Our Certainty and God’s Suffering Love Paradox

One of the great promises of God is that he promises a life to come, a life of perfection, joy, peace, no pain, no death, no suffering or bereavement. (Revelation 21:1-4). This promise is one that Christians particularly at certain times need to hang on to, because our current life of course is not always … Continue reading Our Certainty and God’s Suffering Love Paradox

The Church In the Land That Time Forgot

  “The future depends on our capacity to manage change  amid uncertainty” Paul Kelly ____________________________   I read this quote in an article by Paul Kelly in the “Weekend Australian” newspaper recently just after returning from a Sunday church service and I was struck by its relevance to the church. For I had observed once … Continue reading The Church In the Land That Time Forgot

Where Are the Beautiful Feet?

  “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” __________________________ In parting words to his disciples Jesus said “You shall be my witnesses  in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the Earth” (Acts 1:8) . Most church members ‘Get’ the idea of the “to the Ends … Continue reading Where Are the Beautiful Feet?

The Great Salt crisis

I don’t know whether you have noticed it but there is currently what might be called a ‘Great Salt Crisis’ both in terms of quantity and quality. This is not evident by an unavailability of salt at the supermarket, but rather refers to the use of the term ‘Salt’ by Jesus in Matthew 5:13 as … Continue reading The Great Salt crisis

Amos and the ‘Church is Great Today’ Delusion

A friend of mine who lives in Darwin at the ‘Top End’ of Australia had in his back yard a very large and beautiful Mango tree, that is until the day he went outside only to find the tree crashed to the ground dead. The problem, one not unfamiliar to those who live in the … Continue reading Amos and the ‘Church is Great Today’ Delusion

The Day the Atheist Asked for Prayer

‘Coffee with Spirit’ started about two years ago in a Community Centre café where there are always many people present, there for a coffee or snack, or to participate in one of the regular schedule of events in the Centre. The group meets weekly, always at the same time and day. This is so clearly … Continue reading The Day the Atheist Asked for Prayer

It’s Time for the Geese to Fly Again

In Northern Europe, where I grew up, in autumn it is often possible to see wild geese flying south to winter in warmer climes. Recently I was reminded of this when I came across a talk I had given a few years previously in which I used the southward flight of the wild geese as … Continue reading It’s Time for the Geese to Fly Again

Meditation on a Winter’s Afternoon

A wintery leaf-filtered sunlight dapples my study floor. Breeze-waved leaves outside synthesize Sun’s energy into life. Block that light and death moves in. ‘Light’ came into the world to overcome the ugly darkness, to give life, exquisite life of eternal span. But Man blocks the ‘Light’, the Enemy “Blinds the eyes of the unbeliever”. Imagine … Continue reading Meditation on a Winter’s Afternoon

The First Principle is ‘Use First Principles’

Many years ago I was working overseas as an engineer. It was in a country with a very different culture from the western one I grew up in and was educated in. I found that the locally trained engineers were very intelligent, more than myself mostly and very competent. This was true except in one … Continue reading The First Principle is ‘Use First Principles’

It’s Buses and Bus Drivers We Need Not Bikes!

“Is it not time to stop trying to fix the broken bike and look for another form of transport?” This is a quote from letter to the editor of a Church Newspaper a few years ago that I have used in a number of documents because I think it is a useful analogy for one … Continue reading It’s Buses and Bus Drivers We Need Not Bikes!