Passion
One of the things that never cease to surprise me is the passion some people have for a certain cause. There are some people who are passionate about animal welfare. There are others who are passionate about ‘pro-life.’ There are other people who are passionate about Christian education. There are people who are passionate about justice issues. There are some who are passionate about missions. And dare I mention that there are others who are passionate about their sporting code…
Loss
Our bulletin blog this week is called “Loss” by Julie E. Lowe. We have obtained permission from CCEF to reprint it in our printed bulletin – so you, our online readers, can access the post directly here: http://www.ccef.org/resources/blog/loss
The Hopeless Marriage
Our bulletin blog this week is called “The Hopeless Marriage” by Ed Welch. We have obtained permission from CCEF to reprint it in our printed bulletin – so you, our online readers, can access the post directly here: http://www.ccef.org/resources/blog/hopeless-marriage
Who is it for?
Years ago when we were in the middle of the “worship wars” I was talking to someone about the trend towards entertainment. I expressed concerns about a congregation becoming just an audience watching a performance on the stage. This person replied, “That’s wrong! The congregation should never be an audience. It’s really the other way around: God is an audience of one, and we’re putting on some worship for Him.” In the context of our discussion that made sense. Last…
Experts
Once, when I referred to someone as an expert, a work colleague commented that an expert is a “drip under pressure”. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of an expert is “someone who is very knowledgeable about or skilful in a particular area”. I’m often amazed how many people are experts when it comes to religion… or more particularly experts on Christianity. Let me give you some examples. The man was my age and a member of a church that has a…
Church for Atheists
There are many folk who believe in God and who even believe that Jesus died for their sins but who are not into church going. Their problem is not with God, their problem is church. There is a new brand of person in our society today who do not believe in God and don’t accept that Jesus died for them but who are into church going. Their problem is not with church, their problem is God. I became aware of…
Halloween
The last day of this month, 31st October was the day in 1517 when the Reformer, Martin Luther, challenged the church to deal with the abuses and perversions that had crept into the church over many centuries. In three years’ time there are plans afoot already for a 500th anniversary celebration. Of course today that date is better known in our society as Halloween. When people of my generation were growing up we were vaguely aware that Halloween was something…
Absent Dads
Bettina Arndt is not a person from whom I would have expected to hear that children are better off living with both parents. Maybe it’s my preconceived ideas. Arndt became “famous” (or should that read “notorious”?) for her editorship of Forum, a sex education magazine in the 1970s. Arndt trained as a clinical psychologist specialising in sexual therapy. As I recall she was quite a controversial figure who didn’t have too much credibility among conservative Christians. But time does move…
Children’s Ministry
It is fifty years ago this year that in Victoria I made a special trip from Dandenong to Geelong. The reason for the trip was that the Geelong Reformed Church was presenting to the other Reformed Churches in Victoria a new program for children and young people. A minister and his wife (George and Harriet Van Groningen), who had come to us from the Christian Reformed Churches of North America, had introduced the Geelong congregation to the American Cadet and…
Goodbye Mrs Doubtfire
The death of Robin Williams this past week caused much commentary in the news and a flurry of responses in the social-media. But the commentary was not just about the death of an iconic actor and comedian. It appears that the actor, who was just 63, took his own life – apparently as the culmination of a long struggle with depression. That has led to much soul-searching and (understandably) an increase in calls to charity help-lines. As someone commented on…