Christians regard unity as being of primary importance, reflecting a theme that runs through the Scriptures: unity is where God bestows his blessing (Ps 133); Christian unity testifies to Christ’s identity and his love for his church (John 17:23); unity in the church glorifies God (Rom 15:5-6); and we are commanded to be united because there is one body and one Spirit (Eph 4:3-6). In fact, unity in the faith is the goal of Christian ministry and edification in the church (Eph 4:11-16). (more…)
10 tips for faithful sleep-deprived living
Life
Sleep is one of God’s good gifts. Most of us chug though life without thinking much about it, which is usually a sign that we’re getting enough. But for some of us, that blissful enjoyment of the half-regarded treasure we know as a ‘good night’s sleep’ is shattered for some reason.
Where the road begins
Resource Talk, Review, Sola Panel
I have always thought that I had a pretty good understanding of Roman Catholicism, not just of its history and doctrine, but of how Catholic people ‘tick’. Growing up as a non-Catholic at a Roman Catholic high school, all my mates were Catholic, all my teachers were Catholic, and all my girlfriends were Catholic (of which, to be precise, there was one). I even flirted briefly with becoming Catholic myself.
Review: “The third choice”
Review
The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom
Mark Durie
Deror Books, Melbourne, 269pp.
The image of giant passenger airliners being flown into the twin towers in New York remains burnt into our retinas. For those of us in the West, it remains a baffling puzzle: what could motivate anyone to do that? (more…)
Review: “The radical disciple”
Review
The Radical Disciple
John Stott
Inter-Varsity Press, Nottingham, 2010, 144pp.
At age 88, and after authoring more than 50 books, John Stott has written his final book: The Radical Disciple. He is a man who has made an incredible contribution to evangelical Christianity through his preaching, teaching, leadership and writing. In some ways it is sad to hear that it is his final book, but I suppose that he has earned a break after so many faithful years. (more…)
Dawn of the Christian dead (part 3): Better than zombie power
Life
Apparently, one of the attractions of the zombie is absolute freedom. You can do anything you want. Nobody will argue.
For many, being one of the undead might be too high a price to pay for such absolute freedom. For the rising number of zombie fans, however, so what if your personal appearance takes a little bit of a dive, and you have to walk relentlessly forward with stiff limbs? Freedom is freedom.
Dawn of the Christian dead (part 2): Will Jesus make us into zombies?
Life
Watching the detective
Life, Sola Panel
Watching the latest incarnation of Sherlock Holmes on TV the other night, it occurred to me that the Bible is a mystery story.
Big M Ministry and little s service
Everyday Ministry, Sola Panel
The word ‘ministry’ just means ‘service’.1 It’s a fact I already knew, and perhaps one you know too; but earlier this year I came to see its implications.
I was walking along, praying about my Ministry. I was praying for the wisdom to know which Ministry to do, how much energy to put into certain Ministries, and when to stop one Ministry so I would have more energy for other Ministries. Suddenly, like a bolt to my brain from the rather grey sky (it was the fading end of a Melbourne winter), came the word ‘service’.
Complementarianism and egalitarianism (part 9): The future of egalitarianism (iv)
Pastoral Ministry
If it happens that ongoing developments encourage a rethink among some of those people who consider themselves egalitarian, a move to a more biblical understanding by former egalitarians will be aided by two main gestures by complementarians. (more…)
The last things: Paul Helm talks to Peter Hastie
Complementarianism and egalitarianism (part 8): The future of egalitarianism (iii)
Pastoral Ministry
This is the third post in this second segment of Mark Baddeley’s series on complementarianism and egalitarianism. (Read parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9.)
We have been considering some of the reasons why there may be some moves out of the egalitarian ‘camp’ in the foreseeable future—say, over the next twenty years or so. In this post we’ll consider the problems that arise when champions of women’s ordination cease to campaign for their cause, but have to rule on the basis of it, and conclude in the next by considering how complementarians can respond to these opportunities. (more…)
Complementarianism and egalitarianism (part 7): The future of egalitarianism (ii)
Pastoral Ministry
In this four-part series we are looking at some of the reasons why some egalitarians are likely to reconsider their commitment to women exercising authority in the church. This time around, we are looking at the pressure placed upon egalitarians by the gay lobby. The times, they are a changing, and yesterday’s radical advocate of equality and liberty (for fighting for women’s ordination) is today’s muddle-headed conservative champion of prejudice (for not approving homosexuality). One of the biggest challenges evangelical pro-women’s ordination advocates are going to experience is the growing move to approve of active homosexual lifestyles. (more…)
On being boring
Life, Sola Panel
According to a computer analysis, one particular Sunday in the 1950s (the 11 April 1954, to be exact) was the most boring day in the twentieth century. The most interesting things that happened on that day were a Belgian election (yawn) and the birth of a Turkish physicist specializing in atomic microscopes and computer chips. Apart from that, nothing much else happened.
Being boring seems to be a particularly heinous crime nowadays, even amongst Christians. Of course, this isn’t true at all times and in all places. It’s hard to think of the Protestant martyrs who were burned at the stake in the mid-1500s, or Christians today in Pakistan being sentenced to death for blasphemy, being especially worried about the prospect of boredom. On the other hand, if you’re reading this, you probably belong to that portion of humanity with quite a lot of time on our hands. Time to read blogs, for example. Or play sport. Or to like things on Facebook. And since you probably spend quite a bit of time reading, playing and liking, you probably care a lot more about the ‘interest factor’ in your entertainment, your sport and your friends than, for instance, the average Protestant martyr.
So is there actually anything wrong with being boring? Is boredom just a 21st century Western problem that we all just need to ‘get over’?
Complementarianism and egalitarianism (part 6): The future of egalitarianism (i)
Pastoral Ministry
This is the second section in Mark Baddeley’s series on complementarianism and egalitarianism. (Read parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9.)
I have argued in a previous series that the disagreement over the role of women in the church has now reached a point where some structural separation at the institutional level is likely to work itself out. The debate is, by and large, over; leaders of the two movements are now moving on to explore the ramifications of their position for doctrine, the Christian life, and how church and ministry are conducted. This will mean institutions will become more monochrome as they take steps that make it hard for people to stay if they disagree. It will also mean that both groups may well find themselves diverging on related doctrines, as the fundamental principles at play behind the concrete debate over women’s ordination increasingly work themselves out to other areas of doctrine and practice. (more…)