On Launching a Book: The Stirrers and Saints Story
There is a fair chance you already know that my latest book, “Stirrers and Saints: Forming Spiritual Leaders of Skill, Depth and Character” was recently launched. It’s my 7th, and I like to remind people that in the Bible 7 represents a complete or perfect number – so hopefully that says something about the book. People often ask me why I write, and what it takes to write a book, and what it feels like to launch one – so I thought I’d use this post to speak about that. Hopefully these thoughts will be helpful, and not simply self indulgent. So why do I...
Read MoreWhen we are Generous: A Counter-Cultural Difference
I’m finishing this brief series on the counter-cultural difference being a follower of Jesus makes by adding to the list of gratitude and providing a non-anxious presence that of being generous. Now I realise that some had hoped I would come out swinging against prevailing attitudes to things like sex and sin and sobriety, but I wanted to shift from passive morality to more active virtues… we are different through active gratitude, through actively leaving a sense of quiet confidence in the goodness of God and through being actively generous. Why generous? It is seriously simple....
Read MoreOn 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, even if she was only on Australia’s minimum wage, it would now translate to about $40 000. Gulp! A tad extravagant, don’t you think? After all, I agonize when I spend $40 on flowers for my wife (who I love greatly), and wonder if a pot plant wouldn’t make more financial sense. But how...
Read MoreOn what we don’t hear…
I’m due to preach from Matthew 16:21 where Jesus announces his suffering and death. Often that’s how we summarise that verse (the heading in my Bible is “Jesus predicts his death”), but actually if you look at it more closely you will spot that it also predicts Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. I wonder why his disciples reacted so strongly to the announcement of the bad news that he must suffer and die, but then appear to have paid no attention to the astonishing good news that immediately followed, that on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Do...
Read MoreFrom 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 is important. 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 and unfair. There are a thousand different scenarios I could paint, but in your heart you already know your “why, why, why” questions. How do we come to terms with life’s most devastating heartaches without shaking the fist at God and questioning how we could...
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