On the one hundred and first blog post…
This is the one hundred and first post since this blog started in late August 2015. I thought that justified a bit of an update on the blog and some reflection on how it has been going. For those who like facts and figures, after the first 100 posts the site has had 18 216 page visits 10 484 different visits (many would be repeat readers, so I don’t know how many different people this represents) Visits from over 150 countries, with 74% of visits coming from Australia, followed by New Zealand (6.7%), USA (5.3%), South Africa (3.6%) and the UK (2.6%). The most viewed post is Same Sex...
Read MoreWhy was it wrong to eat the forbidden fruit? Four Views…
Ever asked, ‘so what was so bad about Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden?’ Do you remember the account in Genesis 3? A serpent persuades Eve (who in turn persuades Adam) that God’s instruction that they refrain from eating from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was misguided, and would not result in their death, but rather in their being like God, and thus having the ability to differentiate good from evil. Adam and Eve find the argument persuasive, eat from the tree, and in Christian theology this is seen to trigger...
Read MoreManaging Monday… with Karl Barth (take 3)
Our Managing Monday posts in April have been diving into some of the wisdom of Karl Barth (1886-1968), probably the most influential theologian of the 20th century. “The goal of human life is not death, but resurrection.” Karl Barth “Prayer without study would be empty. Study without prayer would be blind.” Karl Barth “Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” Karl Barth Hope your Monday is filled with gratitude…
Read MoreWhen Faith Turns Ugly… An interview
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that my next book When Faith Turns Ugly: Toxic Faith and How to Avoid It (Paternoster, 2016) is due out in a few weeks. As with several of my other books, each chapter finishes with an interview which tries to earth some of what the chapter has been speaking about. I think each interview greatly enhances the book, and as you read this interview with Deborah Hurn, you will probably understand why. Her experience is poignant and raises more than a few unsettling questions. I am grateful to Deb for sharing her experience in the book and...
Read MoreReflections on being made in the Image of God…
In addition to my role as principal at Vose Seminary, I serve as pastor at large for the Carey group, and this Sunday I preached the treble there (twice at Harrisdale, once at Forrestdale). We are working on a series from Genesis, and my task was to explore how Gen 1:26-31 and 2:19-25 help us to understand what it means to be made in the image of God. Here are the notes I preached from… One of the most basic questions we ask ourselves in life is ‘who am I?’ When we are children, we try to get a sense of what group we belong to… are we nerdy or sporty? Do we value brains or...
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