Urban tribes and the church
July 29th, 2018
We’ve just come back from a short holiday in Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city. We stayed in South Yarra, an inner urban and somewhat hip location which is noticeably different to the suburb where we live in Sydney. The obvious differences start with the dense inner urban environment of high-rise apartments and offices, the streetscapes […]
"Because of her, we can"
July 18th, 2018
Like many countries colonised by European nations, Australia has a sorry two century history of poor treatment of our indigenous peoples, resulting in a significant reduction in their numbers and the quality of their lives. But they have survived, their numbers are building again, and many indigenous leaders are become more forthright in their pleas […]
How many christian denominations? Who cares? And why do they care?
July 4th, 2018
Almost 6 years ago I posted on How many christian denominations worldwide. I had been asked this question by an internet friend (not a christian believer) who was tired of hearing unsupported claims. It has become my most visited and most commented page, accounting for almost half the visitors to this site. I can’t help […]
Have we really fallen this far?
June 22nd, 2018
Last week Fariborz Karami committed suicide. And I don’t think many Australians noticed. He was just 26 years old, and he had been held behind bars for 5 years without any hope of safe release. His mental health had been deteriorating for years. But I don’t think many Australians cared. Worse still, I don’t think […]
Letting the Bible be what it is, not what we would like it to be
June 9th, 2018
Believing the Bible is what it appears to be rather than what we may want it to be solves a lot of problems.
How a deep and growing divide is killing Protestant christianity – or maybe renewing it!
May 30th, 2018
Right from the earliest days, there have always been disagreements within the christian community. Some are resolved, but some lead to major splits, new denominations or new doctrinal positions. I have the feeling that a major, and probably irreversible, divergence is brewing in the western Protestant church, between those we may label “evangelical” and those […]
Doctrine that divides
May 8th, 2018
Did Jesus mean it to come to this? Doctrine. For some people it is a delicious word, their bread and butter. For others it is a word they wish to avoid because they think it is responsible for many an unnecessary argument. I think I’ve changed position on it during my life. So I think […]
Who's the boss? Leadership in the christian church
April 25th, 2018
Did Jesus mean it to come to this? You can read a lot about leadership, whether in companies and in the church. You can attend conferences, read books, check out websites about leadership. You can find lists of the essential characteristics of good leadership. But what does Jesus say about leadership? How does it fit […]
Mission vs maintenance
April 6th, 2018
Did Jesus mean it to come to this? How much does modern western christianity come from Jesus, and how much comes from somewhere else? A few weeks back I introduced the theme of Did Jesus mean it to come to this?, in which I want to examine the modern western church, and muse on how […]
Grasstree Gathering: surely it's time for recognition, unity and respect?
March 22nd, 2018
Grasstree Gathering Australia’s indigenous peoples form a small minority (2.8%) in the country they once had to themselves, and have suffered significantly since white colonisation (which can reasonably be seen as an invasion). About three quarters identify as christian. They tend to be a spiritual people, but it can be difficult for them to meet […]
A list of all blog posts, in reverse chronological order, is on the Blog archive page.