thinking honestly about life and faith
This week I have had several occasions to relate to local church pastors who are also seeking to do theological studies.It troubles me that for so many there has been something like Lessing’s ‘deep ugly ditch’ between ministry and theology.Constantly … Read More »
Thinking more about McCourt the teacher-man, I recalled two stories about great teachers in my own sphere.It begins with one I never knew, but whose legacy I did.While I was the pastor of the Hobart Baptist Church, in Tasmania, two … Read More »
Over the Easter period, when finally I had a few days’ space to reflect on things, several things caught my attention.First, it was Easter: a time when Christians call to mind (and heart) the death and resurrection of Jesus—and all … Read More »
Last Saturday, I was teaching a session in our ‘TransFormation’ program, which is a special program of leadership training for people from a non-English speaking background. Many of the students are refugees, and some have very limited English, and often … Read More »
First Sunday of Lent: and the Gospel of Mark, for today, invites us to think of the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.Mark has no nativity story, no build-up to the Jesus career. He’s just right into it. And so Jesus … Read More »
In the last week, there have been two dreadful road crashes which have taken the lives of young people, in one case 6 teenagers and another 5 people, including a mother and daughter. This last week, our local news media … Read More »
The Gospel reading for this morning and tomorrow morning (Mark 8. 11 – 21) tells of the Pharisees asking Jesus for ‘a sign’ and his responses to them in terms of what they should be able to see, already.’Do you … Read More »
On Saturday, January 28th, Martin Flanagan wrote a brilliant piece in The Age newspaper, offering an analysis of the current situation in Australia – reflecting a little on the ‘Australia Day’ rhetoric and on some of the articles over this … Read More »
Back on deck: a new year and (I hope) some new and fresh challenges.I have long since known the importance of making it, or allowing it to be, a new year and not just another year repeating what happened last … Read More »
It’s difficult being a scholar of theology or Biblical studies, during Christmas.The faith community loses its critical awareness at Christmas. I’m not talking about all that commercialism. I’m talking about the music, the children’s plays and all the other traditional … Read More »