What do Theologians do?
It’s a question I’ve been asked often enough, especially after I’ve introduced myself as a pastor and theologian, “So what do theologians do?” Let’s note the obvious. By definition, theology, being made up from two Greek words theos (God) and logos (the word about, or the study of), is the study of God. By implication then, all those who grapple with the question of God are, in one way or another, theologians. They might be very poor theologians, amateur theologians, professional theologians, perhaps even theologians whose work is widely recognized in the life of the church – but theologians...
Read MoreQuotable: For the New Year – take 2
As 2019 gets under way, here are a few gems for the journey. The first three are attributed to Mother Teresa, the remainder, unknown. In the end, dear friend, it is always between us and God, not between us and them. Mother Teresa If you judge people, you have no time to love them. Mother Teresa God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer. Mother Teresa In the blink of an eye it could all be taken away. Be grateful always. Unknown There will be many chapters in your life. Don’t get lost in the one you’re in now. Unknown You will never always be...
Read MoreReframing Change: 8 Guiding Principles
At the start of a new year it is common for people to dream about things they’d like to change. For most, dreams rarely move beyond the “wouldn’t it be lovely” stage, usually because the motivation to change is not well developed and is not accompanied by a sense of urgency. The bottom line for most of us is that if change is desirable but not essential, it won’t happen. Not that this is always the case. For some, too many previous failures and disappointments cast a long shadow. Desirable change is approached with the disbelief that it is possible – “tried it before, it didn’t work. Sure...
Read MoreQuotable: For the New Year…
With a new year almost upon us, I thought it appropriate to cite a few relevant quotes and thoughts that might provide some direction… But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 (TNIV) Dear Past, Thanks for all the lessons. Dear Future, I am ready. Unknown Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Carl Bard There are far better things ahead than any we leave...
Read MoreA Christmas Letter…
After not having written a Christmas letter for a few years, Rosemary and I thought we’d make amends this year. Some of you will have already received it via email, but over the years we have lost the addresses of so many good friends that we thought we’d post it on the blog as well, in the hope that we will be able to make contact again through this forum. True, the blog usually deals with weightier matters than our family news, but Christmas is a different time of the year. I realise that many who follow this blog do it for its reflection on matters related to the Christian faith...
Read MoreQuotable and Alpha and Omega
Those who have been following this blog will know that in the lead up to Christmas, we have been looking at some questions that Jesus asked – having noted that he asked an awful lot of questions – often in reply to questions he had been asked. So here are the two questions for the 24th and 25th December. And because that will seem a little brief, I have also attached another of the Christmas meditations that have been appearing on the Vose Seminary site in the “Theologians at Lunch” section and which you might have heard on Sonshine fm – one that I wrote called...
Read MoreKing of Kings and Lord of Lords…
In my last post I mentioned a series on the titles of Jesus which we are featuring on the Vose Seminary website blog “Theologians at Lunch” . We’ve focused on a different title each day in the lead up to Christmas. These are also being broadcast on Sonshine fm – Perth’s leading Christian radio station. Here is one that I wrote, reflecting on the description of Jesus in Revelation 19:16 as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hope it helps you in your journey towards Christmas… As Christmas approaches we’re looking at some of the titles given to Jesus....
Read MoreThe Way, the Truth and the Life: with Jon Bergmann
One of the many things I love about my post as principal of Vose Seminary, is that I get to work with some amazing and creative thinkers. No matter whose office I walk into at the seminary, my entry causes the average IQ in the room to drop about 10 points! More recently we’ve been trying to share that giftedness more widely, and have created a section on the seminary’s website called, “theologians at lunch” – it’s meant to capture some of the feel of many of our lunchtime conversations. In the lead up to Christmas, each day we’ve been considering a...
Read MoreQuotable: Questions Jesus Asked – Take 2
A piece of unverified Bible trivia I came across is that Jesus asks 307 questions in the Bible. True, some of the questions appear several times, being repeated in the different gospels, so the number of distinctly different questions is less – but you still can’t get away from the fact that Jesus asked lots of questions. While each had its own immediate purpose and context, they remain powerfully penetrating, and I have found it a worthwhile spiritual exercise to sit with some of the questions and to allow them to challenge me at deeper and deeper levels. As Christmas approaches, I...
Read MoreReframing Competition…
In a 2017 address to Baptist Care Australia, Competing with Purpose, Traverse director David Benson encouraged listeners to consider what it might mean to reframe our understanding of competition, so that instead of seeing it as a means to beat and defeat our competitors, it is transformed into a mechanism to ensure that we are both stronger and better as a result of the encounter. His work has set me thinking about the role of competition in the Christian faith, and as part of our journey of discipleship. There are many portraits in scripture which encourage us to be the best that we can...
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