I have only met a handful of lepers, or at least people who had in the past suffered from leprosy. This was in the Top End of Australia where leprosy, a terrible, maiming disease, used to be quite prevalent, indeed Darwin had a leprosarium not far from the city. Leprosy was a very common disease … Continue reading ‘Thankful-or Not?
The Pruning Shears or The Axe
Sometimes church leaders are accused of running the church like a business and being too concerned about ‘numbers’, that is too focussed on attendance figures and not enough people. Together with this they may well also be accused of relying too much on strategies, programs, human ingenuity etc to make a ‘profit’, which in church … Continue reading The Pruning Shears or The Axe
The Last Mountain
One of the worst and most depressing experiences I have had happened a few years ago when I sat at the hospital bedside of a dying man. What made it one of my worst experiences was not that he was dying but that he was dying without God. Here was a man teetering on the … Continue reading The Last Mountain
Cult Spotting and the Venus Fly Trap
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:15 It was recently announced that the controversial show ‘Book of Mormon-The Musical’ is coming ‘Down Under’. What is described as an “irreverent take on the ‘Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” debuted on … Continue reading Cult Spotting and the Venus Fly Trap
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’
‘Ho Hum’ It’s Easter
I saw an article recently about a visitor to Australia who had been diagnosed with leprosy and it reminded me that this terrible disease is still around today in various parts of the world. This was true even more so in Jesus’ time, and for Jews was serious in a way that went far beyond … Continue reading ‘Ho Hum’ It’s Easter
Cheap Grace and the Dumbing Down of Sin
The term ‘Cheap Grace’ was coined by the German pastor Deitrich Bonhoeffer. He was a man who sought to oppose the Nazis in World War 2 and paid for it with his life, being executed by them tragically only a few days before the war ended. Bonhoeffer defined cheap grace as: “Cheap grace is the … Continue reading Cheap Grace and the Dumbing Down of Sin
Tick-a-Box Christianity
For many people life is easier if they just have to ‘tick boxes’ i.e. they just want somebody, or a set of rules, to tell them what to do, so they can do it, ‘tick the box’ and move on. There are also those who like ‘ticking boxes’ in terms of their Christianity e.g. went … Continue reading Tick-a-Box Christianity
The Village
In the ‘Village’ pretty much everyone dressed up and gathered in the church building for the Sunday service. During the week they lived and worked in, or in close proximity to, the ‘Village’, either on the land, or in service enterprises (blacksmiths, coopers, shoemakers etc). This proximity meant that they rubbed shoulders with and connected … Continue reading The Village
