‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests’. Luke 2:14 (NIV) This is one of the most well known, loved and quoted verses in the Bible, especially at this time of year. However, it is often misquoted (particularly by the media) by leaving out the … Continue reading A Different Kind of Peace
It’s coming up that time of year again. But what time exactly? There are many ways people will answer this question (even if subconsciously) – ‘Holiday-mas, Party-mas, Goodtime-mas, Excess-mas, Family-mas, Spend-mas’ and of course the less preferred (but very real for some) ‘Stress-mas’. Which one (or ones) do we relate most to? These are increasingly … Continue reading It’s the (Insert preference here) Season
Too early for a new Year’s resolution? I suggest not! God is a God of ‘New Things’. A mining of scripture tells us so- For “behold . . . new things I now declare”, “behold I am doing a new thing”, “the new heavens and the new earth which I will make”, “I will make … Continue reading A Paralysis of the New
From time to time I have written about some of what I call the 'Straws' blowing in the winds that are rapidly changing Australian culture. Such ‘Straws’ are indicators of the increasing de-Christianisation of society, paralleled by a rising rejection of, and hostility to, the Church and Christians in general in every aspect of public … Continue reading More ‘Straws Blowing In The Wind’- Or Is It A Gale?
This post is substantially the same as an article I wrote several years ago but I think has even more relevance now. Especially so as we draw near to Christmas when there will be a lot of ‘lights’ festooning houses, buildings, streetscapes and Christmas trees. However, increasingly, rather than symbolizing the Light of Christ “which … Continue reading ‘The Forgetting of Light’
The Cicadas are loud this year. The Gum trees surrounding my property on the Illawarra escarpment overlooking the Pacific are filled with a great chorus of sound. It is as if they are sounding out the joy of the coming King. Even the Kookaburra’s laugh seems to be one of joy and the Mopoke and … Continue reading Tears Falling On Joy
In the Bible we are told that at the first Christmas a bunch of Angels cried out- “Peace on earth and good will to all people, On whom his favour rests” A great promise isn’t? I am sure we could all do with a bit more peace, because there doesn’t appear to be a whole … Continue reading A ‘Different Kind of Peace’
It was after dinner on a Hong Kong evening many years ago now, just before Christmas. I was sitting on the balcony of our apartment in the Mid-Levels of the main island, and looking down over the central business district of Hong Kong below me, known as Central, with the harbour beyond and further beyond … Continue reading The Atheist and the Sledgehammer
I entered the large shopping complex and there He was, front, centre and large, enthroned in his palace. There He was, ‘the reason for the season’. The One who is always encouraging the children to come to him, and woe betide anyone who want to stop them. They know (for they have been taught) that … Continue reading ‘He is stolen and it is not harmless!’
It is 41 years since Cyclone Tracy hit the northern Australian city of Darwin, on that momentous Christmas Eve in 1974. The Christmas festivities were well underway as that massive hurricane moved over the Arafura Sea and then in the darkness made its final and unnoticed turn, and with 300 kph winds churned its way … Continue reading The Eye of the Storm
unbounded church 