June 12, 2013 · 4:49 am

The Trinity, the disabled, and the image of God

“To be created in God’s image is to be called persons in communion…

Human ‘being’ is the result of our being said by someone else, namely, God. In this case, to be is to be mentioned.

The ethical implications of this view are apparent. Even those not mentioned by us – the infirm in nursing homes and hospitals, the unborn, those who are deemed ‘nothing’ by society, even the dead – are nevertheless somebody because they have been mentioned by God. God has called them into existence, and he will have the last word at the final resurrection. Neither their ability to reason nor to will, but God’s covenantal speech, is the source of their personhood.”

Michael Horton, The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2011) [kindle edition], loc. 9663 of 25524.

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June 11, 2013 · 1:28 pm

Being human, being free?

potter-with-clay

“Long story short: we don’t get to make our lives up. We get to receive our lives as gifts. The story that says we should have no story except the story we chose when we had no story is a lie.

To be human is to learn that we don’t get to make up our lives, because we’re creatures. Christians are people who recognise that we have a Father whom we can thank for our existence. Christian discipleship is about learning to receive life as gift without regret.”

Stanley Hauerwas, ‘The politics of gentleness: Abled and disabled’, Christian Century (Dec 2,2008), 32.

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May 27, 2013 · 1:36 pm

What the guys got up to at men’s conference…

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May 2, 2013 · 4:02 am

A thought on evangelism in our current climate

“By and large the press will tar every effort at evangelism with the label ‘proselytism,’, as we have already seen. But this provides us with an opportunity to insist on the different word associations that ‘proselytism’ and ‘evangelism’ have for Christians. The former is unworthy witness, the attempt to win others to our position out of unworthy or even corrupt motives. By contrast, to evangelize is … “to make an open and honest statement of the gospel, which leaves the hearers entirely free to make up their own minds about it.” If others wilfully confuse the two, there is not much we can do about it – but we should be bold not only to engage in evangelism but to make clear what it is and what it isn’t.”

D.A.Carson, The Intolerance of Tolerance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2013), 173-4.

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April 4, 2013 · 10:09 am

5 reflections on sitting in the 1st and 2nd chairs at the same time

1. St Paul’s is blessed with a gifted yet humble leadership team, including staff, parish council and wardens. I have been privileged to see this at a closer vantage and am deeply encouraged by the men and women that God has raised up to lead. They genuinely love God and want to see him honoured through our ministry and wise stewardship of the resources he has placed in our hands at this time. They are also gracious, and have had my back many times in these months, always seeking the win for the team rather than personal achievement.

2. In a church the size of St Paul’s, lots of things are happening. At the same time. Involving lots of people, and lots of decisions. I have seen this more by being exposed to 2 different decision making chains at the same time. It can do your head in! But it’s amazing to see.

3. I’m having to think and pray about money more than I usually do. It is stretching and humbling and a privileged burden of leadership.

4. You can’t do everything that you’d like to get done. I am seeing even more intensely the need for careful allocation of personal time and energy into certain things and not others. Sometimes the best is served by forgoing the good.

5. God’s people are wonderful, gracious, and challenging, no matter what chair(s) you are sitting in!

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March 22, 2013 · 8:11 pm

The Bible, The Forest and The Trees

forest and trees

I’m teaching a ‘Bible Overview Morning’ today at St Paul’s. Our goal is to see how the Bible fits together, and how we can read it as Christian Scripture today. It’s ambitious…foolish? But I think it will be fun.

Here’s the handouts for those who are coming, in case they want to make notes on their iPad.

Handout 1

Handout 2

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March 21, 2013 · 10:53 pm

Global data upends usual picture of Christianity trends

Despite a century-long decline, religious affiliation has shown a marked resurgence globally since 1970. Both Christianity and Islam make up growing segments of the world’s population. Africa and China have witnessed the most marked religious change.

These are among the findings discussed by religious demographer Dr Todd M. Johnson in an overview of religious identity and trends in world Christianity since 1910, presented at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, on 13 March.

Read the rest here

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March 12, 2013 · 3:32 am

The Shocking Truth of the Passion

 

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“The prediction of Jesus’ passion conceals a great irony, for the suffering and death of the Son of Man will not come, as we would expect, at the hands of godless and wicked people. The suffering of the Son of Man comes rather at the hands of ‘the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law.’ It is not humanity at its worst that will crucify the Son of God but humanity at its absolute best (emphasis mine). The death of Jesus will not be the result of a momentary lapse or aberration of human nature, but rather the result of careful deliberations from respected religious leaders who will justify their actions by the highest standard of law and morality, even believing them to render service to God (John 16:2). Jesus will not be lynched by an enraged mob or beaten to death in a criminal act. He will be arrested with official warrants, and tried and executed by the world’s envy of jurisprudence – the Jewish Sanhedrin and the principia iuris Romanorum.”

James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 254.

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Quote

The persistence…

The persistence of Jesus in discovering who touched him rivals the woman’s persistence in reaching Jesus. She wants a cure, a something, whereas Jesus desires a personal encounter with someone. He is not content to dispatch a miracle; he wants to encounter a person.

In the kingdom of God, miracle leads to meeting. Discipleship is not simply getting our needs met; it is being in the very presence of Jesus, being known by him, and following him.

James R.Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 165.

Postscript:

How do we know all the details of the woman with the flow of blood in Mark 5? My guess is that she remained a disciple of Jesus and followed him around along with the other disciples, and in the course of the journeying she shared her background with Peter, who likely forms the primary source for Mark.

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February 27, 2013 · 2:42 am
December 12, 2012 · 12:33 am

The first five things an associate does when the boss goes on sabbatical

This list may or may not be apocryphal…

1. Redecorate the boss’ office in NSW Origin colours, to save him the effort once NSW wins this year (the last 7 years not withstanding) .

2. Introduce a pet python into the boss’ office – pets are therapeutic – and make sure no one breaks the glass cage, especially in the last week before return.

3. Knowing the boss is likely to be bored when he gets back, with nothing much to do, start immediately swapping every 5th book of the meticulously ordered library.

4. In the interests of COMPLETE transparency, make sure EVERY STAFF MEMBER cc’s EVERY email to the boss’ email address, and have every email flagged as ‘Important’.

5. Having executed steps 1 through 4, get resume in order ready to ‘explore other employment opportunities…’

😉

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