There were times in the past when you would get some kind of respect for being a Christian. Perhaps people would think that you must be ethical and reliable. People identifying as Christian might have once been preferred for public office in some countries. Those days are behind us. Christians now live in a culture …
Not everyone is like you. I hope that doesn’t come as a surprise! Sure, they might look like you. They might have the same number of arms and legs. Yet other people see the world in a wildly different way to what you do. That is due to all kinds of factors, including culture, age, …
If you’ve grown up in the West, honour and shame are probably not things that impact you very much. Westerners are not known for feeling shame deeply. If you do something embarrassing, that’s unfortunate but not that bad. If it’s funny, it may well end up on YouTube! Those who have grown up in the …
I want you to picture a scene. A couple have been married for over twenty years. They have been through good times and bad and have remained together. Theirs is a long and happy relationship. One day, the husband says to his wife over breakfast, “Dear, we know each other really well. I love you …
While I was on annual leave, my wife and I decided to visit a few different churches in a few different church traditions. Having been part of the Presbyterian tradition now for a long time, we thought it would be good to see a broader spectrum of the churches in Perth. We also thought it …
I have only recently returned to work after having the longest holiday I have had for years: a little over three weeks of rest. It has made me reflect on why we need rest and what it can teach us about ourselves and God. Rest is hard for many of us. If you’re usually a …
When we think of prayer, sometimes what think about are the carefully crafted prayers we hear in church and see in prayer books. You know the type of thing I mean. These are prayers with carefully thought-out structures, references and echoes from all kinds of different Bible passages, with confession and thanksgiving and prayer all …
One of my main jobs is as a preacher. I have the privilege of explaining and applying God’s word to people most weeks of the year. As an organised person, I plan my preaching programme well in advance. I can tell you which sermon series I am preaching for every Sunday in 2021, and in …
Are you the kind of person who makes New Year’s Resolutions? Whether you are or not, I am sure that you are a little more reflective this time of year. When we have a little more time than usual, we do tend to think about how we were in the past year and what might …
Everyone seems to be doing post-mortems on 2020 at the moment. And it is not hard to list all of the terrible things that have happened this year; it is truly remarkable how difficult it has been for so many. But I don’t see the point in dwelling on all the bad things. Let’s look …