One of tomorrow’s texts, Romans 7:15-25a, contains Paul’s self-revelation of the battle within. Like all of us, he so often fails to achieve the high ideals that he’s sold on. Woe is him! But it is his faith in Christ that rescues him from despair. Nevertheless, the reality Paul describes readily attracts the label “hypocrites”Continue reading “Battling the self within…”
Category Archives: Ministry
Fallout from today’s harangue
Well, no-one said that preaching on Genesis 22 would be easy – YHWH tests Abraham’s faith by calling on him to sacrifice his son Isaac then stops him mid-strike of the knife. The story contains all the things that shock and offend modern sensibility. We find it almost impossible to get beyond the ancient patriarchy,Continue reading “Fallout from today’s harangue”
God sanctioned infanticide?
Genesis 22:1-14 is one of the texts up for tomorrow. Although I’d rather spend time on Matthew 10:40-42, the call of YHWH on Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice is the one that will have everyone asking questions. “What sort of a God would ask this of a parent?” we ask. TheContinue reading “God sanctioned infanticide?”
Accessing the Good Book
Bibledex – Expert videos about every book in the Bible. A colleague just posted a link to this fascinating site that offers a quick video intro to each book of the bible that is intelligent and non-condescending. Produced by the University of Nottingham, the series succinctly surveys the theme of eachContinue reading “Accessing the Good Book”
Combined Pentecost Eucharist
This morning, four Wembley Downs congregations representing four different traditions gathered together at St Paul’s Anglican Church for a combined Pentecost Eucharist. Everyone wore red, the liturgical colour representing the tongues of flame that symbolise the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the120 gathered in Jerusalem soon after the departure of the resurrected Jesus.Continue reading “Combined Pentecost Eucharist”
School chaplaincy – sacred or secular?
The wedge drives even deeper as the school chaplaincy debate continues. This morning’s Eureka Street article and the array of comments is illustrative. There was a time when “religious” and “secular” were complimentary terms, rather than opposed. Some of the rub off of this was seen in a letter in this morning’s West where anContinue reading “School chaplaincy – sacred or secular?”
Just a short one today…
Feeling a bit weary but satisfyingly so. From brief holiday to church camp to annual ministers’ retreat – and now some looming presentations and workshops to prepare. It’s been fairly people intensive for a few days – stimulating yet taxing for an introvert like myself. Need some still time and space to process connections, awarenessContinue reading “Just a short one today…”
Charter for Compassion
http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf This TED talk is the basis for this morning’s church camp exploration on compassion as an ingredient for creative communities of hope. Noting the peculiar features of a postmodern environment, we will be asking what the particularity of the incarnational faith of Christianity contributes to the conversation in practical and ideological terms. I haveContinue reading “Charter for Compassion”
Creating Communities of Compassion and Hope
Our church is in camp this weekend. It’s our annual pilgrimage to Landsdale Farm School, a state education department residential facility about 20 minutes from home. We hang out, eat, converse and have fun. There are lots of animals to keep the kids enthralled and we have a couple of group sessions around a themeContinue reading “Creating Communities of Compassion and Hope”
One of my colleagues sees the Emmaus incident as central to a true understanding of the celebration of the Lords Supper, aka Holy Communion, aka Eucharist. It is in the stranger’s breaking and blessing of bread that the crucifixion and resurrection in the midst of a questing and believing household of faith becomes real. StillContinue reading
Wondering Pilgrim 