Tag Archives: Family

Keep the Sabbath

Life

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At the risk of being too general, most Christians agree it’s good and wise to keep the intention of the Sabbath by taking a day off every week and resting.1 We don’t do this because we’re under the law of the Sabbath, for Jesus has fulfilled that law for us. We don’t have to have it on a certain day of the week, and it’s not done to win God’s favour. Instead, we observe these Sabbath-type days because we trust the God who loves us in Christ and who rules all things; taking a day off once a week is “an expression of this commitment”.2 (more…)

Making babies when sex just isn’t enough

Life

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Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”:
Sheol, the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.” (Prov 30:15b-16)

Infertility is on the rise: current statistics say it now affects one in six couples.1 If you are not personally affected, you may know someone who is, and certainly there will be couples within our churches who are struggling with infertility. With the rise of infertility and medical advances has come in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Ethics for Christians can be highly contentious, and the process and implications of IVF are no exception. We write this article to share with you our story, our struggles, our theological conclusions, our sadness and our joy. We hope that this article assists your walk through the minefield of ethical issues IVF raises for Christians.
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Making singleness better

Interchange

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Thank you for the many helpful articles in the May issue of The Briefing (#368). As a single Christian, I’ve found that getting stuck into a small local church has really helped to make singleness better. While I know that this might seem counter-productive (as it means the chances of meeting a future spouse are reduced), I would heartily commend it to others for the following reasons: (more…)

Making singleness better

Life

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There are those who say that singleness is better, but unfortunately that is not the experience of many who have been single long-term. Tim Adeney looks at why, and what we can do to love and serve the single people in our churches. (more…)

Shutting the door

Up front

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Six months ago, my husband Dave and I changed our morning routine. Previously, we had tried various strategies for daily prayer and Bible reading, fitting them around work and children into the cracks and crevices of the day. For me, this meant doing it when the children were resting, or otherwise occupied, or asleep. Some of these strategies worked better than others. Finally, when none of these cleverer approaches delivered the consistency and quality of time that we needed, we decided to bite the bullet and go back to the old-fashioned, unoriginal approach: we would simply get up early enough to take turns to look after the kids while the other parent shut the bedroom door and spent some decent time alone in Bible reading and prayer. (more…)

Generation Ex

Interchange

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As a child of ‘Generation Ex’, I was very grateful for Karen Beilharz’s article on the impact of divorce on children—even adult children. It was insightful and practically pastoral. I especially appreciated her honesty about her own reactions and struggles, and the salutary warning she provides to parents (even Christian ones) who might be tempted to think it is better for children to have ‘happy’ parents who are divorced rather than unhappy parents in a miserable marriage. As she rightly points out, the Lord hates divorce. (more…)

Welcoming children

Up front, Sola Panel

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One of the quirks of being a Christian minister associated with an historic building like St Michael’s Wollongong is that I end up officiating at a lot of weddings. However I recently attended a wedding as a guest with no official capacity. It was full of joy and wonderful testimonies to the grace and love of God through his Son Jesus. But I noticed something strange: throughout the wedding, from the processional to the final speech at the reception, no mention was made of children at all. Not once. (more…)

Motherhood and humble pie

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The role of motherhood can often seem like a joyless, thankless task. It’s a vocation that is losing popularity in our society. But, as Lesley Ramsay shows us, motherhood lies at the very heart of God’s rescue plan for humanity. (more…)

Generation Ex

Life

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Divorce is a difficult reality for many, but not least for the children of the divorced. Karen Beilharz helps us to understand the ramifications of divorce, and how we can love and care for families who have been through it.

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The duties of parents (Part 2)

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Read Part 1.

7. Train them to habits of diligence and regularity about public means of grace

Tell them of the duty and privilege of going to the house of God and joining in the prayers of the congregation. Tell them that wherever the Lord’s people are gathered together, there the Lord Jesus is present in an especial manner, and that those who absent themselves must expect, like the Apostle Thomas, to miss a blessing. Tell them of the importance of hearing the Word preached, and that it is God’s ordinance for converting, sanctifying and building up the souls of men. Tell them how the Apostle Paul enjoins us not “to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb 10:25), but to exhort one another, to stir one another up to it, and so much the more as we see the day approaching.

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