revandrewjensen

Ask Andrew 3 (2018): God the All Powerful and All Good

Question: How can God be all powerful and all good at the same time? There are some hidden assumptions in this question: One could be: if God is all powerful and all good, then God would prevent bad things from happening. For example: someone like Hitler could never come to power and commit genocide; thereContinue reading “Ask Andrew 3 (2018): God the All Powerful and All Good”

Ask Andrew 2 (2018) Time to Be Holy

Question: What does it mean “Take Time to Be Holy?” Aren’t we always supposed to BE “holy?” No one is perfect . . . can we be “unholy” sometimes and still be a good Christian? (Dave’s postlude filled my head this morning). Hymn Reference: “Take Time to Be Holy” by William D. Longstaff (c. 1882)Continue reading “Ask Andrew 2 (2018) Time to Be Holy”

Ask Andrew 1 (2018): Jesus’ Women Disciples

“Ask Andrew” is an annual opportunity for members of Knox to ask questions of faith and religion. Andrew answers them in the Sunday morning service, and now in this blog. Enjoy! Ask Andrew 1 (2018): Jesus’ Women Disciples We hear about the male disciples. Were there any female disciples? The short answer is: Yes! JesusContinue reading “Ask Andrew 1 (2018): Jesus’ Women Disciples”

Gone but Not Forgotten

It’s time for a rant. I’m getting really tired of having all Christians lumped in together with the literalists, the fundamentalists and the creationists. Too many people who embrace secularism don’t see the distinctions within a faith. The recent remarks by Julie Payette, our Governor General, underline this. I would have less trouble if sheContinue reading “Gone but Not Forgotten”

A Change of Heart

Remember Joseph and his Amazing Coat of Many Colours? (Note how I carefully avoided copyright violation there?) Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, after briefly plotting to murder him. Over the following years, Joseph was a slave, a wrongfully convicted prisoner, and a dream interpreter to the king, which finally led him toContinue reading “A Change of Heart”

The New Gentiles: Peace in a Multi-Faith Age

We humans are good at the game of “us and them.” We set ourselves apart from each other, often without much conscious thought. It’s not surprising. Learning to distinguish differences is a necessary human skill, and we make a point of teaching it to our children. Remember the Sesame Street song “One of these thingsContinue reading “The New Gentiles: Peace in a Multi-Faith Age”

One Christian’s Response to Donald Trump’s Election

The election of Donald Trump has stirred up a hornet’s nest. One thing that particularly struck me was listening to parents say: “what shall we tell our children? We teach them not to be bullies, and now a bully has been elected to the most powerful office in the world.” This question is a wake-upContinue reading “One Christian’s Response to Donald Trump’s Election”

Brexit Reflections

Brexit Reflections First Lesson: Exodus 22:21 You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Second Lesson: Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that theContinue reading “Brexit Reflections”

The Right to Die

“Ask Andrew” is an annual opportunity for members of Knox to ask questions of faith and religion. Andrew answers them in the Sunday morning service, and now in this blog. Enjoy! Ask Andrew 3: The Right to Die Q: Given the current discussions on Right to Die legislation, does the United Church have a positionContinue reading “The Right to Die”

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

“Ask Andrew” is an annual opportunity for members of Knox to ask questions of faith and religion. Andrew answers them in the Sunday morning service, and now in this blog. Enjoy! Ask Andrew 2 (2016): Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Mary, the Mother of Jesus, or the Madonna, is venerated in the beliefs or dogmas, devotions,Continue reading “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary”