Matthew | What must I do?

‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ the young man asked in Matthew 19. These days, you might hear it phrased as, ‘How do I get into heaven?’ The answers come cascading down. Believe this, live that way, and don’t, whatever you do, act gay. But what was Jesus’ reply? Keep the commandments, more specifically reject murder, rape, theft and lies. Honour elders. Love your neighbours in this world now … Read here.

A reflection on the closure of the School of Indigenous Studies and, by implication, the church in this land more generally, written for Zadok Perspectives one year on from the referendum and featured on the Ethos blog. Image shows graffiti of Aboriginal flag at Camperdown Memorial Rest Park at Wiki Commons. Graffiti artist unknown.

October 20, 2024

Corinthians | Without friction, no fragrance

Some people want church to be a super-comfortable shelter from the world: but without friction, no fragrance! Listen here.

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed on a Christian radio program. When the host asked me about my childhood, I said that it had been church all the way, for which I was (now) incredibly grateful. The host told me he had also grown up in the church and said it was a great blessing ‘having a sheltered upbringing and a peaceful home life and all that sort of thing …’

Continue reading →

September 22, 2024

Samuel | Joining the sacred dance

The dance of the liturgy heals and transforms us: but to receive its gifts, we must participate. Listen here.

One of my happiest childhood memories were church barn dances. Once or twice a year on a Saturday night, we’d gather in the hall with a dance caller and bush band, and off we’d go with a do-se-do and twirl your partner! People of all ages skipped and galloped, wove and spun, stumbling and laughing and moving down the reel.

Continue reading →

July 14, 2024

John | God’s dwelling place

A reflection given to Canterbury Baptist Church on 7 July 2024. This congregation is facing a move, as their property is about to undergo a major redevelopment. And while there will be much to gain (don’t even mention the toilets), there will also be a great deal of loss. Given all this, I reflected on the theme of God’s dwelling place. Listen here.

Where does God live? What does God’s house look like? Does God live at church? These are big questions often asked by small people, but I wish more big people would ask them. Because I reckon many big people haven’t really worked out the answers, even though the questions have been floating around for thousands of years.

Continue reading →

July 7, 2024

Mark | How Satan casts out Satan

When Satan casts out Satan, he grows stronger: but in Christ we can unmask and bind him. A reflection on Mark 3:20-35 given to Westgate Baptist Community Church on 9 June 2024. Listen here.

I have a beloved friend whose church said she had a demon, and so they tried to bind and exorcise it. In the name of Christ, they said, she must be straight, yet over the days and years of fasting and praying and shouting and weeping they utterly failed to cast the demon out.

Continue reading →

June 9, 2024

Mark | Blind faith

Rejected by the worshipping community, blind Bartimaeus is commended for his faith. A reflection given to the delightful Rosanna Baptist Church on 17 March 2024. You can listen to a (very tinny) recording of it here.

He was slumped outside the city gate, because he wasn’t allowed to enter. Once, he had been on the inside, but not any more. Maybe he asked too many questions. Maybe he struggled to make nice. Maybe people felt uncomfortable around his disability, or his kid’s. Or maybe people’s reactions to his sexuality or gender had pushed him out.

Continue reading →

March 17, 2024

John | Farewell Sanctuary, my beautiful beloveds

Words for the closing of a church. (Listen.)

Once upon a time, nearly eight years ago, some of us did something very foolish. A bunch of people who had mostly drifted away from church or were burned by church or had been rejected by church bumped into a quirky minister on holiday, and wondered if they might try again. Continue reading “John | Farewell Sanctuary, my beautiful beloveds” →

November 26, 2023

Exodus | Hungry people, heaven’s bread

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained, saying, “If only we had died by God’s hand in Egypt, where we sat by the stew pots and ate our fill of bread; but you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill the whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2-3)

Once upon a time, there was a pastor who was beginning to feel stagnant, and stale, and trapped. She waited and waited for God to open the door of a small inner-city church; but at last, and to her shock, God called her to serve a regional crowd instead. “Who am I to do this?” she asked as she doubted and wrestled and argued with God. Finally, however, she obeyed; and she moved and began working among the people there. But after a year or so of people gathering and growing, and miracles abounding, she began to grumble. Continue reading “Exodus | Hungry people, heaven’s bread” →

October 4, 2023