Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. (Psalm 127) Well maybe not […]
I’ve taken the opportunity during our extended, and gloriously sunny, beachside holiday to plough through the Pentateuch. Genesis was a riveting read, as was most of Exodus. Then we get a bit bogged down. Lots and lots of worship ordinands. And don’t let me catch you boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk. The […]
In a fascinating article in The Canberra Times, climate activist, Michael Bones, writes about how progressives need to take a leaf about how to change society from, of all places – the church – and conservative church at that. You can read the full article here. In the wake of the terrible Australian bushfires and the […]
Twenty years ago we caught our collective breath as a nation when we saw this beautiful image appear for the climax of the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney Harbour. It was a wonderful moment, a celebration of something central to Sydney for so long. The humble story of Arthur Stace, transformed by Jesus, and […]
I got up on Christmas morning to let the dog out for his obligatory wee and to my surprise, the front doormat was gone. Not just any front doormat. A thick, woven, imported masterpiece of a doormat that offsets our house just nicely. It’s the right height to step straight into the house. It’s the […]
There was a time, in the not too distant past, when JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series was banned from the libraries and book sales of many a Christian school. Remember those good ol’ days? “Too scary to read,” they said. “Too much into the occult for kids,” we were told. “Too full of witches and […]
Hey Christian, don’t be tempted to cancel your Netflix account because the streaming service is airing the blasphemous comedy The First Temptation of Christ. Yep it makes a mockery of the sacred, comes at Christmas time, and presents Jesus as gay. And yep, there’s a huge move afoot to get it cancelled, with petitions all over […]
One of the most insightful comments coming out of the UK election blowout was from politics professor at the University of Kent, Matthew Goodwin: What we have seen in this election campaign is a Conservative Party that has been willing to lean left on economics and right on culture, … [Boris Johnson] is someone who […]
The government in my home state of Western Australia has just passed some of the most far-reaching euthanasia laws in the nation, and they are proud. Gleeful even. There was pushback, notably from one local MP who I know, Nick Goiran, who managed to get changes made in the weeks leading up to the passing […]
I’ve been dividing my writing time these past few months between my blog, a book I am writing for The Good Book Company in the UK, and the new Third Space website. Third Space’s website is a space for people to explore the Christian faith, not necessarily from a position of having faith in Christ […]
I got home from church last night and my neighbour diagonally opposite, Kath, was out in her garden. It was a mild evening, sun not fully set, so I wandered over for a chat. Kath’s a great neighbour. Her house is one of the old non-gentrified ones in the area, with a great cottage garden […]
I remember it well. Ten years ago this week I was sick. Not just sick, but sick sick. The phone rang as we were sitting down to eat dinner, much as I didn’t feel like eating. It was the doctor. Can I come along to the office? Now? With my wife? I guess I can. […]
And there’s no doubt about it I really, really wanna shout it now Singing, I’m not religious anymore, whoa yea And there’s no doubt about it I really, really wanna shout it now Singin, I’m not religious I just love the Lord So sang Scott Wesley Brown back in 1977, in his song, I’m Not […]
Australian apologists for the Chinese regime should hang their heads in shame, with further proof that China is crushing religious freedom with glee and breathtaking arrogance. Just this week it has been revealed that churches throughout China have been forced to remove religious iconography, which are then replaced by, er, religious iconography, namely the current […]
It’s the little moments that make the Christmas season so special This is the latest Christmas advert for Bonds. The picture isn’t showing you what the little things actually are, but I assure you it’s the Bonds undies that are probably one size too small for both these muscular chaps. Cue outrage. And I kinda […]
If you’re a Terrence Malick fan, then you’ve got to see his latest film, A Hidden Life. It’s terrific. If you are not a Malick fan, become one by going to see it. Mind you, at 2 hours 45 minutes its either empty your bladder or bring your catheter. I got to see it at […]
“You’re not one of those evangelicals are you?” I’d just settled into the plane for the five hour flight back home across this great brown land called Australia, and I was tired. The Friday night flight from Sydney to Perth is invariably late taking off (a thunderstorm this time? Nice move, didn’t see that one!), […]
Chick-fil-A, the famed chicken fast food franchise, has just announced that it will now open Sundays. CEO Dan T Cathy declared this past week that the shifts in consumer expectations have resulted in a careful decision by the company to open seven days per week, starting from January 2020. In a press release today, Cathy […]
I have appreciated the Netflix series, The Good Place (the earlier seasons are better). Here at Third Space, my colleague David Robertson and I discuss the show, it’s views of heaven and hell, why God is strangely absent, and what it says about right and wrong. Have a watch of The Good Place, if […]
Speaking as a cynical, grumpy ex-Gothic X-Generation boy who all the other generations despise, let me say this: If you’re a Christian, it’s not ok to say “Ok Boomer” That’s a dismissive and arrogant thing to say. And Boomers? It’s not ok to razz out on Millennials, as snowflakes or whatever. For what it’s worth […]
“Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” Haggai 1:10-11 Have you ever “done an Izzy?” Have […]
My twin brother and I were recently interviewed by The Centre for Public Christianity He’s an atheist. I am not! He is an academic. I am a pastor. I believe Jesus rose from the dead. He doesn’t. I loved this Life and Faith podcast interview because it gave us a chance to talk through some things […]
One of the of the most common question we get asked when we visit people in Australia is this: “what can your work in Mozambique teach the local Australian church about sharing the Good News with people in Australia”? Our answer is pretty simple: “Learn the language and culture of people outside of your church […]
Something is going to have to give. At the very time that work has been elevated to a means of not just material production, but identity production, it’s also become the second biggest means of stress production after family conflict. So we read in The Guardian, the searing truth about work making us feel more […]
If you want to check out what I have been doing since stepping down as senior pastor at the start of the year, you can check out the new Third Space website. Third Space exists to create room for dialogue between Christians and non-Christians; to consult with churches as to where that room/third-space might be (bearing […]
