Recently I saw a program on TV about hoarders.  In this particular episode the woman who had a hoarding problem did not seem to collect anything of value but rather had a house full of rubbish: empty cool drink cans, … Continue reading →

Reformation, Sunday  Personal matters Recent encounters have challenged me to comment on the shape of Sunday church services i.e. liturgies[1]. First, some observations at a church we visited last week, then a meeting with a devout Christian disturbed by the … Continue reading →

Celebrate Jesus Personal Matters I haven’t been in the most energised mood for the last couple of months, but I have learned that if I pray about how I feel a word will come to me which precisely describes my … Continue reading →

Light for 2016 Personal matters 2015 has been a year when comfortable Westerners basking in their moral and cultural Enlightenment have been forcibly exposed to the face of evil. Global terrorism brings with it a power of darkness that is … Continue reading →

Christmas Inside Out Introduction Personally speaking, I find Christmas Day the most uncomfortable day of the year on which to speak. This is because the popular cultural sentiments centred on the manger setting of the adorable infant in Matthew and … Continue reading →

The Mystery of the Word made Flesh       Zion Fellowship      John 1:1-18      20.12.15 Introduction From time to time I sense the Lord leading me to pray about what the New Testament calls “the mystery”, this “mystery” is certainly related to Christmas but … Continue reading →

  The End is Joy St Mark’s 13.6.15 Zeph 3:14-20; Isa 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Luke 21:25-28   Introduction   Preparing this sermon has stirred up a level of perplexity that takes my mind back to some events decades ago; more … Continue reading →

In Acts 7:48-50 the deacon Stephen makes this statement to the Jews in Jerusalem: Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. … Continue reading →

The Greatest Terror Introduction Fear has become a part of our everyday life. This time last year I was in a meeting with some older people in our area whose primary concern was street crime. One had recently been bashed … Continue reading →

The Trinity and Equal Marriage      Introduction  Let me start with a few qualifications as to the scope of this talk. It is not a detailed exegesis of the biblical passages that deal directly with homosexuality[1]. Secondly, I do not profess … Continue reading →

The Shame we Need Personal Matters Until the last few days I have never really considered the positive role shame might play in renewing the Church. Ministries devoted to releasing people from shame are numberless, but rare is that teaching … Continue reading →

Just over a week ago (13/11/15) ISIL terrorists killed 130 people and injured many more in Paris. A week later hostages were taken in a Mali hotel and many were killed. This week Belgium is shut down because of anticipation … Continue reading →

The Heart of Unity Personal Matters A number of circumstances lined up recently to bring the functionally divided state of the Church to my attention once again. Firstly I was listening to a local pastor bemoaning the seeming inability of … Continue reading →

Job and Jesus St Mark’s Church on the Rise 15.11.15 Job 10:1-22; Ps 38; James 5:7-11; Luke 22:31-34,39-46 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLf_Nlukra0&feature=youtu.be  Introduction There is nothing quite as startling as the story of Job. A respected, prosperous and devout family who suddenly loses … Continue reading →

The Prize                                                       Sonlife Church 8.11.15  Philippians 3:12-21 Introduction I think one sentence in today’s passage is particularly memorable because it is particularly intense; “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, … Continue reading →

The Headless Woman Personal Matters This teaching springs from a story told at a leaders meeting about a church (x) where the pastor turned aggressively against his fellow leaders most of whom then died in quick succession. One person prophesied … Continue reading →

The Wordless Father Personal Matters A few weeks ago I was privileged, a word I do rarely use for Christian meetings, to attend a seminar in the city where Letitia Shelton spoke about the ministry of City Women in Toowoomba. … Continue reading →

Domestic Violence and the Identity of the Church[i] Personal Matters Our nation is in the midst of a seemingly interminable crisis. One in six Australian women over 15 has experienced domestic violence (d.v.) from a current or former partner. Nearly … Continue reading →

Recently I have been listening to some preaching on YouTube.  The first set of preachers were trying to justify why we should accept openly practicing homosexuals as brothers and sisters in Christ, since they claim that the biblical passages which … Continue reading →

Recognise Mt Zion Aussie Indigenous Church Belmont 11/4/15 Introduction I had an aboriginal friend in primary school, and we were the legal guardians of a niece who lived with us and whose dad was an Indigenous elder; but my serious … Continue reading →

There are some heretical preachers I have listened to lately who lay claim to knowing some things which others do not.  They proclaim secrets which few can understand, or so they believe.  There is no value here is recounting these … Continue reading →

Joseph of Arimathea St Mark’s 11/10/15 Gen 23:3-9, 17-19; Ps 16:5-11; Isa 53:1-9; John 19:38-42 Introduction People may debate whether the gunman in the recent American massacre actually targeted Christians, but what is not debatable is that the government of … Continue reading →

The Beauty Parlour Personal Matters I have not slept soundly since a church related trauma around 20 years ago, but since being on retreat recently things have been considerably worse. (When you feel tired out before 9 a.m. in the … Continue reading →

Discerning the Spirit Personal Matters Recently someone shared with weeping about the sudden unexpected loss of a spouse. In the midst of their grief I could sense that this was a dark episode in which the Holy Spirit was moving … Continue reading →

Recently I stumbled upon some websites and videos about Islam.  In particular there were some instructions about how to become a Muslim and advice about what to do as a new convert to Islam.  I am fairly ignorant about Islam … Continue reading →

Remember Part 2: Jesus and his Father Personal Matters In the previous “Remember” I described overwhelming feelings of regret I experienced when on retreat in Kalbarri. These regretful emotions were grounded in remembering past decisions/actions which I now judge to … Continue reading →

My Dream I had a dream which went like this:  It was night time and I looked out the back door and saw first of all that the neighbour’s back yard to the right was on fire.  Then I looked … Continue reading →

The Image and the Voice Introduction Processing current affairs through the lens of scripture always opens up surprising perspectives. I believe that the traumas of our time are opening up the global Church to a level of unity and maturity … Continue reading →

Remember Part 1: Good and Wrong Personal Matters Last week I was on retreat in Kalbarri, north of Perth. I anticipated time alone to reflect on the mystery of the Trinity and its implications for the current same-sex marriage debate. … Continue reading →

Introduction Several times recently I have heard the claim that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.  Presumably this statement is intended to justify acceptance of homosexual practice and open the way to same-sex unions in law.  However, it is not … Continue reading →