally on his way home from the corner store is now standing on one of the struts that hold the bridge in place. Emergency vehicles have begun swarming around, the bridge has been cordoned off, and traffic is being redirected to the Portage Bridge further up river. A camera crew from Ottawa CTV station, craving a good story, hover just off the bridge, attempting to see what the commotion is all about. Paramedics prepare warming blankets and pull out supplies. Police officers and other personnel chat to each other through earpieces. They’re waiting for someone. A moment later, an officer jumps out of a police car that pulls up just a few feet away from where the man clings to the buttress of the bridge. “What’s your name, son?” the officer hollers over the whistle of the wind. “Can we talk about this right now?” “I just don’t think I can do it anymore,” the man shouts back. “I’m done with everything. My depression is simply too much to bear. I don’t have any desire to live anymore.” “I see,” the officer shouts back. “Well, if that’s the case…” The officer jogs up to the side of the bridge, snow crunching under his heavy boots until he stands near the railing where the man is just within reach. He hoists himself up onto the railing, reaches over and stretches until he has a hold of the bottom of the man’s heel. With a sudden jerk, he wrenches the man’s right leg high into the air. The man disappears into the darkness below. “We’re good,” the cop chirps into his radio, “it’s what he wanted.” The following morning’s headline in the Ottawa Citizen reads, “Heroic police officer supports a young man’s right to Die with Dignity, in the face of overwhelming and debilitating depression.” Virtually no Canadian wants to live in such a country. And yet, legalizing euthanasia in any form but especially euthanasia for mental illness, functionally puts our health care system in the exact same position. The road before us Bill C-218 again offers Canada the opportunity to step back from the euthanasia ledge and onto firmer ground that respects the value and dignity of very human life. We are grateful that another MP has taken up this issue and is pushing the government to repeal further expansion of euthanasia. The new Parliament after the spring election has a fairly similar makeup in government as when Bill C-314 – the previous proposal to scrap the planned expansion of euthanasia for mental illness – was voted on. Prime Minister Carney has not expressed where he stands on the issue of MAiD. Perhaps he will whip his caucus to defend the previous government’s law, but perhaps he will allow a free vote among his MPs on the issue. The fact that this is still a live issue and that now four separate pieces of legislation have arisen on this topic in just four years is a testament to your continual advocacy! ARPA groups across the country have worked hard to email and meet with your MPs, talk with your neighbors, and deliver nearly 250,000 flyers to spread the message of caring, not killing. This has contributed to the ongoing conversation, but with another bill on the table, we need to get back at it. Take a few minutes to email your own Member of Parliament expressing your support of Bill C-218 and ask them to support it as well. Copy Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Justice Sean Fraser, and Health Minister Marjorie Michel on that email, encouraging the government to support the legislation as well. As Christians, we can continue to advocate for caring, not killing, in all circumstances. And we can continue to put pressure on our elected officials to do the same. Levi Minderhoud is a policy analyst for ARPA Canada (ARPACanada.ca) where this post first appeared. It is reprinted with permission. Picture credit: office of MP Tamara Jansen....

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Science - Environment

Creation stewards in a logging town

My little blue Kia Soul didn’t quite fit in, as I drove through the industrial section of the small forestry town of Houston, BC. Not only are truck...
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Technology

We took the "No Screens Challenge"

… and now we’re changing our habits ***** Do you remember the last time you were without your phone for a day? Maybe you left it at your friend�...
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News

Saturday Selections – June 28, 2025

The Franz Family and "Somewhere in glory" If you liked the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, you'll love this but of bluegrass gospel... ...
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News

Professing God's Name, unashamed, at the Stanley Cup
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Book Reviews, Children’s picture books

Don't trust fish

by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat 2025 / 40 pages Rating: Good/GREAT/Give Can you look at this title and not open the cover? And it only gets better the further on and further in you go. I've shared this with everyone in my family, though they are all long past the picture book stage. I gave a dramatic reading to my wife, because I just had to. This is the kind of book that can make a dad into a performer – your kids will be asking for encores. You may well get a standing ovation! (I'm quite sure I just missed out on one.) I don't want to spoil the story so I'll only share the inside book flap. Fish. They're in our homes. They're in our water. But what do we really know about them? Don't. Trust. FISH. That, there, is a really good inside flap, and too good to really let it go to waste so let me lay this tip on you dads – don't start this read-aloud on page 1, start on the inside flap! So run – but don't swim – to your nearest bookstore and get this one today!...

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Assorted

Am I lazy or just relaxing?

What does Proverbs say? ***** After a long and hard day at work or school, the last thing someone might want to do is more work. So, some don’t. Instead, maybe we’ll sit around on our phone, scrolling social media, catching up on the latest news. Then, when the weekend rolls around, doing house chores can be the last thing on our minds. So, some don’t. Instead, we’ve sat on the couch and binge-watched our favorite TV series to waste the day away. Taking a break isn’t a problem, but how much is too much? Relaxation can be good, but laziness isn’t. What exactly does the Bible say about laziness and how can we fight against it? And how do we determine whether we are being lazy or just relaxing? Laziness means excuses While the dictionary defines laziness as “the unwillingness to work or use energy,” the Bible has a more applicable explanation. Solomon, in Proverbs 26:13-15, pictures it in this way: 13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed. 15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. In Warning Against Laziness, Alistair Begg says of verse 14: “He can turn to his left, or he can turn to his right, but that’s about it. He absolutely loves it. He makes movement but no progress. Where you found him at seven in the morning you can find him later at eleven in the morning, and perhaps at three in the afternoon.” And what of the lion? The sluggard is happy making excuses for reasons not to leave his house. He becomes a procrastinator. As Begg notes: “And the longer they go on filling their mind with that kind of thing, they have imaginary reasons for their inactivity, and these imaginary reasons finally convince them of the fact that they can rationalize the fact that they don’t get up. Of course, the real danger is not the imaginary lion in the street. The real danger is the roaring lion, the devil, who loves to come and lull people into indolence and defeat.” The more excuses we come up with for avoiding tasks, the more we begin to think it isn’t a problem. A strong temptation Throughout the book of Proverbs laziness arises repeatedly. If God repeats a warning, we know that it matters for our spiritual lives and that it’s a tough temptation to overcome. Proverbs 24:30-34 gives us an image of how detrimental laziness is for our souls. We are given a description of the vineyard of a sluggard and as expected, it is overgrown with weeds, full of thorns, and the walls are in ruins. It is a testimony to his laziness. When challenged with the work and upkeep of his vineyard, this is someone who’d prefer “a little more sleep, a little more slumber.” He or she would rather have 5 more minutes of sleep than do the tasks God has asked of them. Laziness affects more than just vineyards. A few chapters earlier, in Prov. 21:25, we read that “The cravings of the sluggard will be the death of him because his hands refuse to work.” Laziness keeps the heart empty and provides opportunity for the devil to enter an open door. Laziness occurs when we do nothing productive for the soul and the mind. The truth of the matter is that we were made to work. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam was given work to do, to tend the garden and name the animals (Gen. 2:15-20). We work to glorify God, and God has so created us that when we live out our purpose, it is good for us to work too. When we fail to obey the command to work hard, we are more susceptible to other temptations as well. We need to be working hard, whether that is in the home caring for our children, providing an income for our family, or doing our best in school so that we aren’t easily tempted. We need to be aware of laziness as a sin. It isn’t a joke because sin, left unchecked, separates us from God. It effects the wholeness of our lives, and it needs to be dealt with. Those hours spent on Instagram or Tik Tok are times that you could be enjoying communion with others, doing the tasks God’s set out for you, spending time with Him in His Word, and more. The point is that if you don’t discipline yourself to be diligent in your work, studies, in practicing hospitality, and in the reading of the Bible, as well as prayer, you will become lazy. Laziness is the default; it’s the result of not trying. Remember the Parable of the Talents, with the servant who buried his talent – the master took it from him and gave the talent away to someone who would actually do something with it (Matt. 25:14-30). God is not happy with the bare minimum from us. We need to make the most of every opportunity lest laziness hinder us from serving God wholeheartedly. Fight laziness with productivity What can we do to assure ourselves to not fall into this temptation? We can ask ourselves one simple question: Have I been productive today? If you can list off a number of things, then a break might be just the thing. If you ask this same question to your parents, or your spouse – “Have I done anything productive today?” – you’ll likely get an honest answer. Another good starting question could be “what does productivity look like in your home?” Learn from others what it means to be productive. Each individual has their own happy medium so there is nothing wrong with asking around. And if you are struggling with laziness here are some other tips that have helped me: 1) Pray – Ask God to show you when you aren’t putting in a good effort 2) Read what Scripture says about laziness and work 3) Listen to (or read) Alistair Begg’s “Warning Against Laziness” 4) Go for a walk when you can – keep yourself in shape 5) Call a friend whom you haven’t talked to in a while – put effort into your relationships Fight laziness by resting On the other hand, burning out isn’t godly either. Just because God calls us to work hard doesn’t mean we should work to a point of pure exhaustion at the end of the day. How can we ever thank Him if we’re too busy to see what He is doing? Jesus reminds us to rest, “And He said unto them, ‘come away by yourself to a desolate place and rest awhile’” (Mark 6:31). He says rest awhile. He tells his apostles that even the most active servants of Christ cannot always be upon the stretch of business and work. They too need some time to recharge. Christ understands how weary our lives are. He went through it every day during His ministry. We can turn to Him knowing He’s experienced exhaustion too. So He provides those free afternoons or evenings when there’s no homework taking over. He gives us the weekend for a change of pace from our daily work, and to go out with friends. He has even set aside a day every week where we can step away from our obligations and come praise Him in His house with fellow believers. We have an obligation to serve Him wholeheartedly and always, but this doesn’t mean working 6 days a week for every waking hour. It’s just that having a break doesn’t have to mean pulling out your phone to doomscroll. It might be as simple as taking a moment to consider every blessing that God has given, and express gratitude for them. It means being present with your family, teaching them the ways of their Maker and training them up in His word. When you feel deflated, read Psalm 23. God leads us to the still waters, not the raging sea. He restores our souls and gives us quietness of mind. How do I know it’s rest? The difference between rest and laziness might come down to its purpose. Laziness is an avoidance – avoiding the laundry piling up, the lawn that needs mowing, the taxes that need doing, the kids that need engagement, whatever it might be. Rest is about restoration, to make yourself ready again to do the work God has prepared for you. Rest will feel good, it will be enjoyable, and it’s God-given. When I find myself being lazy, I notice that it stinks. I feel sluggish. A sluggard man does not enjoy being lazy. In contrast, a busy man enjoys a day of rest. He is satisfied because he has completed the task to which God called him. Keep this in mind as you go about each day. Serve the Lord wholeheartedly with your hands and with your rest. We must be good stewards with the time we’ve been given glorifying God in our work. Laziness is serious; it is incredibly dangerous – the Bible has nothing good to say about the fate of the sluggard. So, when that snooze button is tempting you, think through who God is calling you to be, and how much more important obedience to Him is, than 5 more minutes of sleep. And because we aren’t alone in this race, we can be an encouragement to one another, reprimanding each other gently to stop putting off things until tomorrow. The difference between laziness and rest matters! God has saved us. He sent his Son to die for us, and we have only a limited time here on Earth to express our gratitude towards Him. So let’s repent from the opportunities we’ve wasted, and ask Him to help us take up “the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10)....

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Assorted

Our forever home

Reflections on finding permanence from someone who has lived in 27 homes. ***** Home is Where the Heart Is. God Bless Our Home. Home Sweet Home. Have you seen or heard these slogans lately? Maybe on a plaque or as an embroidered craft on your grandmother’s wall? Maybe on a hand-painted sign? Or how about this. You’re searching real estate online and a beautiful property is described as “your new forever home!” Recently, I heard a Christian podcaster use that term – forever home – in reference to where she was living. It made me think a little deeper about how we bandy those words about. Perhaps a little carelessly? God understands Although the idea of finding the perfect place to live is universally appealing, what should our perspective as Christians be? We’re all going to die one day so the concept of finding a permanent place on this planet is fundamentally flawed. So where is our forever home? As believers we know that “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). And yet God understands our earthly desire for home here and now. He promised the Israelites that one day they would enter a land flowing with milk and honey. They would build houses and dwell securely. Psalm 132:13-14 says, “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place; ‘This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it’” . If God desired an earthly dwelling place, then surely, He understands our desire for one. How do we live with our own intense longing and need for an earthly home, knowing that this planet ultimately is not where we will spend eternity? The conundrum set before us is to create loving spaces where we can raise families, practice the art of hospitality, and honor God… all the while remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Did you catch that last part? Sounds a lot like Home is Where the Heart Is, doesn’t it? My parents did an amazing job of keeping the tension between our earthly and heavenly homes foremost in the hearts and minds of their five children. Whenever we drove home from an afternoon of shopping, a visit to another family, or our annual camping trip, my mother sang an old-fashioned song… ‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. But she always followed that up with… There's a land that is fairer than day, And by faith we can see it afar. To an impressionable, often sleepy young child, sitting squished between her older siblings in the backseat, that balance struck home. The yearning for a safe place at the end of a long tiring day became permanently intermingled with the conviction of knowing this world isn’t our final abode. Citizenship? Fast forward through the years and I’m in a car again. Over our 40+ years of marriage I’ve moved many times with my husband and have given a lot of thought to this subject. Each time we moved into a new place, I prayed for God’s hand of protection to cover us. Each time we moved out, I learned to hold our earthly possessions lightly, letting go of material things and clinging ever more tightly to heavenly treasures. My car is parked beside a booth. A uniformed guard perches on a stool inside. “Citizenship?” he asks brusquely. I’m at the border. Crossing the invisible line between two nations. On my way to visit our daughter who married an American and moved there fifteen years ago. Every time I’m asked that inevitable question, I want to answer “my citizenship is in heaven.” But then I remember that the agent posing the question has the authority to lawfully detain me or send me on my way. I dutifully answer “Canadian.” How much more can God, who has the ultimate authority, welcome us one glorious day into His everlasting kingdom… or banish us from His presence. Our forever home is not and never can be here on earth. One day, at the brink of eternity, we will all stand before His judgment throne, and our citizenship will either be in heaven or hell. Let’s be diligent to lay up our treasures where they rightfully belong. In our true forever home....

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Assorted

Sliver Mustard's journey

Perhaps as many as a million people lived in Noah's Grove. A thriving community, it had begun small but had grown over decades and centuries. Children were born, grew up and had more children. Farms dotted the surrounding countryside and buildings edged the skyscape. Markets with fresh produce were held every Tuesday and Friday. Housewives milled about stands filled with round cabbages, bright yellow carrots, leafy greens and the like. And there were, as in all towns, the rich and the poor, the beggars and the bag ladies as well as the ones whose pockets were filled with clinking coins, the shy and the forward, the meek and the proud. The mayor of Noah's Grove was a portly man. Well-fed and financially secure, he possessed the gift of persuading people he was the right man for his job. Amiable, he ambled through the cobble-stoned streets greeting both children and adults alike. He wore a great, heavy golden chain about his neck, a chain much admired by the younger population of Noah's Grove. The head of the police in Noah's Grove was very much respected and recognized by all. Perhaps it was due to the fact that muscles rippled through the lining of his shirt. He wore a star on the lapel of his blue jacket. His broad jaw embosomed law and order and commanded obedience. Then there was the local judge – a man venerable and full of years. Grey-headed, thinning hair partly covered by a fur-lined beret, he walked upright - shoulders erect. His green eyes were so piercing that people avoided his glance. They were convinced that his eyes might ferret out every little misdeed they had committed. But he was only a human as they were human - and, as such, he was also prone to sin. There were also the bankers, the bakers, the butchers and the candlestick makers; the soldiers, the sailors and the craftsmen; and the list of Noah's Grove citizens could run on and on and on. An honest man Sliver Mustard, a street cleaner, was also a resident of Noah's Grove. A tiny seedling of a man, shriveled and old, he resembled the broom he perpetually held in his hands. It was his job to sweep some of the sidewalks and the streets of the town. He didn't look up much while he was cleaning, as he was always searching the ground for dust, for dirt, for any sort of refuse. He was a kindly type of fellow, an honest man, for whenever he found anything he considered to be of value, he would pick it up and knock at the door of the house in front of which he had been sweeping. "Pardon me. Have you lost this?" he would ask, holding up the particular object he had just found. Mostly people would glance at the item for an instant before shutting the door in his face. The recovered items were mostly trinkets, baubles, and in Sliver Mustard's rough, grimy hands they usually appeared rather dirty and worthless. Sometimes a small child would remember and recognize a lost necklace, or a toy and a smile of happiness would cross a little face as an eager hand reached for the article the sweeper held up. And in these rare moments the street sweeper felt as if he had performed a singular service which somehow outshone the stars he so admired at night. He sometimes wondered at the possibility of a star falling down from the sky into his gutter. Would he then be able to knock on the gate of heaven and ask God if He had lost it? Then, pondering upon this possibility, he would smile to himself, smile almost shyly, knowing in his heart that such a thing could not be. Who was he to return a thing to the Creator? For were not all things His? Invitations go out The letter carrier brought invitations one day - invitations from His Majesty, the King, for all the citizens of Noah's Grove. The content of these invitations was the same for everyone and commanded citizens to present themselves to be painted by the greatest artist of all times - Mr. Potter. The envelopes containing the invitations were deposited into the various mailboxes around town. Slipped into the black, open-mouthed slots, they were retrieved first by one person, then by another. Word traveled quickly. "You'll never believe who contacted me...." "I received a personal word from ...." The street sweeper heard the town's folk talk, listening as he swept out the gutters and cleaned the grey-mouthed cracks in the sidewalks. He was glad that the widow on the corner of Church Street had received a notice. She frequently smiled at him and was a kind woman. Sliver Mustard also rejoiced when a simple-minded fellow, a lad who helped the blacksmith at the forge each day, was ecstatically waving about an envelope. Sliver Mustard did not expect an invitation for himself. In the first place, he had no mailbox, and in the second place, what interest could Mr. Potter possibly have in him? Indeed, even if Mr. Potter did know him, why would he want to paint an old, grizzled geezer like himself – dusty, dirty and quite, quite unattractive? Yet there it was when he came home that evening. Outlined white and pure on the faded blue tablecloth of the kitchen table, it made every object in the one-room shanty flow with warmth. Sliver Mustard gingerly wiped his right hand on his pants, thereby making it even dirtier than it had been. Picking up the envelope between his thumb and forefinger, he carried it over to the chair and sat down. For a long while he did not move. He simply held onto the unexpected pleasure. It seemed to him this was enough. That he had been remembered - this was beyond belief. Finally, mustering up all his courage and strength, he opened the envelope. Or perhaps, the envelope opened itself in his hands. Later on, he could not quite remember. Fully expecting the note to read along the lines of "Sliver Mustard, perhaps next time I come to town...." or "Sorry, Sliver Mustard, but you do not meet the qualifications as I have set them...." But he read no such lines; he didn't read anything of the sort. The words that Sliver Mustard read were these: "This is to ask Sliver Mustard to present himself as he is, tomorrow afternoon, at three of the clock, at the hill." One shirt, no dryer Sighing deeply, Sliver Mustard leaned back in his chair. He had sat up straight for the reading of the letter but the words overwhelmed him. He stretched out his feet in front of him. He only owned one shirt, a shirt which he rinsed out every Saturday night, hung out to dry and put on again on Sunday morning. He bathed weekly in a nearby creek. There was hardly time to perform these ablutions now. As he contemplated his options, he knew that he had none. Sliver Mustard both longed and feared to go. He sat in the chair all of that night, dozing and waking at intervals. He sat as the dark hours crept by and as the light of morning dawned through the small window in the kitchen. Sliver Mustard still swept the streets that morning. It was his job after all. It was what the town was paying him to do and it would not be proper for him to neglect that job. Promptly at twelve he stopped, and, carrying the broom over his shoulder, headed home. He brushed his hair, regretted the ownership of a hat and rubbed a rag over his shoes. Then he washed his hands at the sink and ran a washcloth over his face. It was time to go. There was no doubt about it. It would never do to keep Mr. Potter waiting. Force of habit made him pick up his broom. Outside, Sliver Mustard trailed, by several miles, all the other people from town also going in the same direction. They were far ahead and he could just make out the glint of the mayor's chain as it shone in the noonday sun. He did appear to be last for when he turned his head, he could see no one behind him. As he walked, he noted with a bit of alarm, that it was later than he had thought. Picking up his steps, he pondered on the pitiful figure he must cut. Perhaps the invitation had been a mistake. But it had read, in unmistakably clear printing, "This is to ask Sliver Mustard to present himself as he is.... With a flower in his buttonhole The sun shone down hotly on Sliver Mustard's body and he began to sweat. Trudging on through what appeared to be endless stretches of road, he felt his shirt cling damply to his body. What a wretched figure he was! He sincerely wished that he was wearing a chain such as the mayor had. Not a gold chain - that would be a presumptuous thing for which to wish. But a metal chain, an inexpensive chain, one that would also glint and shine a bit. Surely the mayor, leading all the folks in Noah's Grove towards Mr. Potter, was a fine sight to behold - dapper and upright. He glanced at the fields around him and noticed a broken lily at the side of the road. Undoubtedly someone from town in his haste to see Mr. Potter had trampled on it. Stooping down, he picked the flower up. There was no door on which to knock and ask if someone had lost it. There was only a field of flowers. For a moment he was enthralled. How beautiful these flowers were! Dressed as the Creator had seen fit to dress them. "Have you lost this...?" He smiled and carefully put the lily in the buttonhole of his dirty shirt. No chain, but surely this was just as good. But as Sliver Mustard trudged on, the thought that Mr. Potter would be unimpressed with him weighed him down more and more. Surely, he would have to be! He fingered the frayed cuff of his sleeve. And for a moment he coveted the star embroidered jacket that the head of the police would be wearing. Still, he reflected a minute later, it would be hot walking in such a uniform jacket today. Sliver Mustard stopped to contemplate. And as he stopped, a bird alighted in his shoulder. It was a sparrow. A lily and a sparrow! What strangeness was this? There was no house here – no house at which he could ask "Excuse me, but have you lost this sparrow?", and he was secretly glad of it. Sliver Mustard kept on walking, embellished with a flower and a bird. "Clothes make the man." That's what people were wont to say and he understood that saying and sentiment. But was it true? Mr. Potter had not said it in his invitation. The words in Mr. Potter's invitation read, "This is to ask Sliver Mustard to present himself as he is, tomorrow afternoon, at three of the clock, at the hill." Clothes make the man? As he pondered, Sliver Mustard almost tripped over several clods of earth in his path. His scuffed shoes kicked the mud unintentionally and they flew ahead of him. Surely, most of the town's people had reached the hill by this time – had reached it clean and well-dressed. Would Mr. Potter be able to paint all of them simultaneously? He sighed and bent down, taking a rag out of his pocket as he did so, fully concentrated on rubbing a bit of a shine back onto his shoes. The lily touched his face as he bent and the sparrow chirped. "Why, Sliver Mustard?!" Startled, he looked up, finding himself face to face with the mayor, flanked by the police chief and the judge. How could he not have seen them coming? "On your way to the hill, Sliver? He nodded. The mayor's chain glinted, glinted so that it hurt Sliver Mustard's eyes. "You need not bother, Sliver," the mayor went on in a kindly sort of way. "You need not bother to go on to the hill." Sliver Mustard was puzzled as he stood up, stuffing the rag back into his pocket. What did the mayor mean? "Mr. Potter," the mayor continued, his voice heating up, "wanted me to take off my chain and my robe of office. Can you believe that? He wanted me to be painted without the symbols that define me. He told me to take them off." Dumbly Sliver Mustard shook his head. The police chief and the judge had walked on without bothering to speak and the mayor began to follow them. **** For a long time Sliver Mustard watched them - he watched them until they disappeared around a bend in the road. Then he turned. He smelled the lily and it was a sweet smell to him. He heard the sparrow on his shoulder sing and it was a song of fullness. In his heart he believed the words of the invitation, and he could see the words as clearly as if they had been written across the wide, wide overhead sky. "This is to ask Sliver Mustard to present himself as he is, tomorrow afternoon, at three of the clock, at the hill." So Sliver Mustard went on and on. At three of the clock he reached the hill. The watchman at the gate opened the gate and drew him in. And Sliver Mustard was painted as he was. Christine Farenhorst is the author of many books, including a short story collection/devotional available at Joshua Press here. She has a new novel – historical fiction – coming out Spring 2017 called “Katharina, Katharina” (1497-1562) covering the childhood and youth of Katharina Schutz Zell, the wife of the earliest Strasbourg priest turned Reformer, Matthis Zell....

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