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Colin Archer: Rationale For Establishing a Spirit of Christ (SOC) Gathering

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 13:33:04 EDT

“To be God’s child means to be in holy conversation with the heavenly Father, to walk holding His hand, and to rest in His Heart for all eternity. This is the greatest miracle that can be granted to a soul: to accept Christ and let Him reign in one’s life. Who possesses my heart?” And a prayer: My Lord and Savior, may everything I do and everything I possess be consecrated to You. Help me so that I may always behave as a child of God.

The earliest days of my ministry and theological formation found me struggling not with questions about: Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? I believe these questions to be practically insolvable and way above my metaphorical pay-grade. Instead, here are the questions that much engaged me...

Colin Archer: Towards Greater Christian and Political Accountability

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:31:47 EDT

Clergymen representing a diversity of denominational backgrounds have been meeting weekly for a number of months for fellowship and to share views about a number of pressing social, religious and moral issues. We speak today as ministers of the Christian Church. We are bound together by love for our Country, the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Members of a community may differ on the role of the clergy in civic and social life. In some Communions (denominations) ministers are expressly forbidden to become actively involved in politics on a partisan basis; for instance, they are told to “stick to preaching”. In other Communions the minister is discouraged, though not strictly forbidden. In yet others, the matter is left to the individual minister...

The Best of all is God with Us

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 11:50:35 EDT

Our small-knit family drew inspiration and encouragement last year, savoring the readings of Jay Cormier, in his: Daily Reflections for Advent & Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope. One of the earliest texts is that of the centurion to Jesus in Matt. 8:8: Lord, I am not worthy the have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.

Cromier says that anyone who has lived with cancer, or has survived a cardiac event or has conquered some debilitating disease will tell you the same thing: every tick of your watch, every second that flashes by on your desk clock, every hour of every day is precious.

Males and Females in Un-communication

Sat, 02 Nov 2013 12:15:39 EDT

You’ve probably heard it many times. "He never seems to listen to me. She’s always changing the subject. Why does he always turn away when I’m speaking to him? Why does she repeat the same thing over and over again, nagging - I’m not deaf, I am listening! He’s always interrupting me, asking for simple instructions. It doesn’t mean that because we don’t go into every single detail of a conversation that I don’t care, I am interested… How many times have I told you that?"

These are classic examples of males and females, men and women in non-communication; in what I prefer to call, un-communication.

It’s a truism; for the most part, men and women talk straight pass one another, with much noise but little effective communication/common-union whatsoever. Maybe we ought to resort to the adage which runs: To say more, talk less...

The Nerve Gas Controversy: An Emancipation-Like Event In The Commonwealth of the Bahamas [August, 15 – 18, 1970]

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:32:54 EDT

An extraordinary thing happened to me personally, professionally and nationally, forty-three years ago, in the land of my birth, four days in August, 1970, ending on the 18th. Looking back reflectively, I now realize that something extraordinary happened too at the international level. It was an emancipation-like event.

Back then, I was a twentyish-year old Methodist minister, married with a young son - another child on the way - pastoring seven rural congregations in the parish of St Thomas, Jamaica; back home, in Nassau, on vacation.