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Ethical Shopping vs. Christmas Shopping
Ethical Shopping vs. Christmas Shopping What kind of Christmas shopper are you? Do get your Christmas shopping done early or are you a last-minute shopper? Every year I lull myself into a false sense of security. I make lists in October and start shopping early... only to leave 50% of the gift buying to the week before Christmas! Now, you might be wondering why I’m writing about Christmas shopping? Consumerism is rife in our society. It’s one of the lies that culture tells us will make us happy. But as we were reminded last Sunday, the things of this earth will not make us happy. Adam said in the sermon ‘Happy is the person who is right with the happy God! This is the ultimate form of happiness. Because
Expressive Individualism: The ‘Truth’ Behind the Half Truths
Expressive Individualism: The ‘Truth’ Behind the Half Truths How aware are you of air? Air is all around us. We breathe it in every few seconds. It’s what we live and work and play in. But I’m guessing you’re not that conscious of air. It’s something you’ve just accepted as normal. Besides, you’ve never really known of anything else. But… let’s imagine you could speak to a fish. They would tell you that for them air is not normal. Not everyone lives in it… and it is peculiar to your species. Ok, so why the laboured analogy? Well, air is kind of like what ‘Expressive individualism’ is to Australia and the rest of the West. You might be thinking… “expressive what now?!” I’ll do my best to define it
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy Faithfulness I grew up singing hymns. I remember the old hymn books – the colour, the print, the smell. I remember the hymn books in some churches I visited had the music score with the words written under the notes. As a child who found music fascinating, I loved to follow along on the music and challenge myself to sing the alto line or the tenor line and sometimes even the bass (which was way too low for my voice but so fun to sing.) Of course, as I grew older it wasn’t just the rich harmonies of the music that captured my heart, it was the words. Such deep, solid doctrine is found in the words of those old hymns. And as I sang them
Justice Sunday 2021
Justice Sunday 2021 This Sunday is a special Sunday in our church calendar. It is what we call ‘Justice Sunday’, a day we set aside to focus our attention on God’s heart for justice and the role he has called us to play. It’s a day for us to pursue the vision of Micah 6:8 together: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” These well-known words are a clear call to all believers to be engaged in the pursuit of justice in our day. To lean into and push back on the darkness in our world so that more people might find the freedom
The Value of Written Prayers
The Value of Written Prayers Perhaps, like me, you grew up thinking written prayers were somehow less spiritual, less meaningful, less authentic. As if the act of reading a prayer automatically diminished its value or spirituality. I can certainly remember feeling those who read out a written prayer, especially in a corporate gathering, were somehow cheating. I have a feeling I’m not alone. Broadly speaking, modern evangelical Christians tend to prefer spontaneity and passion in worship over specificity and precision. This, I think, can be to our detriment. I recently started reading ‘Everyday Prayers’ by Scotty Smith, a collection of 365 Scripture-centred prayers. I’m aiming to read one prayer before bed each night. To be honest, when I fall into bed at night, I find it difficult to fight
Gospel Truth in a Fracturing World
Gospel Truth in a Fracturing World Our world is fracturing. It’s fracturing across many issues: from politics to race; from climate change to gender. And as it fractures, it becomes more and more tribal. People self-sort into groups that think the same way and often act the same way. And social media turbocharges this polarisation. I recently read an excellent article published by The Gospel Coalition titled “Four Big Lies Christians Believe in our Fracturing Age.” I’ve summarised the main points below, but I encourage you to check out the full article by Akos Balagh here. Lies are fracturing our world. And Christians are not immune from believing these lies. These lies drive how opposing groups think about the world, how they talk, and how they act, especially toward
The gospel and parenting: How do they go together?
The gospel and parenting: How do they go together? Have you ever asked yourself what makes a good parent? What about, “What makes a Christian parent?” How should the gospel shape and change your parenting? I mean, there are plenty of parents who don’t know Christ who we would think of as “good parents”. They show love to their children, they give them an education, they teach them manners, they play with them and explore their talents… but, should Christian parenting look any different? If your vision for parenting doesn’t require Christ, is it really Christian? People can tap into Christian principles in their parenting, but it still doesn’t quite make their parenting Christian. I’ve been thinking lately about how the gospel is supposed to shape my parenting and
None Like Him
None Like Him I’ve been a follower of Christ my whole life. And yet I am still learning – learning more about God and more about myself. I’ve recently started reading a book by Jen Wilkin called ‘None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (and why that’s a good thing)’. I’ve only read one chapter so far but I’ve learnt such a lot already, and I can’t wait to read more. The first chapter explores the notion that God is Infinite. Jen writes, “Any discussion of how God is not like us must begin with an acknowledgment that we are measurable and His is not. God is infinite, unbound by limits. He defies measurement of any kind. His limitlessness underlies all of His attributes; His power,
