Sunday, September 6, 2009

Yesterday we received the announcement that our second great grandchild, Cole Ryan Alexander, has joined our family. We are grateful to God for his safe entry into our world, and that mom, Joelle, is doing well. We assume dad is doing OK too!

Our direct family now numbers eighteen souls, scattered from Eastern and Western Canada to New Zealand. Our greatest joy is the close relationship we have with all our family members, despite the geographical distances between us. We have endeavoured to remain in touch on a constant basis, visiting whenever possible and convenient, and our pleasure is doubled as family members frequently take time to be with us.

However, as we enjoy our family closeness, it makes us keenly aware of so many families that are torn apart and are a cause of heartache and pain, not joy. While we are sure that closeness results from the efforts of family members to express their love for each other, that is not the whole story. Many members of families have poor relations with each other in spite of the genuine efforts of one or more of them.

Furthermore, some families have good relationships despite poor performance by some members. We are personally only too aware of our own parental shortcomings when our children were young—selfishness, over strictness and inconsistency—a cause of regret in our old age. And then, of course, there is the heartache caused by loss of family members due to illness or accident. A few days ago, a local young family lost their mother to a blood clot four days after the birth of their third child.

It has been said that we can only plan to be good parents, not plan to raise good children. Children are individuals who will make their own choices often in spite of us as well as because of us. We recall a local family devastated when their beloved but rebellious daughter became pregnant. Fortunately, she is now reconciled to God and her family and married to a fine young man who adores her and her child. But not all tragedies turn out this way.

What are the characteristics of parents that are likely to raise fine children? Here the Bible’s wisdom has something to say. What are the characteristics that God displays in his dealings with his people? God revealed those features—with which we are familiar by being made in God’s image—to Moses in Deuteronomy 34:6 and 7: compassion, graciousness, patience, love, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice.

Do we display these qualities in our interactions with others, members of our own families, and particularly our children? If, as we believe, most character formation is taught by example, then making these the goals of our family relationships will at least lay foundation for probable joy as the family expands.

Tuesday September 1, 2009

Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

It’s been another two weeks since I wrote to you here, although I hope my last entry prepared you for the gap. In fact, this will probably be my last entry as our new website http://norfords-writings.com/ is now up and running and we plan to use that as a vehicle for future blogs. Either way, it continues to be our desire to encourage and build up all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for life and for death. The benefits to life are incalculable, and the salvation offered us has taken away the fear of death.

You may be interested in my latest check up after surgery for prostate cancer, and it came back clear. The urologist indicated that the cancer was unlikely to come back as the tests were negative for cancer and reflected the agressive surgery done to ensure it. I continue to be very thankful to God and those who prayed for recovery. We trust this complete recovery will give us many more years of service together.

Feel free to browse our website, and we welcome your feedback–comments, questions or corrections! For those of you on my emailing list, expect a formal announcement shortly. We will be adding more materials over time as we both have much more for revision suitable for the web. We pray that all who visit the website will be encouraged and assured of their faith.

God bless you all,

Bryan and Ann

Monday August 17, 2009

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1

I am always amused by news reports reporting that a person has committed an alleged crime; why not just say he or she has committed the crime? The simple answer is that the perpetrator cannot be said to have committed the crime unless judged and found guilty! To judge some-one assumes guilt which may or may not be appropriate.

Particularly in conversation, and worse still in print, to judge someone without trial or certain evidence is slander until proven. When it comes to Christian responsibility, God is the final judge for he knows all the facts, which we rarely do. So judging another may not only be false, but puts us at risk of placing ourselves under the same summary judgment.

Yet if we analyse our conversations, probably a large percentage may fall under the category of finding fault with another, especially if it is not taken in face to face discussion with that person. Those conversations fall under the dreadful heading of gossip which is not the pastime of all, but shamefully true of many of us who call ourselves Christians.

Jesus charged us to go to our brother—or sister!—if we have something against them so that the issue might be resolved. Yet even here, Scripture tells us to address the issue by speaking the truth in love. So we must ask ourselves if we really love that person—with all the practical indicators that love requires!

I know my wife loves me, so I can accept her advice or criticism as given for my well-being, but a relative stranger or acquaintance who puts his arm around my shoulders and says: “Brother, I am saying this to you in love . . .” just doesn’t cut it. I don’t know that he loves me, and probably doesn’t, if he has never taken the opportunity to demonstrate it.

But surely it is necessary to judge another’s actions right or wrong to ensure my own integrity? Here it is necessary to distinguish between judgment and discernment. To evaluate another’s behaviour does not involve judging the other’s actions as wrong or right, but whether it is edifying for me to engage in similar action. This distinction is necessary to ensure the growth of our own Christian maturity.

Frankly, I’m glad I don’t have to make the final judgment on anyone else. It is tricky and humbling enough to try to determine that my own motives and actions are consistent with my profession of faith without assessing those of someone else!

Saturday August 1, 2009

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.

A week has gone by since my last offering; my readers are dwindling in number as is my frequency of blogging. You may recall that the original purpose for this blogspot was to keep you up-to-date with my prostate cancer. I appreciated the interest and prayers that your responses showed. I’m still interested in blogging, but there is so little to tell about our life here—it doesn’t change that much, and I’m sure most people are not interested in the mundane details of our daily lives.

Of course, we both have other interests that keep us busy—Ann is back in university, close to completing her Political science degree and I am still busy writing. As some of you know, my second book is in for a competition and we should have a result at the end of this month. But several responses to our first book enquired whether we have a seminar on its contents. So a new idea is born, and several seminar modules, based on themes in the book, are now roughed out. We fervently believe in today’s text, and in particular how Scripture can help put our collective marriages back on track.

All this is to say that both the nature and format of my blogging may change in the near future. Another project I have on the go is adapting a variety of biblical materials produced over a life time for a website which will also be a new medium for these blogs. Blogs will be a variety of social comment—particularly in regard to our culture’s tendency to tear marriage apart, meditations on scripture, or some tid-bits of our or others’ lives that may be of some interest. Watch this space for further developments!

In the meantime, I am happy to report that I continue to feel perfectly good—for my age!—and will have my first cancer check up later this month. I’m sure your many prayers were effective with God for a good and speedy recovery from what turned out to be very agressive surgery. Again: watch this space for more news!

Saturday July 25, 2009

We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7.

I heard an interesting news clip a day or two ago, that Debenhams, a chain of British clothing and houseware stores, are having trouble selling table knives. Three times as many forks are sold in the stores as knives! It turns out that the British are beginning the North American habit of eating with a fork only and not the traditional knife and fork process. I suppose we could argue the merits of a fork only against using a knife and fork, but how do you eat fish and chips with a fork?

It turns out that the fish and chips may be giving way to Indian curry which is easier to eat with a fork. My father enjoyed hot curry, the perspiration standing out on his forehead as he ate, often running out late in the evening for a take home meal of curry or fish and chips. Ann declares that his food intake eventually killed him—he could have lived longer with better food control. Be that as it may, I doubt the queen is considering changing all the silverware hoarded at Buckingham Palace just yet.

All this goes to show the fragility of tradition, and as I noted in a recent blog, life and possessions are very fragile also. That fragility is in sharp contrast to the “treasure” Christians carry within. The certainty of the reconciliation we have with God through the atoning death of Jesus is more like the enduring daily sunrise than the British knives and forks. Those are more like our breakable clay bodies which will eventually go the way of the fish and chips, but our work here will endure and our future is secure because it is anchored in God and not in our own abilities.

Wednesday July 22, 2009

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6.

Life is fragile, and can be terminated at any time by illness, accident, violence or war. We all have to be prepared for that, although I fear the majority of people aren’t. But it is also true that our financial stability is also just as fragile and can be lost by fraud, theft, economic disaster or foolishness. But one thing is certain, laziness or neglect of working or studying for financial security will surely court disaster. This is just as applicable to ensuring a steady income as saving something for retirement.

Today’s text comes from a mostly agricultural setting, where drought, pestilence or disease could wipe out a crop. Even today, there is no certainty that seed sown today will ripen into a crop later. But, implicit in the text is the notion that not planting seed will guarantee no crop! In fact it suggests, as a point of wisdom, that planting a second crop is a good idea “for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”

Ultimately, all these things are in the hand of God. Whether our plans fail or succeed is less important than the promise that God will supply all our needs. Mostly he supplies our need through the natural means of diligence and working. While the Bible abhors laziness and commends provision for one’s family, it is the simple prayer, “give us this day our daily bread,” and his promise to supply it, that is our final security.