Reflections 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...
Read MoreManaging Monday… with Karl Barth
We continue our Managing Monday insights with more quotes from the person usually rated as the greatest theologian of the 20th century, Karl Barth (1886-1968). “When we are at our wits end for an answer then the Holy Spirit can give us an answer. But how can he give us an answer when we are still well supplied with all sorts of answers of our own?” Karl Barth “In the church of Jesus Christ there can and should be no non-theologians.” Karl Barth “The theologian who labours without joy is not a theologian at all. Sulky faces, morose thoughts and boring ways of...
Read MoreColliding Truths: Living with Paradox
Back in 2006 I published an article Colliding Truths: Embracing Paradox in Ministry in the British journal Ministry Today. Ten years later, I think that most of the points remain relevant, so here, with just a few minor changes and updates, is that essay. While the focus is on how pastors deal with colliding truths and paradox, I think that the relevance is far wider than for those who are pastors, and am sure that with just a little imagination you will be able to transfer the insights to your setting. I can still remember him saying it. It seemed mildly amusing at the time. “And the ninth...
Read MoreWhen Faith Turns Ugly… A new book
My next book, When Faith Turns Ugly: Understanding Toxic Faith and How to Avoid It, is due out in a few weeks. Rather than write about it and tell you why I think it is important, I will let the preface speak for itself. Hopefully it will whet your appetite for more (and the book is available for pre-order from Koorong and Authentic Media). Here is a taster from the preface… It was an unexpected encounter at an art gallery and it left me unsettled and concerned. Rosemary and I had been admiring the entries for the Mandorla Art Award, and were impressed by the wide array of...
Read MoreManaging Monday… with Karl Barth
Ask who the greatest theologian of the 20th century was, and the consensus is likely to settle on Karl Barth (1886-1968). Over the next few weeks we ponder a few significant Barth quotes. Here are three to help manage this Monday… “Jesus does not give recipes that show the way to God as other teachers of religion do. He is Himself the way.” Karl Barth “God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. He has revealed Himself in his Son. In Jesus Christ, God has spoken for himself, and we must hear that speech.” Karl Barth “To clasp the...
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