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We actually need a reformation of Christianity so our institutions better reflect the intention that was always meant to define them
As I write I am sitting aboard the Spirit of Tasmania II after a whirlwind visit to Victoria to celebrate my daughter’s 22nd birthday. We came across on Tuesday evening and spent much of Wednesday driving as we visited the Mornington Fusion centre where we had lived for five years before travelling up to Bendigo to be with Maddi. Seeing my little girl now all grown up and returning to Victoria, where I led the Fusion team for five years put me in a reflective mode, particularly in light of what I have been thinking about as I prepare for Sunday. There has been a lot written about the church…
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Heaven on Earth, we need it now. I’m sick of all of this, hanging around.
It’s interesting to search for “Ephesians 4” on this site and very quickly you discover just how much God has brought me back to this book, and this particular chapter since I started writing. This coming Sunday I will be launching the series by doing an overview of the profound vision that Paul paints in the first three chapters. I was privileged to share a sermon series both in Canada and at my church in Hobart that explored this one chapter. The central idea of the whole sermon series was that Paul’s vision of the church is radical in the proper sense of the word.
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The baby born in Bethlehem invites us to reconsider our whole lives and re-orientate around who (not what) truly matters.
I love Christmas. I know its commercialized. I know that the reason for the season is going missing for many, but I still love this time of year. I love the promise and the idealism of Christmas. I love that for a few days people hum tunes about peace on earth, joy to the world and snow (even in countries where there is no snow). Most of all I love that for a few days, life priorities get rearranged. For a few days, it is our relationships that get the most attention. Family gets visited or skyped, meals are savoured and gifts are given. Even pain associated with this time of…
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There is a good chance that the majority of people who call themselves Christians don’t understand the significance of Jesus’s death and resurrection.
In moments of disaster we are reminded what a good person looks like.
Sadly, we have seen Christians on both the left and right wing, being more influenced by their culture than by the gospel.
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It is as we reflect on ISIS that we can see just how confronting, and in fact disturbing, Jesus was.
Every week there seems to be a new example of a world descending into new levels of craziness. I have avoided videos and pictures of the extreme violence of ISIS because it revolts and bewilders me. How can one person do that to another? At the moment the news media is picking over the events surrounding a mass shooting in San Bernardino, which seems to have been inspired by ISIS. Whether it was the line of men slaughtered on a beach, the Paris shootings and bombings or this most recent attack, thing like this are so hard to understand, there is nothing in my current worldview that can make sense…
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A healthy church doesn’t fit into business as usual… it sets an agenda that changes every aspect of life.
You think you make your own decisions, but actually that is very rarely true.
I might not love everything that Mike Pence stands for, but I’m impressed at his self awareness and choice to recognize his own limitations.
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The Gospel according to Bono
Regular readers of Faith Reflections will know that one of my heroes is the lead singer of the band U2, Bono. On the weekend I came across an excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. It seems clear that he has both thought and read widely, and perhaps been particularly impacted by the work of C.S. Lewis and Philip Yancey in the way he unpacks what he believes. I found what he had to say helpful, so I edited out the voice of the interviewer and simply let Bono’s words speak for themselves. Have a read and see how you are affected:
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Gravity and Grace
It looks like we will have a bit more space at this Arrow Residential which I really appreciate. In the midst of catching up with the people who are here, I’m also hoping to get more work done on my book which needs to be completed in a month. Last night George Savvides came and spoke about leadership which I really appreciated. George is one of the people I admire because he is able to talk from personal experience about leading in the midst of very complex situations. George spent a little bit of time talking about the gravitational field of self absorption or the vortex of vanity, two ways…
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Is sex before marriage ok?
It is important not to sentimentalise the baby born in Bethlehem, but to recognise him for who he is: the instigator of a revolution of love.
Good Friday is a reminder of a completely different approach to life… a life that actually produces life by being willing to die…
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Peace on Earth
Merry Christmas? I do love this time of year.. there is a sense of anticipation in the air at our house as the kids try not to speculate too publicly about what presents they might get. There is also that sense of pre-Christmas madness as we host the Christmas lunch for the first time and somehow the house needs to move towards some semblance of order. The more I connect with others, and the more I am aware of my friends in other countries however there is a stark reminder that Christmas isn’t the same for everyone. In fact, the idealism of Christmas sentiment seems out of place in the…
