Use ‘exegesis’ to interpret the Bible. Exegesis is where we draw out of the text what it is actually saying, using the original historical context, regardless of what we believe. Sometimes familiar stories are quite different than what we remember if read this way. After examining a Biblical passage using exegesis we may need to examine our other beliefs. Exegesis began with scholars studying the Bible and is now used in a variety of settings including art, film and literature. Exegesis is highly objective.

Many people use the exact opposite technique called ‘eisegesis’. Eisegesis is reading into a text the meaning we want it to have,  ignoring the original historical context and using a text to confirm our biases and predispositions. We can use eisegesis to prove anything we want to in a Biblical text. Eisegesis is highly subjective.

An example of the difference between these two techniques is contained in the phrase “Do we let our politics shape our understanding of the Bible (Eisegesis)?”  or “do we let our understanding of the Bible shape our politics (Exegesis)?”

Exegesis and eisegesis are mutually exclusive. They are not two ends on a continuum but two distinct ways of thinking, even if we are not aware of it. It may be best to learn exegesis during a specific course of study at a university or from someone who knows the differences between the two.

Continue reading “How to interpret the Bible” →

Christians worship one God.

This one God has three distinct beings of Father, Son and Holy Spirit; or you prefer the newer language of Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier.

It is a bit like one person having different roles. Everyone has a name. My name is David, that is who I am; but to my wife I am her husband,  to my children I am Dad, to my brother’s children I am an Uncle, and so on. There is only one me, but I can be seen in different ways.

In a similar way, there is only one God, which we think of having three distinct persons. These distinct persons are all in a community together and make up the one God. In Christian theology these three persons are called the “holy trinity”.

Continue reading “How many Gods do Christians worship?” →

St. John’s, like other liturgical churches, follows the Christian church year.  The church year invites Christians to reflect on different periods and events in the life of Christ. Each season or event in the church year reminds us of a pivotal time in the life and ministry of Jesus. Following the church year allows Christians to deepen our faith as we take the time to focus and reflect on what Jesus means for us and our world, and what he went through on earth.

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Some of the colours only appear on one specific day of the year so are hard to spot on this calendar. The exact dates of each colour vary each year except for Christmas and Epiphany.

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Blue is used during the season of Advent and is the color of royalty to welcome the coming of a King.

Rose (or pink) symbolizes joy and happiness and is often used for the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for “Rejoice”. Gaudete Sunday comes after the mid-point of Advent and is a time to rejoice that the birth of our Savior (Christmas) is coming near.

White symbolizes light, purity, holiness, triumph, joy and virtue and is used for all high Holy Days and festival days, including the seasons of Christmas and Easter. White may also be used throughout the year for baptisms, marriages, and funerals (as a symbol of the resurrection).

Green symbolizes growth, eternal life, hope, the renewal of vegetation and generally of living things and the promise of new life. It is used for the season of Epiphany and Ordinary Time.

Purple can symbolize pain, suffering, and therefore mourning and penitence. It is used for the season of Lent. It is also the color of royalty, and can be used during Advent.

Red symbolizes both fire and the blood of the martyrs and is used for Pentecost and for saints days commemorating martyrs.

Black represents death and mourning, and the color black is a lack of color. It can be used on Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

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Getting through Christmas during times of loss –Ron Edmondson

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. As the song goes, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. But for some, Christmas can be a miserable time.

Some have lost a loved one, suffered to the end of a significant relationship, or even had a severe personal loss of income or health. For them, Christmas is just another reminder of what they no longer have…

Here are some ways that may help:

List your losses – death, divorce, injury, finances, children moving out this year – whatever they are – write them down, Journal. Admit the pain.

Share them – share them with God, maybe with a close friend or seek out a counsellor. Find support in a prayer group. We were designed for community, especially at times like this.

Resist falling into despair – that’s where you live in a false reality that all hope it is gone. It is not.

Take care of your physical body – each well, exercise, and get adequate rest. More important during a time of loss.

Do something for someone else – there are many opportunities during Christmas to help people. Helping other people reminds us that we are not alone, and other people may be struggling too. plus, something about giving encourages positive emotions.

Encourage yourself to participate in social activities – you may not feel like it, but social support is helpful in recovering from loss.

Avoid the comparison game – don’t compare your losses to other people’s losses.

Honour your losses with new traditions – begin some new rituals that will help you reflect on the good things you experience with the person you’ve lost, and also to the developed some new memories.

Learn to worship in tears – God is good – even when it doesn’t seem like life is good – you’re better equipped to face the storms of life.

Christ is the peace of Christmas, and he can fill your brokenness. You can trust him. This Christmas that the Christ of Christmas fill the void and to lawsuit you have in your hearts and life.

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Gratitude

cultivating our awareness and response – Br. David Vryhof, SSJE I have a memory of my fifth-grade teacher asking us to write a short paragraph describing the things in our lives for which we were thankful. I sat for the longest time just staring at that piece of paper. I couldn’t think of a thing for which I was thankful. I was surrounded by gifts, but I didn’t recognize them as gifts, and so I couldn’t begin to express my gratitude for them. I naively assumed that everyone had food and clothing, a loving family and a comfortable home. I was unaware of how privileged I was to enjoy these things on a daily basis, and simply took them for granted. Gratitude springs from the awareness that we have been given a gift. Often this awareness comes upon us in sudden and unexpected ways. We are walking along and suddenly our breath is taken away by the beauty of the autumn leaves, or we are talking with a close friend and suddenly we realize what a gift this person has been to us. We’ve been given a gift: something has come to us from outside ourselves – something unexpected and even undeserved – and our lives have been enriched by it. We feel grateful. This awareness can rise in us suddenly and unexpectedly, but it can also be cultivated. We can develop our awareness, and learn to practice gratitude. Learning to see with eyes of gratitude, becoming more aware of the gifts that surround us on every side, is an ability that needs to be kept alive through constant practice. In the words of Rabbi Abraham Heschel, “The insights of wonder must be constantly kept alive.”  Continue Reading >