thinking honestly about life and faith
This week many events were held to commemorate the event 500 years ago when Martin Luther presented his ’95 Theses’—which he may or may not have actullay nailed to the door of the church door at Wittenburg in … Read More »
It is interesting to notice how commonly political leaders now say, in regard to the victims of something like a natural disaster, or the latest mass shooting in the United States, that ‘our prayers are with them’. I find myself … Read More »
It is reported today that the United States’ ambassador to the UN believes that the UN is out of options: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Sunday the U.N. Security Council has run out of options on … Read More »
What do people think they are doing, when they go to church? The expression ‘go to church’ is itself an interesting one: for most people, going to church means going to a service of worship. What that actually means for … Read More »
I’m heading today to Bangkok for the annual gathering of the international study commissions of the Baptist World Alliance. It is my privilege to lead one of these groups, the Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity. Our work involves … Read More »
Pentecost is God’s answer to the story of Babel. The Spirit of God turns the community’s memory into a promise. Pentecost is the transformation of their pain into a promise, with power in the present. And that is because the unique … Read More »
It’s very easy to be busy. Most of us are good at doing things. What makes a real difference is being effective and to be effective we need really to know what we are doing, why we are doing it, … Read More »
Recently as part of a leadership workshop, we were presented with a number of challenging questions to ask, when an organisation is considering a change of direction or policy. One of these, to paraphrase it a little, is: What if … Read More »
This week, a very high profile young footballer announced that he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer and would that day undergo surgery. There has been a wonderful outpouring of support for him, especially poignant in that he has so … Read More »
This year I am working with the Box Hill Baptist Church, in Melbourne, in what is called an ‘intentional missional interim ministry’. It’s a very varied and sometimes demanding role, which has kept me away from blogging for a while, … Read More »