Articles, thoughts, essays, and content from Brian as well as students – our budding theologians.
Churched, Un-churched or De-churched
A shorter post than usual today, but it poses some pertinent questions about those who are de-churched… Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. If you’re up with the discussions on the future of the church you’ll know that commentators distinguish between people who are un-churched (as in never had any significant contact with a church) and those who are de-churched (as in once were involved, but no more thank you very much). While the church has always worried about those who are unchurched (they’re the reason for the...
read moreOn passing a trainload of Syrian refugees…
Our river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest had many extra bonuses, each designed to keep us coming back again and again. And let’s face it – river cruising is a lifestyle that has a lot going for it. Take the extra special trip from Linz to Salzburg on the Majestic Imperator – the imperial train used by Emperors of the once great Holy Roman Empire when Austria was at the height of its power. We were in the carriage where the Emperor had once sat, and it was renovated to all its previous glory. Whilst on that day trip to...
read moreA time to speak: 10 Reasons to speak up…
The last post looked at 10 reasons why silence is golden. But there is a flipside. The writer of Ecclesiastes 3 is right. There is a time for everything under heaven… and that includes both a time for silence and a time to speak up. Here are 10 signs that it is the time to speak… 1) While we should be still and know that God is God, when that truth dawns on us, we should not be slow to sing out His praise. Just as there is a place for quiet contemplative worship, there is also a place for joyous, rowdy, exuberant praise. The...
read more10 reasons why silence is golden…
We live in such a noisy world. Getting ourselves heard can be a real problem. With everyone else so busy talking, no one really seems to want to listen to what we would like to say. Should we care? Here are 10 reasons why silence and being silent can be a virtue… 1) The Psalmist advises: Be still and know that I am God. When we speak too much we often start to think that we are God. Silence reminds us that we are not. 2) When we are silent, we often really hear what the other person is saying, and sometimes even begin to understand why...
read moreSo what is an evangelical, and should we care?
This is a lightly edited version of an article I published in Perth’s The Advocate, in 2012. It in turn was a more radically summarized version of a much longer article on the topic which I published in Churchman in Autumn 2008. With around 2 billion people claiming allegiance to Christianity, it is not surprising to discover that it comes in a wide range of flavours. Those in the know point to the Great Schism of 1054 when the church divided into the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church. The latter divided again after the...
read moreIs there a case for a Christian University?
A few groups are working to form an evangelical Christian university in Australia. Is this wise, or is it a case of misguided zeal? Our last post explored the drift from a soft to a hard secularism. In this post I argue that the formation of a Christian university could help to change the missiological climate in which we are currently located. This is an updated version of an article of mine that was originally published in Perth’s Advocate newspaper in 2012. While we could argue as to what constitute the major missiological blocks to...
read moreFrom Deo Volente to Digital Video: The Flight to Secularism
To keep the blog going while Rosemary and I are on holiday, I have drawn on some articles I wrote for Perth’s Advocate newspaper. This one originally appeared in 2012, and I have now updated it slightly. We all sense that the climate in which we practice our faith is changing. This post examines the shift from a soft to a hard secularism. Though at times a little tongue in cheek, the underlying issues are of great significance. Hope you enjoy it… My mother-in-law is a wonderful human being who has almost adjusted to life in the...
read moreFriendships that inspire…
Perhaps you have come across Gordon MacDonald’s classic, Restoring your Spiritual Passion. It originally came out in 1986, and is memorable on many counts, but perhaps the one that first springs to mind is MacDonald’s description of 5 kinds of people that you come across in ministry (and indeed, not just in ministry, but in all walks of life) and the impact they have upon your spiritual passion and zeal. The MacDonald taxonomy describes each of the five types with 3 letters and then pithily summarizes their likely impact on your...
read moreAbout the blog and a holiday…
Thanks for your continued support and interest in this blog. I have been really encouraged by the warm response of so many of you. There have now been well over 6000 visits to the site – it has significantly exceeded my expectations. More importantly, several people have contacted me to ask me if they can use material from the site in church newsletters or in sermons or as resource in a unit they are teaching. My answer is always the same: YES – that is why I write, and I can’t tell you the pleasure it gives me to think that...
read moreThe Spirit that gives life: Audrey’s story
It is possible that at 75 years of age Audrey Francis is the oldest student at Vose – I am not sure. What I am sure of is that she is one of our most engaged and engaging students, and that her life speaks of the reality of God, or of the Spirit that gives life, which was the theme of her recent chapel talk at Vose where she shared her life story. I found it both inspiring and encouraging, and am confident you will too. As you read it, imagine it being spoken in Audrey’s gentle Irish voice. Perhaps as you do, you will hear the...
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