With regularity, I find that sceptics and others who are eager to debunk Christianity will find something that from a human point of view is highly improbable and use it to support their ongoing unbelief and in some cases outright hostility against Jesus Christ and His teachings.

The objection that has been getting a lot of mileage ever since Tom Harpur’s book, The Pagan Christ hit the bookstores has to do with the alleged similarities between a lot of the older mythical gods of the Greeks  and Egyptians and Jesus Christ. “Because some of the events are similar, and because there isn’t a whole lot of evidence of Christ's existence,” they say, “the existence of Christ must be placed in the same category of myth.”

Our ministry of Compassion allows those who attend Westmount Park Church to minister and be of service to one another in times of need.

Under the leadership of the Pastor, the congregation is kept informed of those asking for prayer.  This information is sent to those “on-line” by computer or by our telephone prayer chain.  Our present co-coordinators are Fred and June Visser who can be reached through the church office. Volunteers bring encouragement and love when visiting the sick and the shut-ins and, if needed, meals would also be provided during difficult times. A member of the Compassion Committee sends cards of encouragement on a regular basis.

The majority of people today will admit that they are spiritual. Many are quick to add, "but I'm not religious." In fact, some hate religion passionately, but are absolutely certain they are spiritual. Indeed it has become fashionable for people to say "I am spiritual, but not religious." What "spiritual" means is not immediately clear. It could mean having an interest in yoga, séances, meditation, 12-step programs, astrology, channelling an entity named Ra or a belief in Mother Earth.

Here are some attempts at a definition from real people in a chat room.

In reading the blogosphere, the places I stop and read the most are Christian websites that have a reputation for linking me to great resources or those who make their research available for lesser scholars like myself. Being a part of the Reformed tradition myself, (okay, I am only a four-pointer, much in line with Calvin himself ) I see a lot of blogs and websites that are written by those who are solidly reformed. I have one rather strange observation to make.

There are a good number of otherwise great Christians out there who are all claiming to be the chiefest of sinners. I get that there can be a plurality of chiefs. But there can only be one “chiefest of sinners”, and seeing as St Paul coined that phrase a couple of millennia ago and applied that title to himself, all other ‘chiefest of sinners’ are frauds – a sin they can add to their long list.

Seriously, I understand that a thorough reading of the epistle to the Romans and the Institutes of John Calvin will teach us to know ourselves and to understand just how lost and depraved we are, apart from the merits of Christ. I have no qualms with anyone experiencing levels of humility that rival the height of a snake’s belly in a deep pit, or experiencing the significance of an earthworm or gnat. But there is always a sneaking suspicion niggling in the back of my somewhat cynical mind that someone describing himself in this self-deprecating way is really competing for the top prize for piety. I think it’s quite okay to be honest and to tell people.. “I’m a total mess. That’s why I need Jesus.” But it all begins to sound silly when we start competing over the question, “I’m a bigger mess than you are.” What’s the point in that?

Yes, let’s strive to be humble, but lets not self-consciously talk about the levels of humility we have attained. Like any other communicable attribute of our Lord, when we take our eyes off of the object of our faith and focus on the fruits of our faith, we’ve missed the point.And at that point, at least, we have created an idol.

As I look back on this morning, I notice that several small squabbles took place in our home. They were nothing serious; this level of quarrel-lite happens frequently, I must confess.

1. I was reading my Bible on the couch. My daughter wanted to watch the morning news. My dear wife was trying to talk to me over the noise of the TV. I experienced frustration. I didn't listen to her, telling her I was reading. I took my laptop, exasperated, and went off into the reading room to avoid the TV and to finish reading in silence and solitude. A voice whispers in my head, "Aren't I the holy one this morning?"

2. We have three cars in the driveway, all in a row. My wife needs to leave for work, but her car was at the top of the driveway. All three of us have a different agenda and schedule. Again, the tension levels rise, as everyone's different agenda comes to the surface and manifests itself. One is the middle of some makeup artistry in the bathroom, the other (me) is lost somewhere in Israel's theological problems in the book of Isaiah. But we all reluctantly plod out to our cars, start our engines, and exit the driveway in order to let Carole get to work on time.