In the Way with Charles St-Onge

The Ascension of Jesus can be seen as him “leaving us behind” to go and take on the “big job” in the heaven. He’s moving on to bigger and better things, which means he’s leaving us behind. But if that’s what’s happening, why would Jesus also promise that he “will be with us always, even to the end of the age?” Can Jesus leave and yet not leave at the same time? Support the show Visit us at inthewa...

In John 5 we read of Jesus healing a paralyzed man. Why only this one man, and why only now, when there's a festival going on in Jerusalem? Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

On the night in which we was betrayed, Jesus gave a new commandment rooted in the new covenant: "Love one another, as I have loved you." The love one another part is not new. What makes it new is the addition of "as I have loved you." How exactly has Jesus loved us, and what does that mean for our love for our neighbours?  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspem...

Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:25-28, ESV) Support the show Visit us at inthew...

On May 27, King Charles III will give his speech from the throne to open Canadian parliament. But in the Revelation to John, the elder sees a far more critical "throne speech."  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

In an age of passwords, locks, and authentication codes, Jesus holds the most important key of all. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Christ is the rock on which we can build our lives. On Easter, we learn that his promises and work can be trusted since God raised him from the dead.  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Humanity is torn down to the ground at the cross. We are revealed to be the sinners we are. Cowards, like the disciples. Helpless, like the women on Golgotha. Indifferent, like the crowds. Self-righteous, like the religious leaders. Cruel and callous, like Pilate and the soldiers. A good and all powerful God should fix this. But “fix” means to start over. Everything must die.  Including God's...

Is it Maundy or Holy Thursday? Is there a difference? Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Jesus urges us to build our lives on his promises. He has saved us and will raise us up: what is their to worry about? Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

The Lord is bound and determined to have fruit from his vineyard, even at the cost of the Son's life, and the Spirit's work in resurrecting dead tenants to become something new. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

The parable of the prodigal son is really about three people: the younger brother, yes, but also the older brother and the father. The character of the brothers reveals how sin works in our lives; the character of the father reveals the extents to which the Lord will go to reconcile us to him and to each other.  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

The Lord allows us to sin against each other, and for creation itself to visit evil on all of us, that some of us might repent and turn to him and each other in forgiveness for the sake of Jesus.  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Aesop's Fables are a collection of short, allegorical stories, often featuring animals, that teach moral lessons. You know who loved Aesop’s fables, and even translated them so more people could read them? Martin Luther.   Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

The prophets of God have often met with him on mountaintops. But the Lord has always done his best, saving work in both physical and metaphorical valleys. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

What makes for a mature Christian? Our Gospel lesson from Luke 5:1-11 and our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 6:1-8 give us some good direction. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Relections on 1 Corinthians 13. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Canada has it's speeches from the throne, the US it's inaugural addresses, but Jesus sets out his agenda as king in Capernaum by quoting the prophet Isaiah.  Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

Luke’s Gospel can be read in many ways. A Gospel of reconciliation, a Gospel of mercy towards the least. But it is also a warning. That the Lord’s wisdom is often never appreciated until it’s too late. Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

If there are any outstanding models in the Scriptures of patience, surely they would be Simeon and Anna. Both spent the better part of a lifetime waiting for the consolation of Israel. What enabled them to show such patience? What can we learn from them about faith in the Lord's promises? Support the show Visit us at intheway.org or stjohnspembroke.org . 

All of the best fantasy fiction books move from light to darkness to light again. Star Wars contrasts the light side of the force with the dark shades of the Death Star and Darth Vader. The Lord of the Rings contrasts the lightness of the world of men with the darkness of Mordor, the domain of Sauron and his legions of Orcs. In the Harry Potter series, school headmaster Albus Dumbledore speaks the...