L'Abri Canada

The Surprising Welcome of the Gospel: A Look the Ethiopian Eunuch (Clarke Scheibe)

What on the surface seems like just another conversion story in the book of Acts is in fact an epiphany of the wideness of the gospel for the world. It was not only a sign that the gospel was spreading to "the ends of the earth," as far as Ethiopia, it also meant that the Gentiles were being incorporated through Christ. This passage has much to teach us about what it means to more radically welcome people and how we might welcome them into the gospel.

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Forming, Filling, Naming: The Lost Words as Creational Enchantment (Christian Eickenroht)

“Once upon a time, words began to vanish from the language of children.”

So begins the preface to The Lost Words, written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris. Words for childhood like acorn, adder, and bluebell have been replaced with words like blog, bullet-point, voicemail. As this book plays with various genre, through word and image, The Lost Words re-enchants us into a vision of the natural world which is remarkably consistent with a biblical theology of creation. This talk looks at three themes which are central to the biblical account of creation: forming, filling, and naming. Macfarlane and Morris’ playful exploration of these themes re-enchants us into a participatory engagement with the natural world which does not claim mastery, but marvels at mystery—and thereby compels us to orthopraxy in creation-care.

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Sojourners: Understanding Pilgrimmage (Hannah Eichelberger)

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding." (1 Chronicles 29:15) Pilgrimage is a metaphor that lends embodiment and physical imagery to the invisibly felt experience of walking through life seasons, internally and externally. Life is seemingly outstretched like a long weary road and we the travelers, making our way toward a distant destination. We will be taking a look at the symbol of pilgrimage through the Biblical lens, specifically how it is used in the Psalms of Ascent - the Pilgrim Psalms traditionally known for those traveling on pilgrimages to the temple in ancient Jerusalem. What does it mean to be a pilgrim sojourner and what does this symbol reveal about our journey through life, our spiritual seeking, and our desires for a place to belong?

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Jesus: Myth, Failure, or Lord? (Clarke Scheibe)

This talk will look at three views - that Jesus was a mythic creation to mimic the Greek gods, that Jesus was historical figure but a failed prophet that the church has propped up through desperation, and that Jesus was the historical figure who was and is what his followers have claimed, the Lord of glory. 

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Between the Straits: Must a Christian support Israel? (Mark Ryan)

Guest speaker Mark Ryan join us to discuss the complicated relationship Christians have to Israel. He is the director of Sage Christianity, adjunct professor of Covenant Seminary, associate professor of Calvin Seminary, former director of the Francis Schaeffer Institute, and former director of Canadian L'Abri! He walks the tightrope of a biblically informed tension, between full acceptance and full rejection. (The date of this talk was Nov 2025.)

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Reading Providence when God seems absent (Clarke Scheibe)

We are assured in the Bible that God oversees and provides not just for nature and for all of humanity, but for especially his own children. Jesus said we are not to worry for doesn't our heavenly Father love us more than flowers and birds? But what if God seems absent? How are we to "read the signs" that God does in fact care for us? The Book of Esther is informative in this discussion. Nowhere does the author mention God but it is evident throughout the book that God's invisible hand is orchestrating the miraculous rescue of his people. What might we learn about trusting God and reading "providence" when God seems absent? When life is difficult? How might we journey forward trusting that God's promises will be true?

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Holy Silence, Music, and Rest (Jonno Saunders)

Nobody wants constant noise, in music or in life—we need to rest. Rest is a musical term, and in music it's about breathing, embodying the holiness of time, and giving space to others. We'll explore what music has to teach us about rest. Listen carefully!

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

AI and Human Dignity (Dr Frank Stootman)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increasingly advanced such that human intelligence and creativity is easily challenged and superceded by this technology. What does this mean for being Human? Do significant differences remain between Humankind and machine? How can we defend the traditional position that our uniqueness is because we are created in the image and likeness of God?

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

God's Journey with me through cancer (Brett Cane)

Our dear Brett Cane, retired Anglican priest, had an operation for stage 2A lung cancer last January followed by chemotherapy in the Spring and recovery over the Summer. He will speak on his experience and weave it together with the following themes: how God orchestrates his care for us and purposes good for those who love him and how that leads us to trust him, and how we can be thankful in the midst of upheaval and uncertainty and loss and facing our own mortality. 

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020

Meaningless Jobs (Clarke Scheibe)

In recent years, many have expressed the proliferation of meaningless jobs. This goes beyond the burden of mundane tasks. It is the burden of not knowing if most of your working life has any benefit to society beyond the good pay. In this talk, we will look at how people have increasingly reported the sense that their work is meaningless (and potentially harmful), and then at David Graeber's work on the topic, from his influential book Bullsh*t Jobs (2018). Then we will ask if Graeber was onto something and if so, how might the Christian respond with the gospel to a society filled with telemarketers and PR departments.

 

The Copyright for all material on the podcast is held by L'Abri Fellowship. We ask that you respect this by not publishing the material in full or in part in any format or post it on a website without seeking prior permission from L'Abri Fellowship. Also, note that not all views expressed in the lectures or in the discussion time necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship. © Canadian L'Abri 2020