Rod Dreher has noticed a connection between what is happening in our cultures today and what has happened in the past. In his latest book, “Live not by lies”, Dreher compares the rise of “soft totalitarianism” and identity politics to the situation Christians found themselves in under the communist regimes of the 20th century. …
All Nations Presbyterian Church, the local church that I serve, is starting a second church service this coming Sunday. After having one service for many years, we have decided to start up an afternoon service. This is an intentional move that will stretch us but which we believe will be good for the spread of …
In my last blog post here, I made the point that we need to read books and extended pieces of writing. We get accustomed to skimming and staying in the shallows and not thinking deeply about anything. Over time we lose the ability to concentrate; social media and internet browsing change the way our minds …
Are you a reader? I don’t mean ‘can you read’; the vast majority of people can read. I mean, do you read books? I find that so many people never read books at all. The Buggles once famously sang that “video killed the radio star”, but the popularity of video has also meant that many …
If you were to join a local football club, and you were relaxing with other football club members after the game, what do you think you would talk about? I have never been part of a football club, but I’ll hazard a guess: you would talk about football. It is what all of you have …
Like many people, I have a pile of bricks behind my shed in the backyard. They have been there as leftovers since the house was built over thirty years ago. At times, they come in handy. I have a few pot plants sitting on bricks and I have used them to weigh down the edges …
Most Christians are busy serving in their own local patch: their local church or maybe a parachurch organisation or mission field. We pour our hearts and souls into it, working to build others up, striving to see God honoured through the ministry we are part of. And that is a great thing! It is undoubtedly …
I have the privilege of serving in a church that is always talking about the gospel. You will hear Jesus talked about in every sermon. In all our Bible studies, our English class devotions, and in our sacraments, we love to talk about Jesus. For some people, that seems kind of odd. After all, the …
If you ever see a painting or sculpture of a Pope, past or present, you will notice something that is always there somewhere. They are always holding a set of keys. These represent the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Roman Catholic theology states that the Pope, as the descendant of Peter the apostle, holds …
I am an introvert. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like people; I love people, and love talking to people. It does mean that I get drained by too much time with people and I much prefer quiet and calm environments to loud, noisy places. If you’re an introvert, the morning tea time at church …