Summer’s sun beats down, January days slip by, schools’ return looms near and down in the forest of parish-land there is the faint rustling of ministers stirring from their summer slumbers. First musings on sermon series seep into the consciousness, music leaders are planning their selections, Sunday school programs call for attention. A seemingly endless … Continue reading Planning to Fail In An Uberized Netflix World
‘Cogito, Ergo Sum’ – Or Maybe I Am Not?
‘Cogito, Ergo Sum’ – But Maybe I Am Not? “Cogito, Ergo Sum”. “I think therefore I am”, is a famous and profound statement made by the 17th Century French philosopher Rene Descartes. His point was that the evidence that he really exists is the fact that he can actually think about his existence! This is … Continue reading ‘Cogito, Ergo Sum’ – Or Maybe I Am Not?
Cross-Less ‘Christians’
"The only man who has the right to say he is justified by Grace alone, is the man who has left all to follow Christ” Dietrich Bonhoeffer It would be an unusual person who has never asked in some way or other the question ‘Why am I here?’ The answer to that question is however central … Continue reading Cross-Less ‘Christians’
The Beast Devouring Mission
One of the aims of the designers of cars, trucks and planes is to make them lighter. This makes them more efficient because less energy, that is fuel, is needed just to propel the vehicle itself and more is available for either more speed, acceleration or a bigger payload. This can serve as an analogy … Continue reading The Beast Devouring Mission
God’s Toolshed
I recently learned that a very large hardware store is planning to open just over the road from our church centre. This will be I am sure a great delight to all congregational members who are DIY ‘Tragics’, you know the people who just love browsing the ‘goodies’ in such a store. I am not … Continue reading God’s Toolshed
The Kingdom of God is Not ‘Respectable’
By definition a true Christian is someone who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), an aspect of whose work is to cause us to become more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). This being the case how Jesus behaved in His earthly ministry should be what we see developing in our own behavior, both … Continue reading The Kingdom of God is Not ‘Respectable’
A Problem With Leadership
The Barbarians are at the gates, the gates of western civilization. The 'Christendom'-founded and shaped civilization we call 'the West', denuded by the leaching out of its gospel underpinnings; its foundation of the Rock replaced by Post modern relativism and so no match for the flood of alternative 'truths' whether liberal humanism, radical Islam or … Continue reading A Problem With Leadership
St Lukewarms- The Concrete Truck with a Holden Cruze Engine
When I was studying civil engineering at university many years ago, one of the requirements of the course was that we got some engineering-related employment in the long summer vacations. So I got a job as a concrete sampler with a ready-mix concrete company. This involved going out to construction sites and taking samples of … Continue reading St Lukewarms- The Concrete Truck with a Holden Cruze Engine
When Church Gets in the Way of the Kingdom
It comes as a great shock to many church members that Jesus rarely used the word ‘Church’, basically only twice. Once when referring to the ‘Rock’ (himself) on which he would build the spiritual eternal community of those who become disciples (Matt. 16:18). A second time when giving guidelines on how to deal with discipline … Continue reading When Church Gets in the Way of the Kingdom
More Straws in the Wind
From time to time it is possible to detect what I call ‘straws blowing in the winds’ of Australian church life. These are indicators of the health, vitality and growth, or otherwise, of the Australian church. Some more ‘straws’ have become evident recently in reports submitted to the recent three yearly General Synod of the … Continue reading More Straws in the Wind
