Articles, thoughts, essays, and content from Brian as well as students – our budding theologians.
Olympic Glory…
Since the start of the Olympics I have noticed that there has been a drop in the number of page views of this blog. Sigh… Such muddled priorities. But then, as they say, if you can’t beat them, join them. So here is a post on the Olympics… Actually, you’ll quickly note that it was written during the 2012 London Games – and is about to appear as one of the readings in my latest book (which comes out next month, and is already available for pre-order) – Could this be God? Bumping into God in the Everyday (BRF, 2016). This book is a little...
read moreWhen weak is strong…
At Carey we are running a series on emotionally healthy spirituality based on Peter Scazzero’s book of that title. It was my turn to speak this week, and I looked at his chapter on hitting the wall. The message was based on 2Cor 12:1-10 and focused on the Pauline paradox in 2 Cor 12:10 For when I am weak, then I am strong. Clearly this flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Here are the notes I spoke from… You’ve probably heard the Mae West quip: “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” How would you complete this...
read moreManaging Monday, with G.K.Chesterton
G.K.Chesterton (1874-1936) was a noted English poet, novelist, orator, literary critic, journalist and Christian apologist. He is also remembered for creating the fictional priest-detective, Father Brown. We will dive into some of his wisdom over the next 4 weeks. If there were no God, there would be no atheists – G.K.Chesteron Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions – G.K. Chesterton We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty – G.K.Chesterton There is...
read moreA New Kind of Apologist…
I’m currently teaching a unit on apologetics at Vose, and as part of my background work have been reading through a collection of essays edited by Sean McDowell entitled A New Kind of Apologist (Harvest House, 2016). Apologetics explores the reasonable basis for the Christian faith, and addresses the common objections that people have to Christianity. Some of the articles in this book are really excellent – a few less so – but my intention is to highlight the helpful. Noting C.S.Lewis’s comment that all Christians are...
read moreRedeeming Work: Job, career, or calling?
A significant portion of our life is engaged in ensuring that we have a roof over our head and food on the table. Some of us are able to work in such a way that life’s basic needs are just taken care of, for others it’s a pathway to wealth. But how do you view the work you do? Is it a job, a career or a calling? The answer given is a likely indicator of how satisfying you find Monday to Friday – or whatever days you dedicate to earning your keep. If you say ‘job’ it is probable that you are acutely aware of how many...
read moreManaging Monday with Ravi Zacharias – take 2
Last week we looked at some insights from noted Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. Here are a few more… Having the answers is not essential to living. What is essential is the sense of God’s presence during dark seasons of questioning – Ravi Zacharias We must learn to find the back door to people’s hearts because the front door is heavily guarded – Ravi Zacharias You’ll never get to a person’s soul until you understand their hurts – Ravi Zacharias Beginning well is a momentary thing: finishing...
read moreThree challenges facing Christians…
Those of us who are embedded in healthy church communities sometimes wonder why there are so many who are not. Put differently, at a time when it is so easy to track down information about Jesus and to learn about his teaching, why are so many deciding that following him has little appeal. A fair amount of the negative response can probably be put down to the negative publicity surrounding the church, with people thinking, ‘well, if that’s the community he founded, count me out.’ But it is not just that. If you ask me what I think the three...
read moreTruth, Kevin Rudd and the UN…
Those who keep up with Australian politics will know of the debate surrounding the government’s decisions not to formally nominate former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to be appointed as the secretary-general of the United Nations. There are those who see it as sheer vindictiveness (‘petty, partisan, vindictive’ to use the words of a former Labor foreign minister Gareth Jones)- the current government unwilling to back a fellow Australian simply because he has been on the other side of politics. They also see it as a serious...
read moreManaging Monday with Ravi Zacharias
I’m currently teaching a unit in apologetics at Vose, and naturally that brings me into a fair amount of contact with the thought of noted Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias. This Monday and next, we will focus on some of his insights… We have a right to believe whatever we want, but not everything we believe is right – Ravi Zacharias Before the truth can set you free you need to recognize which lie is holding you hostage – Ravi Zacharias I am absolutely convinced that meaninglessness does not come from being weary of...
read moreFaith and mental health…
One of the issues explored in my latest book When Faith Turns Ugly: Understanding Toxic Faith and How to Avoid It is the impact of faith on mental health. Predictably it’s a discussion where nuance is needed, and sweeping generalizations are best avoided. Some forms are faith are linked to positive mental health, others are likely to negatively impact it – and it is important to differentiate between them. Chapter 4 of the book asks the question if, as Freud alleges, faith is essentially an illusion, adopted to help us avoid some...
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