I love puzzling over difficult parts of the Bible. I love it, for the difficulty is in my head, not on the page, and puzzling over these difficulties gives me an opportunity to change the way I think.
Author Archives: The Briefing
If a prophet was preaching today
Up front
The prophet Ezekiel says some awful things about idolatry and its similarity with prostitution (Ezekiel 23). Israel is described as a whoring wife for worshipping other gods. Surprisingly, in an age when pole dancing is a hobby, I suspect his language would still manage to offend modern sensibilities. It made me wonder what the 21st-century prophet of humanist individualism might say… (more…)
Podcast: Where to, Lord? An interview with Mark Charleston
Audio
Paul Grimmond speaks to Mark Charleston of the Sydney Anglican Department of Ministry Training and Development about his reflections on the issues involved in choosing to move from one ministry to another (MP3).
Overcomers Outreach
Everyday Ministry
“Oh Alison, if I thought I could just go and play golf, I would.”
White star in the green: The challenge of ministry training in Pakistan
Briefing partner Overseas Council Australia (OCA) recently hosted Ashkenaz Asif, the Principal of Zarephath Bible Institute (ZBI) in Pakistan. In this article, Stuart Brooking, Executive Director of OCA, explains the significance of ZBI in its context.
The challenge of culture: Bruce Winter talks to Peter Hastie
FlashForward, or guidance and the grace of God
Life
Over the last few weeks, Emma and I have enjoyed watching the new TV show FlashForward. In the first episode, the entirety of humanity blacks out simultaneously for exactly two minutes and 17 seconds. During this blackout, everyone has a ‘flash-forward’, and experiences a snapshot of their own life six months in the future.
Delightful breezes from the Psalms
Life
Reading the Psalms is always a great delight. It is easy to notice when it is one of those delightful kind of Psalms. But some others, of course, take you through the valley of the shadow before the delight arrives. It certainly does come, but only as if through the darkness. I am glad not many are as black as Psalm 88; man, it must take you low, if its high point reads, “You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.” (Ps 88:18). But even these dark chapters from the Psalmist’s life can resonate with the ones the author of life is writing in your life story. In some (possibly sick) way, this can provide you some encouragement and help (although I never really understand how this works; you say to a friend, “I am feeling pretty low”, and they say, “Me too”, and you both feel better???)
Anyone taught you about the Spirit lately?
Life
If someone asked you to teach your church about the Holy Spirit, where would you go in the Bible? And when was the last time you taught, or were taught, about the work of the Holy Spirit?
Enshrined adolescence (lousy arguments that get better with age)
Life
I have a friend who has an adolescent daughter. Surprisingly, there are moments when the relationship is more rocky-road than dairy milk, if you follow me. As he described his current set of frustrations, it suddenly occurred to me that adolescence is the new black.
How do you communicate joy?
Pastoral Ministry
It’s easier to do dark than light. Angst seems stronger than joy. Evil is more exciting than good. And so the preacher has a problem: how do you convey the riches of heaven and the glory and goodness of God?
May God keep us from sour grapes
Life
Some doctrines are better than other ones. Some are more flexible; some are better at offence; some at defence. Some are just great at covering sinfulness.
Jesus advertising: Give me an (ad) break
Pastoral Ministry
My goodness, ‘Jesus advertising’ annoys me. When people I knew at Bible college do it (as they currently are), it annoys me even more. (No link is provided because, frankly, no matter how funky it is, I don’t want to know and I’m not interested in having others know either.)
The goodness of God
Thought
What is goodness? What does it mean that God is good? Do we really believe in a good God, and if we do, how can we even begin to talk to other people about him? Paul Grimmond investigates. (more…)