Tom Wolthuis

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Good grief

Jan 1, 2025 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

“Good grief!” exclaims Charlie Brown, often when Lucy removes the football from his attempted kick, landing him flat on his back. His exasperation seems oxymoronic. How can grief be good? We all experience grief. Grief is a reaction to any loss, big or small. It can be at the death of a loved one or the loss of a ballgame. I am grieving. I am grieving political situations and conflict in my church denomination, where I previously felt more at home.
Direction corrections

Nov 8, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

The Westminster Catechism opens with “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Is it? In church a few weeks ago, we sang the Chris Tomlin song “Better is One Day,” with the refrain “better is one day in your house than thousands elsewhere.” I agree with the desire to come before God in worship, but I question this evaluation. Is our primary purpose to come before God in worship or to go out from worship in service?
How sinister am I?

Oct 21, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

I am sinister. How gauche! Yes, I‘m left-handed. Both “sinister” and “gauche” mean “left” in other languages (Latin and French, respectively). This reveals the latent prejudices of the past. I did not receive the ruler slap in school for writing left-handed. In kindergarten I told the other kids that the scissors with writing on them worked best. “LEFT,” it said, as I later learned. We see tremendous variation in geography, geology, fauna, flora. There are wonderful differences between and within types.
Whose side is God on?

Sep 30, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

I saw it again; a pastor said God told him his congregation would give him millions of dollars. I heard that a presidential candidate was saved by God’s hand from the assassin’s bullet, with no mention of the retired firefighter killed by the bullet. Was that by God’s hand? I remember an older colleague telling me about being a child in the Netherlands during World War II. The Nazi troops burst into his family home and he saw on the Nazi belt buckle “Gott Mit Uns” (God with us).
Golf basics for your theology

Aug 26, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

“Winning isn’t everything. It is the only thing,” said Vince Lombardi. But in striving to win, the joy of the game gets lost. Play includes merriment and pleasure and connotes fun interaction with others. Churches can help people play theologically. “But it’s not a game.” We have all heard this. I still remember a pastor who went after me during my ordination examination, because I said that one of my goals was to make the reading of Scripture fun.
Fittingness

Jul 8, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

“Fittingness,” surprisingly, is in the dictionary. I learned the word five decades ago in Dr. Nicholas Wolsterstorff’s Aesthetics course. It was key to his definition of beauty. Beauty and society are based on fittingness. We are defined by our relationships; our relationship to God, the world, and each other based on being in the image of God. It is not good for a human to be alone. I have led groups in spiritual calisthenics.
Proclaim good

Jun 7, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

“It’s a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.” Sometimes I cringe when I hear this. Is the Israel-Palestinian conflict fulfilling prophecy? What about the Ukrainian war or recent political chaos? Is the end near? Throughout history, well-meaning believers have tried to understand difficult times with the light of Scripture. End-time claims sell books and get publicity. Consider Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye or Charles Hagy.
Mark's because | Christian Courier

May 20, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

The philosophy exam question was, simply, “Why?” Many students pondered long and wrote much, but one student aced the exam quickly with the answer, “Because.” Why is a profound human question; is because a sufficient answer? The Gospel of Mark ends with the Greek word gar. “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” In Greek, the sentence ends, “they were afraid because” (Mark 16:8).
Jehovah Jireh

May 6, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

“Jehovah Jireh, my provider, his grace is sufficient for me, for me, for me.” Maybe you remember this praise song from the 1980’s. It comes from the difficult, but climactic, story of God’s test of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22. Jehovah Jireh is an expression of trust. In February we started the retirement move. With unknown factors, too little time, difficult moving logistics, costs, and too much stuff, we were overwhelmed.
Give us Barabbas

Mar 26, 2024 | christiancourier.ca | Tom Wolthuis

In the season of Lent, we reflect on aspects of Jesus’ suffering for us. Unfortunately, the story of Barabbas has been radically misused against the Jewish people throughout church history. Barabbas is significant enough that all four Gospel writers reference him. Matthew tells us that he was “a well-known prisoner” and might even give him the first name of “Jesus,” although textual evidence of this is varied (Mt. 27:16).