Many churches quite rightly place a high emphasis on what is often called the “Great Commission” as an essential part of their Mission Statement. That is Jesus instruction to his disciples to “Go and make disciples” as we read in Matthew 28:19. This mission component usually results in a significant effort to make disciples by … Continue reading The ‘Great Commission’ Without the ‘Great Permission’
The Kingdom and the Darkness
A year or so ago I visited my great grandmother’s church. A very old stone building set in a stonewalled, grave-filled enclosure in an English hayfield. Weather-faded headstones spoke of centuries of ‘saints’ that had walked this place. But it was on the inside, in the cold, small space of worship that the ‘overwhelming’ happened. … Continue reading The Kingdom and the Darkness
‘Blowing in the Wind
“The Wind blows wherever it pleases, You hear its sound but you cannot tell Where it has come from or where it is going” As I write this I am sitting on my patio listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the Gum trees around my house. The sound varies with the … Continue reading ‘Blowing in the Wind
The Gate of the Year – A Reflection
We have just stepped through the gate of the new year. The blank canvas of 2017 lies before us. What will we paint on it? What tapestry will we weave as we journey through that space of time? Every year at this time, I am reminded of the poem written by British poet Minnie Louise … Continue reading The Gate of the Year – A Reflection
Communication Equals Transmission Plus Reception
‘‘We need to learn to speak in the ‘Vulgar’ tongue to ‘Vulgar’ people’ Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (in his preface to the ‘Great Bible) In these 21st century times the church faces the challenge of doing mission to its own culture, a culture (I have described in another article as ‘Morphtopia’) in which there … Continue reading Communication Equals Transmission Plus Reception
The Morphtopian Odyssey
It was hard to believe but there it was on the news. A new and previously unknown civilization had been found in the depths of the South American jungle. The people who discovered it named it ‘Morphtopia’. On hearing about this new people group mission organisations decided to make it a priority to send missionaries. … Continue reading The Morphtopian Odyssey
‘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 stop them. They know (for they have been taught) that … Continue reading ‘He is stolen and it is not harmless!’
Kingdom Outbreaks
There is a scene in C. S. Lewis story of the ‘Horse and His Boy’ in the Narnia series, where the lost, friendless ‘boy’ Shasta journeying on a very unruly horse through deep darkness with tears rolling down his face, has a terrifying experience when he suddenly senses- “That someone or somebody was walking beside … Continue reading Kingdom Outbreaks
Don’t Mention the War!
The Cunard ship the Queen Mary was a floating palace when it started to carry the exceedingly rich across the north Atlantic before the second world war. It was fitted out in the most opulent and sumptuous manner, with the finest materials that money could buy, with staterooms that were fit for a King. Then … Continue reading Don’t Mention the War!
Multiplication is a Many Splendoured Thing
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian population is growing at the rate of 1.5% per year, whereas church attendance is in significant decline. It is true that in some areas (e.g. the Anglican Diocese of Sydney) attendance is so far keeping pace with population growth, however, this is mostly due to what … Continue reading Multiplication is a Many Splendoured Thing
