Category Archives: Spirituality

Does green have a dark side?

I occasionally post “sustainable energy” news clips to the PeaceChurch mailing list, particularly where the church in Australia is adding something to the debate. Responses are inevitably mixed – no less earlier this week when I posted the following: Some 40 religious leaders (including Churches of Christ, as well as leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu,Continue reading “Does green have a dark side?”

Book Review – The Shack

Author: William P Young, Windblown Media, 2007 After more than thirty years of trying to come to grips with an adequate articulation of an intellectual understanding of the Trinity, this book has finally convinced me that it can’t be done! No wonder the biblical writers avoided anything like the “T” word with its propensity forContinue reading “Book Review – The Shack”

Sorry Day Eve

Tomorrow is a historic day for Australia. At long last, after much political soul searching and hand wringing, Federal Parliament, through its new Prime Minister, will say the word “sorry” to this land’s first peoples. In this context “sorry” is a power word. It has strong potential for unblocking the process for healing and self-realisation,Continue reading “Sorry Day Eve”

Reflection on an unexpected adrenalin rush

Up until mid afternoon, the greatest drama today was discovering my car’s cooling system overflowing with oil. I managed to nurse it over to the local service centre, just across from where we live, and was discussing it outside with the bloke there when all hell broke loose. A man went charging past us withContinue reading “Reflection on an unexpected adrenalin rush”

Four days away

Sunday Lectio – reading the signs. Cold sores, conjunctivitis, and mild depression reassured me that I was long overdue for some down time. In spite of (or maybe because of) reaching some heart-felt goals, I had been feeling rundown and lethargic for a few weeks. I booked a cabin at Dwellingup, an old wood-cutting communityContinue reading “Four days away”

Some challenges of mere discipleship

<!–[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]–><!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>We’ve been workshopping the first three chapters of Lee Camp’s Mere Discipleship (Baker, 2003).   In summary, Camp lays out in winsome fashion a very clear distinction between what some would call “institutional Christianity” and radical (ie grassroots) Christian faith. Cultural myopia makes it very difficult for many to seeContinue reading “Some challenges of mere discipleship”

Bonhoeffer, Zimbabwe and the Prodigal Son

In recent times I have often used the illustration of a rope with its many strands to urge the contemplation of how the seemingly unrelated issues with which we wrestle can provide a unifying strength. This last week has seen me attempting to come to grips with Bonhoeffer’s approach to ethics, a challenge to participateContinue reading “Bonhoeffer, Zimbabwe and the Prodigal Son”

Movie Critique: Babel

Babel is a drama that winds together a collage of several families seemingly far removed from each other but linked by one inevitably tragic incident. The main players are as far removed as Morocco, Tokyo and Mexico. Yet the communication difficulties explored under the direction of Alejandro González Iñárritu have less to do with languageContinue reading “Movie Critique: Babel”