How Grammar reflects Life

In Ephesians 6:18-20 (NIV, emphasis mine), Paul speaks fervently about prayer:

 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." 

A little tidbit of grammar can teach us something about the life of faith: In English we can write in two voices: active and passive. 

We can say, “I helped” (active voice: I am the agent) or “I was helped” (passive voice: I was the recipient).

It turns out that the language of the New Testament, Koine Greek has a third “voice”. It is middle voice. It is used when an action is done by someone or something, but the action strongly affects that someone or something. 

Some verbs in Greek come ONLY in middle voice, such as:

 • I come/I go/ I leave: I end up in a new place, so I am strongly affected by this action 

 

 • I answer: I am part of a conversation and will be affected by it 

 

 • I lie: I decide not to tell the truth, but I will be tarnished by this action 

 • I work: As a podcaster and theology student, Andrew Noble1, has pointed out, working with something as neutral as a shovel has an effect on the worker. At minimum, the worker will develop more muscles, maybe blisters… 

 

 • I pray: I am acting, but I’m also acted upon. We sometimes say, “Prayer changes things.” I’ve also heard it said, “Prayer changes me [the one who’s praying].” 

When Paul asks the recipients of the letter quoted above to pray, he is hoping for an effect on his ministry. At the same time, because of the grammar, he is affirming that the action of praying will also have an effect on them. 

As I thought about this, it is interesting to be me that both praying and working are found in the middle voice. Saint Benedict, who began a monastery 1500 years ago had the motto “Pray and Work.” I think he was onto something. 

We are affected by our labors and our prayers, and even more so when we do them with others for God’s glory. We are changed ever more into the likeness of Jesus together. 

For the past 18 years I worked and prayed together with my colleagues at an elementary school. It has shaped me. I’m grateful to have been part of this endeavor for the benefit of staff, students and families. 

This little Greek grammar tidbit brought it home to me at the close of the school year, and I hope you find it was worth sharing.

Trees and Fountains

There's a description of iconic, remote parts of my home country of Canada that have been joked about for years: "All you find there are trees, rocks and water." I'm actually grateful for these things.

Two of these three are either alive or life-giving. Whenever I visit cities or locations where trees are rare, I feel impoverished at some level.

In January, I took up the challenge of reading one chapter of the biblical book of Proverbs per day. I noticed during this time of focused reading that six of the central chapters each contained a metaphor relating to either a fountain of life or a tree of life.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Prov 10).

The fruit of justice is a tree of life (Prov 11).

A longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Prov 13).

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life (Prov 14).

A healing word is a tree of life (Prov 15).

Understanding is a fountain of life (Prov 16).

Trees and fountains of water are essential to our well-being, as are good words, reverence for God, understanding, and justice. Despite all the hype around stock market performance, AI technology, building booms, military spending, and money making schemes, what we all really need are things that nourish LIFE, physical, relational, and spiritual.

Photo taken August 2017, New Brunswick

May I ask you to join me in orienting yourself to the things Solomon and other writers call trees of life and fountains of life? No need to click or subscribe, to pay or donate. The hard work of being people of goodwill and integrity is what is being asked of us.

Inspired Word for 2026: Walk

My inspired word from 2025, ubuntu, was a daily reminder to build community with others, including those I did not yet know or who I did not know well. I closed the year by going on a walk with someone I had been distant from for several months. I was reminded of all we have in common as we walked and talked together. An ubuntu life helps me see how we are better together. It reminds me that slamming doors or building walls are not the right responses to difference.

For 2026, I settled on a very plain word "walk" for three reasons.

First, walking is a good metaphor for life. Even at a time when people get in a car to go short distances, walking is the way almost everyone gets from room to room in their homes and workplaces. Mobility is a cherished ability, especially when someone is recovering from a broken hip or a torn a ligament in their foot or leg. This year, I want to be conscious of my life as a walk. A walk with God and with the other people placed around me.

A brief stop on a summer hike

Second, walk is a key word in a Bible passage special to my husband and me. "But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have peace with God and fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). By focusing on "walk," I will invest time in my relationship with my spouse, even as we anticipate our 30th wedding anniversary in the fall.

Third, I do enjoy physically walking every day. I don't have a Fitbit to track my steps or calculate the equivalent my daily walking would be in kilometres or miles. Still, I'm motivated to walk to work, to school, run errands (no pun intended), and get fresh air. While walking alone or with a companion, I'm always on the lookout for birds or signs of life in the natural world. Except on the rare occasion when ice pellets are hitting my face, every walk is a delight.

Whole Christmas

  The season of Advent draws together many strands of the Christian story.  We look back at the Old Testament prophecies surrounding Jesus' birth and how they were fulfilled with precision.  We anticipate the second coming of Jesus, an important hope without which our faith would not be whole or complete.  

   Perhaps less common in some traditions, we also look ahead to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even the old man Simeon hints at Jesus' painful destiny before the infant is even two months old, when he says to Mary: "And a sword will pierce your own soul too."  Christians are reminded of this reality of suffering when they take communion during Advent.  Christmas truly is a time of joy, but it cannot be completely isolated from what comes before, after, and that which we still await.

   Two pieces of music that are commonly performed during the Christmas season embody this "Whole Christmas" idea within them.  Incidentally, they were written twenty-two years apart in 18th century England.  

   The first is the familiar anthem "Joy to the World" by Isaac Watts.  Originally this hymn was not written for Christmas, but as a version of Psalm 98.  It does not refer to specific events from the Matthew or Luke versions of the first Christmas. And yet some of its phrases, such as "Let earth receive her king" and "Let every heart prepare him room," do fit nicely with the idea that Jesus came as king and that his coming requires a response.  Alyssa Poblete even suggests that the song is more about Jesus' second coming than his first:

"So why do we sing this song at Christmas? It is clearly a song about Christ’s second coming—when the full expression of his glory will be revealed. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the Christmas story. Or does it? After all, there is no second coming without a first coming." [1]

So, we cannot properly celebrate Jesus' birth without also keeping in mind what things will be like when his Kingdom comes in all its fullness, when the effects of sin will all be eliminated, as symbolized by thorns no longer infesting the ground.

   The other piece of music that helps Christians celebrate Whole Christmas is George F. Handel's Oratorio Messiah.  While he originally wrote it to coincide with Lent/Easter, this rich vocal and instrumental work is not out of place at Christmas.  Beginning with Isaiah 40's "Comfort Ye My People" and ending with the heavenly vision of Revelation "Worthy is the Lamb", Messiah gives us the sweeping biblical story of God's good intentions for humanity.  
   When we see the Christmas story in its whole context, as the songs I just mentioned help us to experience, it also becomes more real.  It is more than just a time to pretend everything in the world is perfect or a season to over-indulge.  Christmas by itself does not work magic.  In the midst of the mess we find ourselves in as humans, we can be assured that God has a rescue plan.  It is a work in progress, and the final ending will be beyond our imaginations!

[1] Alyssa Poblete wrote this on December 22, 2014 in a blog post entitled "Joy to the World: A Classic Christmas Hymn Reconsidered". It is no longer accessible on the Gospel Coalition website.

Things I Learned in Church, Part 7: Promises

In this latest installment of "Things I Learned in Church," I continue to highlight positive things about my involvement in church since my youngest days.

I grew up in a church that emphasized God's promises. When you hear "promises," I don't want you to think of blank checks for health, wealth, and success as are promised to believers in some church circles. 

Photo by Peggy Sue Zinn on Unsplash

More often than not, we used the word "covenant," an old fashioned word that described a deep relationship between God and a group of people. God is the one who initiated these covenants, as described in the book of Genesis, through promises that were sometimes marked by visual displays (the rainbow) or rituals (ceremonies). Covenants between God and Noah, Abraham, Moses and David were not just about individuals. Covenants were made with the whole community in mind. They also included and invited a response.

One of the ancient promises made to the Hebrew man Abraham reads like this in translation:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you;
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; 

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV 1984)

The promise was for Abraham, but it was also for a nation he would found. Beyond that, it was for "all peoples on earth." That's a promise that I receive as someone of non-Hebrew ethnicity. The blessing of a relationship with God came to me through people and events I had no control over. But God's promise, God's covenant is bigger than ourselves.

Because of this covenant concept, some ceremonies in the church I was raised in and of which I am still a part include expression of promises. The promises of God are recited, and the people are invited to make promises in return--to pray for each other and be involved in the faith journeys of others, not just once but on an ongoing basis. This exchange of promises happens when a baby is christened; when a child or adult makes a public commitment to Jesus; and when new leaders are introduced. 

The life of faith is not a solo exercise, just involving the individual and God. Church reminds me that I have a commitment to others, as they have commitments to me. We are a community that looks out for each other and supports each other, putting those promises into effect over our lifetime. Because we're a collection of humans, we don't always get it right. But those promises keep me grounded and linked to God and others.

Prayer for Families- reposted

 This is a prayer I wrote and then spoke about 12 years ago for a special prayer service at the local church I attend.  If you choose to pray it, I encourage you to think of specific people you know that fit the various categories.

Heavenly Father,

   We acknowledge your loving design in placing us within families.  Thank you for the secure environment many of us have experienced in childhood as our parents raised us with an awareness that You are Lord of all.  We praise you for the memories built in our homes and for the everyday conversation we can have over meals and chores.  We are grateful for ways to keep in contact with our loved ones who live far away.

   We confess, Lord God, that our homes do not always exemplify the harmony we long for because we are broken people.  So many pressures threaten to pull us apart, and our selfishness often makes us insensitive to the needs of others.  Guide us by Jesus’ humility and giving nature to care for one another.  Please make us quick to admit our faults and willing to forgive.

   We ask for your nearness on behalf of those who live alone.  May their friends and communities and church families be attuned to their needs.  Make yourself known as their constant companion.

   We pray for parents caring for their young children day and night and through illnesses that require extra care.  Grant them loving endurance and needed rest.

   Please be with families facing worries about the future and finances.  Provide peace of mind and wisdom to move forward in faith, we pray.

   Merciful Father, please give Your special strength to families where there is a heavy burden of care giving.  Please give loving patience to the caregivers and needed support so that they will not be overwhelmed by the task.

   We ask for your grace to be given to single parents.  Their task is enormous, so please show us how we can support and encourage them.

   We pray for couples experiencing the pain of infertility.  Please make a way for them to receive the desire of their hearts.

   Please guide couples who are growing apart.  Give them the courage to seek help and the willingness to work at their relationship.

   For the sake of our witness in the world, Heavenly Father, please strengthen all our homes and families.

   In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Things I Learned in Church, Part 6: Easter People

A church in Europe anticipating Easter, April 2019

It is the day after Easter as I compose this piece. Easter is one of those days that draws people [back] to church. Yesterday, I joined a celebration that brought out all the musical instruments & players that my community of believers could assemble; the hymns and anthems invited everyone to sing along. The good news that "Christ has risen / He has risen indeed" was repeated throughout the liturgy. This one day is the hinge point for the church, and it has been from the beginning.

   

   Reflecting back on my childhood, I can't say that any particular Easter Sunday service stands out in my mind. Part of me wishes I could remember something more specific than the hymn "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" being sung with organ accompaniment and with "Alleluia" punctuating each line. And yet, this annual holy-day made itself felt in other ways.

   That's because my parents made every effort to take us to worship each Sunday. And every Sunday was a mini-celebration of Easter. The fact that Sunday was the day that early believers in Jesus chose to gather together has a direct connection to the "first day of the week," when the women disciples found the tomb empty and heard the angels declare, "He is risen."  The music, prayers and teaching each week direct us to become Easter People, people shaped by the Resurrection of Jesus.

  Call it the hinge, the foundation, or the hub of Christian faith, Easter & the Resurrection of Jesus is it!

  Without the Resurrection, there would be no reason to gather. Without the Resurrection, there would be no assurance of forgiveness. Without the Resurrection, Christian hope would be misguided. Without the Resurrection, prayers to Jesus would be pointless. Without the Resurrection, the unity of Jesus' followers in any form would be impossible. Without the Resurrection, the motivation to bring blessing to others would expire when obstacles mounted. Without the Resurrection, Jesus' call to love one another would sound weak.

  But because of the Resurrection:

• Gathering with others for worship is desirable
• Forgiveness has been secured
• Christian hope is appropriate
• Prayers to Jesus are purposeful
• Unity with other followers of Jesus is viable
• The desire to bring blessing to others has perseverance
• The call to love one another is accompanied by boldness

  If you missed "Easter" this week or this year, it's not too late to catch up on what you missed. The doors are open every Sunday, to meet and celebrate the One who rose again and is alive forevermore. You'll also find Easter People, imperfect humans trying to live out the way of Jesus.