CCBlogs thinking critically, living faithfully

This is in today’s issue of The Age: A POVERTY of human relationships, much more than an absence of material resources, puts children at risk, according to a US expert on child abuse and trauma. ”You are much more likely to be healthy, much more likely to be able to learn more readily, much more [...]

Darkness is no darkness with you Reading Psalm 139.1-18 We begin life in darkness. We spend nine months in the womb, changing, morphing into a recognisable human being. (Though sometimes I think it’d be better if we were called human becomings, because we’re all works in progress throughout our lives.) And I’m convinced that we [...]

According to ABC News, in a recently-published book called The Grand Design (sic? irony?), physicist Stephen Hawking writes: Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist…It is not [...]

With glad and generous hearts A Sermon on Stewardship Readings Hebrews 13.1-8, 15-16 Luke 14.1, 7-14 We’ve reached the final week of our series on Mission and Stewardship. In our series, we’ve heard that the Church is here for the benefit of those outside, not for the benefit of its members. But we’ve also said [...]

Amazing Taiwanese take on the Australian election today. Spot on!! It is ironic that the video credits Rudd’s failure to implement the emission trading scheme as one reason for his plummeting popularity. But it’s highly unlikely we’ll get one out of this election…

Living God’s Mission Readings Jeremiah 1.4-10 Luke 13.10-17 We’ve heard a fair bit the last couple of weeks about the Church being here not for the benefit of its members, but for the benefit of those outside. And we’ve said that the Church is here to benefit us in one way: that is to meet [...]

Disciples are… Readings Hebrews 11.29 to 12.2 Luke 12.49-56 Today is the second of our August series on Mission and Stewardship. Last week, I shared a quotation with you from William Temple, who among other things was Archbishop of Canterbury during the early part of the Second World War. I said that I hope you [...]

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Al Macrae, has written in the ABC’s Religion and Ethics page that we need prophetic political leadership. He is so right! Read the whole thing, but here is a sampler: Biblical wisdom tells us that “where there is no vision, the people perish.” If this aspect of [...]

The lovely Kate Rusby is my favourite folk singer, singing as she does with her South Yorkshire twang. The Elfin Knight is a great showpiece for her voice… I’ve tried to embed the code, but it doesn’t seem to be working, so go to YouTube to listen:

I’m reading a very good book at the moment: The Nearness of God: Parish ministry as spiritual practice, by Julia Gatta. She writes from an Anglican (actually, US Episcopal) perspective, and writes: I will be looking at characteristically priestly ministries to see just how grace might show up, to notice how Christ might be at [...]

I preached a few weeks ago about how the way of ubuntu is starting to speak to me, particularly through the writings and life of Desmond Tutu. Eureka St has a story today about how a young man with no money for a ticket was ‘voted’ onto a bus. The story is called Vote 1 [...]

It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom Readings Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-16 Luke 12.32-40 For the rest of the month of August, we have  a series: we’re looking at Mission and Stewardship. So to begin, I want to share a quotation with you that I hope you will remember always: The Church is [...]

Devotions: Bremer Brisbane Presbytery meeting Readings Hebrews 11.1-3, 8-16 Luke 12.32-40 Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12.32 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11.1 Faith is ‘the conviction of things not seen’, [...]

I went to see Skin today—I thought it was well worth seeing. That it is based on a true story makes it even more remarkable. (FWIW, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 87%.) UK-born Nigerian-Jewish actor Sophie Okonedo plays the central role of Sandra Laing beautifully (Ella Ramangwane plays the younger Sandra), and Alice Krige plays her [...]

A profound reflection from Richard Rohr (in Everything Belongs: the Gift of Contemplative Prayer): I think Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah (Matt. 16:4, 12:39, Luke 11:29). It’s taken on a great significance for me. I was reading the Gospel passage in which Jesus says, “It is an [...]

Baptism: A matter of death and life Readings Colossians 3.1-11 Luke 12.13-21 The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. LP Hartley started his 1953 book, The Go-Between, with this wonderful sentence. It’s just about become a proverbial saying, and it would be hard to find a better way to begin a [...]

In Genesis 18, Abraham haggles with God with the result that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, it would be spared. When I mused about putting the synopsis of my PhD thesis on the blog I had decided that if there were not ten but one who asked I’d do it. Thanks, Nicole! [...]

A member of my congregation has made me aware of this excellent litany, produced by the Liturgical Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia. I believe it deserves a wider use: Lord of every time and place, God of integrity and truth, we pray for wisdom as we prepare to vote in the Federal election. [...]

Rooted in Christ Readings Colossians 2.6-19 Luke 11.1-13 I remember when I was a first year medical student. It was back when crinoline dresses were all the fashion and horseless carriages had just begun to make an appearance. I was at a meeting of the Christian cell group in our year, and another student spoke [...]

Last night was my graduation from Griffith University as a PhD—a lot of fun, even though I spent half the morning with a case of the vomits. (Too much information? Ok, no more then…) The thesis was titled, Presbyteral Rites of Ordination, 1977-1995: The Uniting Church in Australia ‘within the faith and unity of the [...]