It’s Christmas morning, early. The Cicadas swarm the Eucalypts and their chorus is already very loud. They are joined by Kookaburras, Koels, Friar Birds and even carolling Magpies. It is as if the whole of nature is praising God on this special morning. One of the images that often comes to my mind on this … Continue reading The Thinnest Place
It is 46 years since Cyclone Tracy hit the northern Australian city of Darwin, on that fateful Christmas Eve in 1974. I always remember that event at Christmas time because it was that storm that brought us to Australia in the first place, to work on the reconstruction of Darwin. On that night, the Christmas … Continue reading The Eye of Peace
‘He is stolen and it is not harmless!’ _____________ 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 … Continue reading ‘The Stealing of Christmas’ Revisited
Christmas Dawn - A Hush Even the Birds are silent – Awe A Hush except for a Clock – Ticking Ticking away Time – Created Counting out our lives – 'Finite' Between Eternity and Eternity -a Mist But this morn the ‘Finite’ awaits- The ‘Infinite’ comes Comes to a Manger - for a Cross Comes … Continue reading The Infinite Comes
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
This Christmas Time the World is Dark. Dark powers rend society’s fabric, destroying what binds, like termites in the base, so the centre does not hold. Leaching Gospel glue, Darkness descending, cloying minds. Ignorance of the Divine schema allows decay and degradation rules. Stealing children’s childhood and adults’ minds. ‘Grown ups’ in school, lecture hall … Continue reading The Encouraging Light
‘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
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
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 