John van de Laar

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK What do we mean when we speak of Jesus as Messiah and Saviour? There are so many meanings to these words that we need to [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK A word that is often associated in the Bible with God’s salvation is “mercy.” Writer and poet Calvin Miller once defined mercy as “giving a [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK This week the Lectionary readings are all about God’s salvation. Whether it’s Joseph bringing God’s salvation to Egypt, or Elijah receiving God’s visitation and the [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Meals have always been important in God’s activity in the world. The Exodus was remembered through a special Passover meal, the people of Israel were [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK The word ‘obedience’ carries a lot of baggage for many of us. We may remember harsh teachers, parents or ministers who threatened us with pain [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Where do you place your hope? If we view the world through the lens of our society’s values and goals, we probably hope for quick [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Sometimes it feels like God has gone silent. We may feel, at times, that we don’t know how to hear what God is saying to [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK It is always tempting to frame God’s invitation in the terms of human systems of power, comfort, and knowledge. But, when we do this, we [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK Hospitality is described in the New Testament as a spiritual gift. This may lead us to believe that it is only required of those to [...]

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK We all face moments of decision when we have to choose whether to preserve our lives through silence and compliance, or to endure ridicule, persecution [...]