Unwrapping Christmas

Unwrapping Christmas

Every year millions of people participate in the most amazing mystery story conceivable, yet ‘miss the forest for the tree’. Christmas wafts over our consciousness like a carol in a shopping mall or drowned in lunch-time beers wearing bright coloured party hats. But what a pity to miss the mysterious story underpinning this season…

Communities of Sent Ones

Communities of Sent Ones

“I continue to dream of a completely missionary Church, and a new era of missionary activity among Christian communities.” Pope Francis has been banging this drum for years now, but is it getting through? If the word apostle means ‘sent one’, then to recover our apostolic identity we need to see ourselves as a Sent Church - a ‘community of sent ones’.

A Time to Revive

A Time to Revive

How aptly named is the word ‘grog’? A popular relaxant and Australian social icon, I admit to availing myself of a few cool ales over the summer break in a good communal spirit. The only thing is, it tends to leave the headlights a bit ‘foggy’ and the antennae a bit less sharp, doesn’t it. To have a relaxed, joyful, wound-down heart is good thing: but a dulled and foggy headspace - not so much.

Class Warfare in Church

Class Warfare in Church

One of the comments since the weekend’s ‘miracle’ election result is how Labor overplayed their hand and turned off voters by appealing to ‘class warfare’. ie. get the media machine churning, pit one group against the other, create a straw man and hope the swing goes in your direction. I’m no political analyst, but I have been around Church ministry long enough that I couldn’t help but think, ‘Hmmm, that sounds awfully familiar - Why is that?’ I think we could have a lot to learn from this as a Church if we’re willing to listen!

Responding to the Creative Burst

Responding to the Creative Burst

Inspiration comes at the most random times. Sometimes it falls while I'm driving home drumming on the dashboard of the car. Other times in the shower while my brain is turned off soaking my shoulders in the heat, or over a glass of wine sitting at the piano... It's at disarmed moments like these, when my soul is open, that a little bell in my head sounds- "bing" - and a revelation appears.