Remembering the Friday…
We are sometimes a little uncomfortable with Good Friday, and tend to rush past it to arrive at Easter Sunday as quickly as possible. Yet unless we feel the weight of the Friday, we will miss much of the mystery of Easter. If you are a theologian you might say that a theology of suffering must precede a theology of glory, lest the latter becomes trite and superficial. So this Good Friday I have been noting the things I need to remember… I need to leave the last supper and walk to the Garden of Gethsemane. I need to pause – is that Jesus, crying out to God, “Father if it is...
Read MoreRefresh: On doing what you can…
As we gallop towards Easter, today’s Refresh post is a haunting reminder to do what we can – even when it is clearly not enough. Refresh: On doing what you can… Perhaps this Easter you will read the Mark 14 account of the woman who pours perfume over Jesus. Lest that doesn’t sound like an especially exciting story line, grab hold of this. She used the entire bottle which had cost more than a year’s salary. While we are not certain how many dollars that was in AD33, if she was on Australia’s minimum wage, it would now translate to about $40 000. Gulp! A tad extravagant,...
Read MoreFour Postures of Faith: Knowing your Season
If you are a person of faith, I imagine you find your faith works out differently as circumstances and life chapters change. I find it helpful to think about the posture that my Christian beliefs invites me to take, and to live more intentionally in light of what lies before me. If this sounds a little obscure, let me outline what I think are the four most common postures of faith we are invited to adopt – and you might have some others to add to the list. Of course, sometimes there is a mix and match – but let’s not over complicate things. Posture 1: Faith as intercession....
Read MoreRefresh: From Theodicy to Theophany…
Today’s Refresh clearly wins the prize for “Most obscure blog title in 2022”. Sorry about that! But the journey it discusses is important, perhaps even liberating. I hope you find it helpful. This was first posted on 13 Feb 2022. Refresh: From Theodicy to Theophany Ok, I admit the title of this post is not exactly catchy! But you are still reading, so let me quickly say why I think it matters. You probably know people who have suffered greatly – perhaps you are one of them. All suffering is hard to watch, but it is especially devastating when it seems to be senseless...
Read MoreOverplanning as Procrastination: Cultivating a Bent Towards Action
You’ve probably heard the quip: “When all is said and done, far more is said than done.” If you have sat through one talk fest too many, you will know that many a true word is spoken in jest. Are there times when our zealous planning and “let’s test that one more time” simply become an excuse for procrastination? Those of you who know me will be aware that I’m alert to the counter to any argument – it’s an art I developed back in my days in the school debating team, and it has served me well. If I had to oppose what I have said, I would...
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