Posts from November 2015

In a meeting this week Pastor Andrew shared an interesting story.  There was a preacher whose eye-sight was becoming somewhat of a problem so after a visit to the optometrist he appeared in the pulpit the next Sunday wearing spectacles.  A young tyke who had also just begun to wear glasses, turned to his mum with excitement and announced: “Isn’t that great Mum?  God is wearing glasses too.” It brought back memories of one of my own experiences with a…

Someone once remarked that the doctrine of original sin doesn’t need any proof.  The flawed nature of humanity is just too painfully obvious. And yet, strangely, there is this very common misconception that human beings are inherently good.  If we just make sure that we have the right environment in which to live and if only we remove the negative stresses from our surroundings all will turn out okay.  A hundred years ago there was much optimism about humankind.  It…

It’s been a busy time packing and cleaning up before moving on to the next exciting adventure that the Lord has waiting for us. Many of you will know from experience what it’s like the day before the removalist comes and takes all your stuff away. You have to make important decisions about what to keep and what to bin; what to take to the Lifeline Op-shop and what leave for the next owners. At a little after 8pm that…

Lately we’ve been reminding our church members that the church’s banking details have changed and that they can find the new BSB and Account Number in their church bulletin.  For most of our lives we didn’t know (and probably didn’t care) what the church’s bank details were.  Suddenly it has become important.  The reason is that many of us now support our church financially by transferring money from our own account to that of the church via EFT (Electronic Funds…

Early in my ministry I got talking to an elderly colleague who had only recently retired.  I had noticed already as a teenager that whenever this man preached in our church he would not look at the people in his congregation.  His eyes invariably focused on some spot high up on the back wall of the auditorium.  When I found myself in the same State and sitting next to him at a State-wide Ministers’ gathering I thought it was appropriate…