Morning sunlight dapples forest floor, At Escarpment’s foot, a sparkling Pacific dances in a southern breeze Eucalypt scents the air, Tumbling seaward the Creek burbles with pleasure Kookaburras laugh with joy Collared Doves coo, Magpies carol and Currawongs call, Backed by a Cicada choir God’s creation rejoices and sings unbounded praise for Summer’s morn.
The general subject of this booklet is the Missional Malaise that now infects the whole Australian church landscape. The specific subject is the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, arguably still the strongest part of the Australian non- Catholic Church and thus of broader relevance to the wider church. While the specific focus is Sydney, it can … Continue reading The Missional Malaise – Time for Something Completely Different
The writer of the Biblical book Ecclesiastes, often called ‘The Teacher’, makes the statement that- “For everything there is a season”. (3:1) This ‘season’, as the last year fades and the horizons of the yet untravelled vistas of the new year … Continue reading The Big Why? – A New Year’s Reflection
It’s Christmas. Of course, we don’t have to be reminded of that, the evidence for the season is all around us, at least in terms of parties, holidays, presents, open-all-hours shopping, family gatherings etc. For many, even the majority, those are the things Christmas is about. But is it? For those of us who still … Continue reading All I Need for Christmas is a Telescope – The Right Way Round
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
I have always admired the Missionaries of previous centuries, for example those who took Christianity to the native tribes of Africa in the 19th Century, particularly the Scottish missionary David Livingstone. A major aspect of the challenge faced by Livingstone and others was the need to penetrate a threatening landscape, often jungles full of threats … Continue reading Without More Missionaries We Will Lose
‘Unbounded Church’ is an idea-the idea that the Australian church, if it is to resurrect its mission, needs to be ‘unbound’. That is, it needs to be set free from its current rigid, cumbersome and change-averse ‘Christendom’ influenced forms, structures and mission strategies in order to be – ‘A church as we haven’t known … Continue reading Unbounded Church Gathering 2018
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world” … Continue reading In the ‘Degradation’ – What About the Children?
A baby comes, hours new, a cause to meditate on purpose, meaning and mortality. What is this space between entrance on this mist-like, ephemeral stage (stage right) and our inevitable exit, also mist-like (stage left)? What is Time’s blank canvas given by God’s Grace, and what should we paint upon it? What is our part … Continue reading What Shall I Paint Today?
We had rain the other day, real rain, weighty drops falling as tears from heaven. In the rain a picture of God weeping formed. For surely He must be, weeping that is over this not sun-baked but sin-baked, spiritually dried out land, this erstwhile gospel-shaped country that has been given all the promises of God … Continue reading God Is Weeping
unbounded church 