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Seventy Years
Seventy Years Many long years ago I wrote a short article entitled “The Good Old Days” for our church newsletter. Our pastor refused to publish the article because it painted a dim view of the then current days. I wish to revisit the same theme, but this time approaching the subject by more objectively observing aspects of life at three points of time over the last 70 years: When I was 7 years old When my son Peter was 7 years old My grandson Archie at 7 years old (the present day) My life at 7: Life revolved around family, friends and church. There was no television or any other electronic devices for personal enjoyment. Although my parents were not regular attendees at church, they sent my brothers and
Born in a Dog Bowl
Born in a Dog Bowl Where were you born? I was born in a hospital here in Brisbane. I assume you were born in a hospital too. Or maybe you were born at home? But I think it’s safe to assume none of you were born and placed in a feeding-box. You might think that’s a bit of a random thing to say, but that’s exactly what happened to the Lord Jesus. …She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:7) A manger is a feeding-box for animals. It’s like a dog bowl in that sense. My youngest boy, Bo, is obsessed with playing with our dog’s bowl at the moment. He puts her feed into
My Year in Books
My Year in Books I love a good list. Whether it’s a to-do list, a packing list, or my favourite type of list, a year-end list. I don’t mind if it’s music or movies or books, I enjoy reflecting on the year that’s been and the content that stood out. With that in mind, here are a few books I read this year that I found stimulating, enjoyable, and helpful, which I commend to you. ‘God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World’ by Andrew Wilson I love the God of things and appreciate the things of God more deeply as a result of this unique book. Andrew Wilson, teaching pastor at King’s Church in London, takes ordinary things (like dust, donkeys and viruses) and unpacks
Are you ready?
Are you ready? The countdown to Christmas is on. Are you ready? We do lots of things to prepare for Christmas, don’t we? We put up the tree. I know for many, it’s been up for weeks. But others wait till at least the start of December. We buy presents for family and friends in readiness for Christmas day. We plan lots of yummy food and special drinks to share. Perhaps we pull out old recipes of Christmas fare that’s been passed down for generations and has become such a tradition that there’d be uproar if it wasn’t on the table for Christmas. We get the house and yard ready, tidying, mowing and decorating. There’s so much to do to get ready for Christmas. I’m a little tired just
What made Oasis my home
What made Oasis my home As you likely know, I will soon be handing over my role as Youth Pastor at Oasis, as I’ve felt a call to shift to a broader ministry, to help fill a nation-wide shortage of pastors in our denomination. As I start to wrap thing up ready to hand over, I’ve been thinking about how hard it will be to leave Oasis- and why I feel so at home here. When I first started in my role 6 years ago, John Hoogenhout was the lead pastor here. He was one of the many who put in effort to make me feel at home here, and one way he did that was that whenever I returned from a trip, whether to Victoria or elsewhere (I
Even in Darkness We are Not Forsaken
Even in Darkness We are Not Forsaken Are you waiting for a prayer to be answered? Are you wondering how long you’ll experience the difficult season you’re in? I wonder if you remember a few weeks ago when Adam reminded us how long the Israelites waited for their prayers to be answered? Specifically, how long Israel waited between their rescue from Egypt and their rest in the Promised Land. It was a whopping four hundred and eighty years! Over that time God’s faithfulness was evident again and again. His faithfulness remains the same towards us; praise God! Christmas is just around the corner. I know many are excited for this special time of the year. For some though, this can be a particularly difficult season. I hope this line
“I Felt Like God Was with Me”
“I Felt Like God Was with Me” I walked into our front room with a deep hunger for connection with God. As I drew up the curtain, light began to enter the room… golden light, it felt… heavenly. I sensed this was exactly what He wanted me doing. I sat down on the armchair and didn’t leave that place for the next 25 minutes. I brought my hunger to God, told Him how I longed to be there with Him, and asked Him to speak to me as I opened up John’s Gospel. I felt like God was with me, that I was connected, and I carried those 25 minutes with me throughout the rest of the day. Why was this moment so rich for me? Well, it was
Thank You for Your Feedback
Thank You for Your Feedback We recently conducted our annual church-wide survey. The goal of this survey is to provide an opportunity for you to share your feedback; to identify where we are going well and where we could grow. While the survey is not the only factor we consider when determining priorities and goals for the upcoming year, it does influence and guide our decision making. We greatly appreciate all those who took the time to complete the survey and to share their feedback. I’m thankful to report that we had over 150 people complete the survey, across all age groups and all levels of experience with our church. The results of the survey were encouraging and the insights were helpful, with positive feedback given in many areas
