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Tuesday, January 2, 2024

LIKE THE MORNING SUN ... My latest book, released Nov 2023 ... take a look

‘Like the Morning Sun’ illuminates the profound legacy of Mennonite families in Canada. Ron Unruh's family journey unfolds, revealing tales of devotion, tenacity, and unyielding faith. Dive into this historical gem that transcends ten generations. AMAZON LINK


Descendants of Mennonite immigrants from South Russia to the Canadian Prairies will find 'Like the Morning Sun' a charmingly informative read. The author, 81-year-old Ron Unruh, initially sought to leave a record of his life and ancestors for his siblings, children, and grandchildren. A commonality exists between his family story and thousands of others that are rooted in the same socio-religious heritage. The Unruh, Loewen, Doerksen, Fast, and Willems lineages in this book, represent the broader Mennonite community. They are heirs to theology emerging from the Protestant Reformation, particularly the convictions of Anabaptist believers known as Mennonites. Settling in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, these family histories embody lessons of devotion, tenacity, and faithfulness, transcending Ron Unruh's personal narrative. 'Like the Morning Sun,' serves as a rich historical resource, exploring the enduring commitment of Mennonites to faithfulness despite challenges with state churches, other faith traditions, and political leaders from 1500-1900 AD. The subtitle, 'A Personal and Family Spiritual Portrait,' reflects the notable pursuit of ten generations of five families who exemplified the inspirational truth of Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." AMAZON LINK


Saturday, June 17, 2023

MAYBE, MY LAST SERMON

My five grandchildren were all too young to ever hear me preach.

On Sunday June 4 I preached twice @ 9am and 10:45am.
I did better the 2nd time. The recording was of the 1st. Too bad. I had trouble seeing my brief notes in the dim lighting. 2nd time, I fixed that, and I also had more control of my thoughts. 

'SOUND THEOLOGY IS ESSENTIAL FOR LIVING A RIGHTEOUS LIFE' - Backstory: Paul started many churches in Galatia, comprised of Jews and gentiles converted to Christ. Some Jewish Christians couldn't shake their dependence on being justified by works as well. Paul was a by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone theologian. This letter is his attempt to correct their thinking.


And here is the link on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x2P-gS6twc

My sermon begins at the 23 min mark.

I have thought it was my last sermon before. I feel it again. I love preparing, and I am comfortable preaching ... at least I think I do. But I likely do not know myself. Christine says I've been wound up tighter than a drum for one month. On Sunday afternoon I was exhausted; I napped and woke to joint pain all over as tho my PMR was returning. I'm OK, Mon and Tues I am fine. My wiring for the stress is shot perhaps - stress that I create for myself, expecting too much, leaning on my stupid perfectionist bent. 


The best thing for me among so many friends who heard I would be there and who showed up from other churches, were my own 5 grandchildren. 

I'M NOT ALL GONE



I’M NOT ALL GONE (a poem)

 

Though I spent a lifetime providing counsel,

helping people to navigate life.

Don’t ask an eighty-year-old to give advice

in those fields where my knowledge is thin.

People like me haven’t learned to say “No.”

Auto-pilot altruistically kicks in, and

I grope in vain for the off switch.

No lack of self-confidence 

but short-term memory is shot.

Haven’t won Jeopardy any time lately.

No worries, I have Google, my uber intellect.

What I don’t know, I know in an instant.

You ask me for help, you get what I got.

Ask succinctly and loudly, my hearing is gone.

Ask about life, and love and loss,

Those are close to me now. 

If when you tell me what’s going on,

you may see me tear up, ‘cause I understand.

If when you tear up, I hold your hand,

you will sense I know someone who

knows more than Google or AI,

who has what you need if we ask him together.

 

© Ron Unruh, June 2023



 

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

CONNIE

CONNIE

A gravel path winds through the park surrounded by forests of evergreen, alders, and cottonwood. Connie walks to the park every day. Down an apartment elevator, pushing a four wheeled walker, she crossed a busy street, and slowly made her way to the large pond. Her purse and bags of seed purchased at Wild Birds Unlimited were positioned on her walker. Varieties of ducks heard her coming. So did I yesterday. Standing on the far side of the pond, I heard her wheels on gravel before I saw her. 

Ducks on water moved toward me at Connie’s feeding station. 
Rounding a corner, ducks on land followed Connie as she walked toward me, small steps, duck steps. Connie is less than five feet tall, eighty-eight years old, came to Canada fifty years ago, constantly cheerful, an inspiration. Her hands, fingers with severe knuckles bent from arthritis dipped into the seed bag. Ducks from the path waited. Ducks from the water climbed the banks. With her restricted arm movement, she tossed seed toward her friends. To me she said, “Take some, you can throw it farther.” She and I talked in the warming sunshine, looking into each other’s watery senior eyes. We talked about pets. Ducks are her pets now. She used to have two cats. Each lived about eighteen years. She won’t get another cat now. “I’m eighty-eight. Who will look after them?”



Monday, December 5, 2022

MY BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF REVELATION

MY BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF REVELATION

 

John, was the friend of Jesus, gospel writer and evangelist. The purpose of Jesus’ incarnation was so real and empowering to John. He watched Jesus die. He saw him alive again. He saw Jesus ascend through clouds and out of sight. He knew everything Jesus said about the devil and sin and redemption, and the Kingdom were true. He wrote that God loved the world so much that He sent the divine Son, Jesus, so whomever believes in Jesus will have eternal life. 


John heard Jesus alert his followers to the fact that in this world where sin is prevalent, being faithful to God as follower of Christ is difficult and dangerous. John was sent to the island of Patmos as a prisoner of the Roman State. Before Jesus died, John heard Jesus promise that though he was leaving, he would send His Holy Spirit to be with them and in them. Now on the island, John found himself possessed powerfully by the Holy Spirit, as the LORD gave him a vision of the future. We read that this vision contained an immediate message to each of seven churches that existed at that time. Those messages contained commendations, warnings and promises. Since this is inspired scripture from God, the information to the churches is transferable to churches in every age, because evil exists in every age. 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

A CHRISTIAN’S VIEW OF CREATION

The only exclusive timeless spiritual being, Triune God, surrounded by spiritual creatures, angels who worship and serve God eternally, decided to create a species of physical beings, unique, humanity, in whom God would invest a divine similarity. A delicate feature. There would be affinity between God and humanity. To affect this plan, God created a universe of galaxies, and in one galaxy he made one planet suitable to human physical life. Humanity, with this divine resemblance, both genders, should enjoy Earth and wisely govern this jewel of a planet.  God was pleased with creation. Because God knows all things, ends from beginnings, even then God knew humanity would fail to maintain God’s likeness. Sin would interrupt the affinity God had with humanity. Sin changed humanity. Transience and Mortality. God’s penalty on sin. Still God loved this Earth full of people. God’s plan in eternity was to restore this Godlikeness, this affinity in humanity. Restoration would result from God’s greatest of all time demonstration of love. The death penalty would be paid. God determined to take on a human form to briefly reside on planet Earth, then die. God’s eternality would conquer death. Penalty served. Sin’s interruption arrested. God’s prerogative. The benefit to humanity, contingent on individual faith in the efficacy of God’s death. Plus, a promise. Eternal life with God for the believer. It worked. It works.

Friday, November 4, 2022

SHE'S EVERYTHING

SHE’S EVERYTHING

 

She shimmers, still, 

in my eyes, like a star in the wave,

Reflected for only me, no one else around, 

No one in her gaze. 

She is satisfied with me, after all this time,

Though I am not what I was, when I was delighted with myself,

Young and strong and able, and she called me handsome,

Her love, so tight, and me with a future and resolve.

Were she young now, she would pass me by, pleasant old guy.

Instead, she came with me, through all our years,

Or I with her, I’d follow her forever, she’s everything.

She shimmers, all colours of stunning, 

And we’re here together, now, and always, 

I wanted that, for all my life, 

And she, hand clasping mine, squeezes, yes.

 

© Ron Unruh, Nov 3, 2022



Monday, October 17, 2022

'PAYING ATTENTION TO JESUS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING BUSY.'

MEN'S BREAKFAST TALK OCT 15 2022 .. this was a talk to a group of men one Saturday morning. The breakfast was sponsored by CrossRidge Church, Cloverdale BC. 


Luke 10 38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus4 entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

This sounds like a passage appropriate for a Women’s brunch not a Men’s’ Breakfast.  Yet the lesson is not gender specific.


The village that Jesus entered was Bethany. A family became Jesus’ cherished friends. Martha and Mary are mentioned here. They had a brother named Lazarus. This brief anecdote contrasts the behaviours of the two women in the presence of Jesus. It was a big deal to have Jesus visit your house. Martha could hardly wait to feed him, preparing foods and serving him. Mary could hardly wait to be fed, sitting enthralled and listening to Kingdom words coming from the King. Then Martha became annoyed. When she complained to Jesus that Mary wasn’t helping her and asked Jesus to reprimand Mary, Jesus gently told Martha, “Martha, you’re consumed with worries about secondary matters. Mary has made the better choice. I won’t take that away from her.” – But isn’t food important? Martha didn’t ask that. I am supposing natural follow-up questions. Of course, food is important but when that household of guests became hungry, and if Martha had not prepared it, wouldn’t there be someone else who could do it? Jesus could have made something. I mean, Jesus turned water into wine one time, and he turned a boy’s lunch into a meal for a few thousand people. He was not a magician. He was divine. Listen to him. He existed in the beginning, and everything was made by him. He is wise and holy. Listen to him.  

 

Sunday, April 3, 2022

OUR DEAR DAD

Thinking of my Dad. He enjoyed humour. His was subtle. He could make us smile. Like this moment when he was in his early 90’s. My brother Murray tells it as he experienced it. “It was the second to the last year of mom’s life. My patient dad never complained about the complications caused by the late stages of Alzheimer’s that mom was experiencing. She had become rather serious about packing belongings in boxes that she lined up on the bed. Anything and everything could be packed or unpacked depending on the moment. One day upon my arrival at their apartment, Dad asked me if I would like some coffee. I nodded affirmatively and he plugged in the kettle. Of course it was instant coffee but a good brand. I went to the cutlery drawer to fetch a spoon and found the cutlery gone. When I inquired where the forks, knives and spoons were, Dad said nonchalantly. "Oh, Tina must have packed them." Then with perfect timing and humour he added, "It really doesn't matter, she packed my teeth too."

- He left us at the age of 93 on May 1, 2008.   

Friday, March 25, 2022

PEACEMAKER

Is there a person of international influence who can make peace by reconciling Russia with Ukraine? No. Is reconciliation plausible? Achievable? No. The issue is not between Russia and Ukraine. It's Putin vs Ukraine. Makes all the difference. Putin calls his invasionary soldiers, peacekeepers. Euphemism. On War day 29 Putin refuses to have peace-talk with Zelenskyy. Not surprising.