The cultural principle needed for our 21st century mission to local communities can be summed up with this slogan – ‘Their place, Their style, Their language, Their time’
Principles – A Case Study
Easter and the Naked Emperor
As we celebrate receiving the benefits of the exquisite love-borne agony of the Cross, we should remember that the reception of that gift requires signing up as a ‘Soldier of Christ’, and soldiers must fight!
Tears Falling on Beautiful Feet
Easter is a certainly is a time to laugh and dance with joy in what Jesus did for us, but it is also a time to weep Jesus’ tears for people like Jack, our family, friends, colleagues who have rejected Him.
Hope and the Paradox of the Cross
Every now and again something happens that can jolt us out of our entrapment in the busy-ness of our lives; lives that are self-focussed on mostly small things and worries many of which generally don’t come to pass. This can happen when some event or incident drags us into the reality of what is actually … Continue reading Hope and the Paradox of the Cross
The Easter Mirage and the Missional Malaise
So Easter has passed once more. The most important time in the Christian calendar as we rehearse what has been described as the ‘greatest story ever told, about the greatest offer ever made by the greatest person who ever lived’. The media reported thousands filling Easter services supported by pictures of crowded churches, as would … Continue reading The Easter Mirage and the Missional Malaise
A Forest of Kingdom Outbreaks
In 'The Man Who Planted Trees, Jean Giono describes his experiences that flowed from a chance encounter with a Shepherd when he was on a walking holiday in the French Alps. He recounts how after about three days of walking he came to a barren and colourless stretch of land where almost nothing grew and … Continue reading A Forest of Kingdom Outbreaks
The Resurrection and the Outbreak of War
I woke up on Easter morning, the day of all days when we celebrate the resurrection of the Christ the Son of God, the greatest event in history. It is the day we rejoice in God’s victory over sin and death, the forgiveness of sins, the removal of our guilt and the promise of eternal … Continue reading The Resurrection and the Outbreak of War
Science, the Bible and Faith
There has been much discussion in recent times regarding the concept of intelligent design: i.e. the claim that there are aspects of the universe which are far too complex for them to occur without being deliberately designed. This has generated a hot debate about what should be taught in schools, should children learn just the … Continue reading Science, the Bible and Faith
A Dangerous Delusion
I have written previously of the fact that I believe in the church we have a Crisis. I use this word in the sense that we are at a point in the life of the church in Australia when we will go one of two ways, continued decline or revival, in the same way as … Continue reading A Dangerous Delusion
Choices
She was blessed- Good home, parents loved her, provided for all her needs. A good school doing well, headed for uni for sure, life looked set. Then Oh fateful day! A party, A ‘cool’ guy, A relationship, first of a long line of very bad choices. Oh choices. What they do to us! He was … Continue reading Choices
