DKS
Chocolate's dark side gives reason for pause
Posted on: 04/22/2014 20:22
With the impending closure of Wondercafe, I have moved mby blog to Google. You can follow it here: http://dshearman.blogspot.ca/
DKS
Eood banks pick up where others leave off
Posted on: 04/14/2014 07:25
Why do we have food banks? It’s a question a lot of people ask.
There was a day when we didn’t have food banks and it’s within my living memory.
What changed?
Some new research by a researcher at Sheffield University in the UK shows a clear connection between social assistance payments and food bank use.
DKS
Are election reforms fixing what's not broken?
Posted on: 04/07/2014 08:11
Have you ever seen election fraud in Canada?
I have never seen it, but I have heard of it.
One of my family stories involved my grandfather, a provincial election, and the province of Quebec.
Many years ago, my grandparents were one of six English families who lived in the Quebec village of St. Eustache, outside of Montreal.
DKS
Pastor Fred Phelps died this past week.
Posted on: 03/31/2014 19:23
Pastor Fred Phelps died this past week.
That name may not be familiar to you, but I am sure his church is. Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.
Phelps and his church had their main claim to fame through picketing and protesting the funerals of soldiers who had died in combat in the US and especially through their hatred of people who are gay and lesbian. They used as a rallying cry the phrase “God hates ____” and used a derogatory name.
DKS
There are times for privacy, especially in charitable sector
Posted on: 03/24/2014 07:00
A church I once served did a building project to make the church accessible.
It was no easy task.
The building was historic; there were some unique architectural details to be considered.
And then there was the pipe organ. Pipe organs and construction do not go well together. At all.
Running alongside all of this engineering work was the fundraising. And it was a major task. The total project cost was well into six figures.
We did everything; government grants, fundraisers and, of course, pledges from church members and the community.
DKS
What attitudes would Homeless Jesus reveal?
Posted on: 03/17/2014 16:07
Last fall I told you about a statue in Toronto, at Regis College, called “Homeless Jesus”. It’s a life sized bronze statue of a man laying on a park bench wrapped in a blanket. The only way you might gain a clue to his identity is that his hands and feet are pierced, as Christ’s were on the cross.
DKS
Church gun giveaway wrong a couple of ways
Posted on: 03/10/2014 08:23
So a Baptist church in the American state of Kentucky is giving away guns as door prizes in hopes of attracting more converts to Jesus Christ.
Can someone tell me what’s wrong with that?
Over the years I have seen many inducements used by churches to bring people into their buildings. I have seen magicians, balloon and aeroplane rides. I have seen food used as attractant. And I have seen giveaways of all kinds from pens to iPods. But I have never heard or seen of guns used in this way.
DKS
American Idol sees role for chaplain on show
Posted on: 03/03/2014 09:26
I admit to being an occasional fan of American Idol. The spring and summer season talent contest brings out both the best and the worst in entertainment. The audition shows are filled with the truly awful, unintentionally horrible and, through the skill of editing, some raw, uncut gems of singers who move on to the final 31 and then final 13.
It all comes down to one last show where the top of the group compete. Some are completely forgettable.
Others have gone on to respectable careers in the entertainment industry.
DKS
Who has courage to follow Utah's homeless lead?
Posted on: 02/24/2014 08:31
The American state of Utah may have found the solution to homelessness. It is hard to believe, but the evidence points to a simple, counter-intuitive idea that simply works.
Homelessness is a serious issue across North America. In the U.S. it is believed that 1.75 million people are on the street each day.
DKS
An explanation of church membership decline
Posted on: 02/18/2014 08:58
If you want to start a discussion, ask why the number of people in the pews of the main line churches in Canada, and especially in the United Church, has declined precipitously since the 1960s.
The usual answer you will hear most often is that churches have moved away from God and have taken on a larger role in politics or made decisions which people disagree with.
Search
