Christians, non-violence and the Middle East – more food for thought
(September 12, 2014)I posted a while back on this topic. I have just come across an excellent article on the same topic.
Tag: christians
Test yourself: are you more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees?
(September 4, 2014)It was done more than a year ago but I’ve only just seen it – a survey by the Barna Group about whether US christians more resembled Jesus or Pharisees. Like Hans Solo said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” [Note: A reader has pointed out that using Pharisees as a point of comparison […]
Do we need Matt Chandler to preach the gospel to our friends?
(August 19, 2014)It was a simple announcement in our church on the weekend. Renowned christian speaker and leader, Matt Chandler, is coming to Sydney and will be speaking at an event. We were told that Matt is a great teacher, the gospel would be preached, and it was a great opportunity to bring our non-christian friends. It […]
Christians, non-violence and the Middle East – some random thoughts
(July 27, 2014)The world seems to be beyond horrific at the moment. Civil wars in Nigeria, Sudan and Ukraine as well as fighting in the Middle East in Syria, Gaza and Iraq. Grossly inhumane treatment of ordinary people by militias, rebels, terrorists and governments. Surely there is something for christians to learn from all this?
Gender equity?
(July 13, 2014)Two recent experiences led to this post, which takes up one of the issues I raised in The New Reformation. Two weeks ago I attended the TEAR Conference in Sydney. TEAR Australia is a movement of Christians responding to the needs of poor communities around the world. One of its major emphases is raising the […]
Asylum seekers: a long journey for many of us
(June 23, 2014)Desperate people fleeing persecution in their home countries make long journeys, overland and by boat, to reach the safe haven of Australia, hoping to be granted refugee status and residency. They don’t receive a welcome. I have travelled a long journey in my thinking about asylum seekers, and it seems our country is on a […]
"An intangible narrative of unreachable worlds"
(June 16, 2014)I was driving home tonight, listening to Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, possibly for the hundredth time. It is probably my favourite album of all time. And it transported me – yet again. Approaching home and listening to the title fact, I was uplifted. And I started reminiscing.
I'm a MennoNerd!
(April 23, 2014)I’ve been a sort of dissident christian for a long time. I believe most of the basic doctrines of the christian faith and I hang out with other christians and do christian stuff. But I don’t fully belong.
Easter Saturday prayer vigil for refugees
(April 20, 2014)9 of 12 members of our church who attended the vigil. I have blogged before on the plight of refugees from war-torn or unstable countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran arriving in Australian waters by boat and Australia’s somewhat callous attitude to them – see links below this post. Australia outsources some of […]
The Old Testament: an update on a journey (part 1)
(April 1, 2014)This post is very much a personal reflection about a journey I am still on. For years I didn’t think much about the Old Testament. I read it sometimes, looked up passages occasionally, appreciated Isaiah and Ezekiel. But I didn’t really spend much time considering what I thought about it. After all, I am a […]