CHARTREUSIAN

Category: Newsletters

  • #47 – Advent 4 – Contentment with who you are

    READ THIS ​One of the peculiarities of the Christmas story is the cast of characters.  Joseph, who we are introduced to only because he is engaged to Mary. Otherwise, he seems to be a manual labourer from a small town in rural Palestine. Mary, a teenage girl, who seems to have nothing significant about her…

  • #46 – Advent 3: Happiness to the World, the Good has Come

    READ THISIt’s that time of year again, when suddenly the word “joy” becomes part of everyday language. After the 26th it will basically return to its 11-month hibernation for most people, but for Christians, it should not. ​ One of the impacts of having a word that cycles through cultural seasons, is that it’s easy for…

  • #45 – Advent 2 – PTSD, Advent, and family road trips

    READ THIS Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? One thing we specifically find hard to wait for is when what we’re experiencing is not what we want. It’s one thing to wait for your birthday to come as a kid, but in the meantime, you ride your bike with…

  • #44 – Advent 1 – I’m Afraid You’ll Have to Wait for This

    Contentment for Advent (seems like there must be a clever wordplay there…but I keep coming back to ConVent…and I’m not quite sure that captures what we’re talking about here) Advent Week 1: I hate waiting ​ READ THIS Normally when I make a statement about something I like or dislike, I assume some people will…

  • #43 – God is in Control (?)

    This is #6 in the mini-series:​Uh, I don’t think so.​Highlighting misunderstandings that have robbed me of contentment. READ THIS Of all the misconceptions we’ve looked at: ‘Blind faith”, Prayer, the Holy Spirit, Sabbath, this idea of God being in control has the most potential for impact on contentment. God’s sovereignty can get into really hard…

  • #42 -God wants us to do _____

    This is #5 in the mini-series:​Uh, I don’t think so.Highlighting misunderstandings I’ve had that robbed me of contentment. READ THIS We love the hero, the leader, the rise-to-the-top story. Movies that capture our collective imagination are seldom about individuals doing small things faithfully -but someone rising to the top. Leading a movement, a revolution, a…

  • #41 – Talking to the Man Upstairs

    his is the Fourth installment of a mini-series I’m calling: “Uh – I don’t think so” examining mis-held assumptions that cause discontentment. ​ READ THIS What an absolutely bizarre way to refer to communication with the creator and sustainer of the universe. Yet, it’s not uncommon to hear people refer to prayer as “talking to…

  • #40 – Father, Son & Holy ….

    READ THIS This is the THIRD instalment in what I’m calling: “Uh – I don’t think so.” examining mis-held assumptions that cause discontentment. One of the bad assumptions I picked up somewhere along the way that perhaps has been the most hurtful, most harmful, was my understanding of the Holy Spirit. I grew up in…

  • #39 – Workin’ for the Weekend

    READ THIS This is the SECOND installment in what I’m calling: “Uh – I don’t think so.” examining mis-held assumptions that cause discontentment. ​ Sabbath The first time we moved to France, one of the things that struck me was their calendar. The French view Sunday as the 7th day of the week, calendars are…

  • #38 – Workin’ for the Weekend.

    READ THIS ​ This is the SECOND installment in what I’m calling: “Uh – I don’t think so.” examining mis-held assumptions that cause discontentment. ​ Sabbath The first time we moved to France, one of the things that struck me was their calendar. The French view Sunday as the 7th day of the week, calendars…