Barrie Church of Christ
345 Grove Street East L4M 2R6 Barrie, ON, Canada

THE WISDOM OF TWO - November 8, 2020 It has been said that there are two kinds of people in the world: late night people and early morning people. I must admit I’m part of the latter group. For most of my life it’s been my habit to go for an early morning run (more of a walk these days). Experts say this goes better when you run with a friend. With someone along to talk to, you can go farther and faster, or maybe just drag each other along (!) One day Solomon thought about ...the labours of man, and wrote, Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. (Eccles.4:9-10). In his day, most people worked on farms and in the fields where it is hard for one person to handle large animals and heavy harvests. Injuries were common, but easier to survive with friends helping out. This is wise advice even for today. Jesus taught his disciples to do things together. He sent them out in pairs (Luke 10:1), and told them to love and care for each other (John 15:12). Jesus Himself was part of the Godhead, always working together with the Father and the Spirit. We are called into fellowship with them, and with other people. While there are many things we must do alone, it is better to seek out others to help you accomplish things, work on projects, and go see people. It’s good to ask others to give you a hand. There are times in life when some people must work in solitude. It was often that way for Jesus on earth. Many missionaries and preachers must labour alone. If it continues too long, the results can sometimes be tragic. It is always best to have the help of at least one other person. Solomon’s concern seems to be for the results when one falls. This means illness, injury or discouragement. These are hard to handle without friends. Whether you’re an early morning person or not, remember the wisdom of two - Tim Johnson

From the Dust to the Infinite - August 23, 2020 In one of the popular songs from the 1980’s, Everybody Wants To Rule the World by Tears For Fears, the opening lyric says; Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back. While it could be easy to dismiss this song as New wave music fluff, if we look at it critically it presents both philosophical and spiritual challenges. It is subtly stating the fact that our consciousness is not created via our own will but of the will of... much more powerful omnipotent being; a greater more overarching consciousness. That being the creator of all life: Almighty God. The second part of the lyric states that there’s no turning back from the decision of our own creation; our life comes with the moral responsibility of moving forward with the gift we’ve been given. To try to move back to a state of non-consciousness is a sort of rebellion against the Creator, we’ve been given life but to reject it in favour of nothingness is simply not a viable option given the rules put in place by life’s creator God. Some may call this unfair, but as the created we are simply not in the position to adjudicate fairness. As it is so perfectly stated in Isaiah 64:8, Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Jon Jackson

Next Saturday/Sunday, Oct 3-4, we are hosting our fall gospel meeting with Bro. Jean Volcy from the Strathmore congregation. If you plan to attend in person, PLEASE LET US KNOW by Friday night - we have limited assigned seating in our auditorium and a dozen more seats available in our fellowship room (where we will stream it to the screen there). Masks are required for in-person attendance. We will also be "streaming" it on Zoom. If you'd like the zoom link for next weekend, please send a message by noon Friday.

From the Dust to the Infinite - August 23, 2020 In one of the popular songs from the 1980’s, Everybody Wants To Rule the World by Tears For Fears, the opening lyric says; Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back. While it could be easy to dismiss this song as New wave music fluff, if we look at it critically it presents both philosophical and spiritual challenges. It is subtly stating the fact that our consciousness is not created via our own will but of the will of... much more powerful omnipotent being; a greater more overarching consciousness. That being the creator of all life: Almighty God. The second part of the lyric states that there’s no turning back from the decision of our own creation; our life comes with the moral responsibility of moving forward with the gift we’ve been given. To try to move back to a state of non-consciousness is a sort of rebellion against the Creator, we’ve been given life but to reject it in favour of nothingness is simply not a viable option given the rules put in place by life’s creator God. Some may call this unfair, but as the created we are simply not in the position to adjudicate fairness. As it is so perfectly stated in Isaiah 64:8, Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Jon Jackson