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There Are Hecklers In My Church!
Almost every week the main thing I have to do is sit down and write a 3-4000 word sermon on a particular topic or passage from the Bible. A sermon is a weird genre of writing, because at some point that writing will be presented orally in an auditorium, rather than read in a book…
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Transparenting
What are you watching? “Nothing…” What are you laughing at? “Nothing…” What are you crying about? “Nothing…” What are you talking about? “Dw…” …said the parent to the child. Private fun. Private fights. Private faith. The doors and walls don’t conceal as much as you think, but sitting in full view doesn’t make you present.…
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What to do with my enemies…
I’ve spent some time in the early parts of the year reading the first handful of psalms, and I’ve struggled with some parts. The writer, David, writes about his enemies a lot. I have hospitality staff who don’t smile when they drop off my flat white and banana bread, but David had legit enemies! People…
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Discon Tent
It’s time we acknowledge something: camping is pretty arrogant. Imagine, if you will, explaining the concept of camping to someone who lived in genuine poverty. “Yeah so what we do is we buy a bunch of stuff and we go out and live for a few days as if we were poor.” “Nah, we’re not…
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Conveniently Conservative
I have a natural political bend to the right. I have traditionally voted conservatively, and my personal morals, values, and ethics have somewhat generally aligned with those of the conservative parties. I have traditionally agreed that a conservative approach to change is good, particularly when undoing or altering that change in the future is arduous,…
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Between Two Thieves
Have we demonised the liberal left and lost our heart for justice? Have we demonised the conservative right and lost our conscience? Have we demonised our catholic faith and lost the unity of the Spirit? Have we demonised stylistic evolution in church services and ignored the adaptivity of the Spirit? Have we demonised egalitarians that…
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21st Century Awkward
“I love you.” “I’m grateful for you.” “Thankyou. I mean it, thankyou.” “I don’t agree.” “I’m sorry. Forgive me?” “You’re doing a great job.” “Here’s what I admire about you.” “That hurt me.” “I’m not coping.” “This has been bothering me.” “Are you ok?” Emotional Transparency in the 21st Century:applauded publicly, scolded privately. The ‘ball…
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kunanyi: it’s just a rock
I live 40 mins outside of a city that sits right below a big ol’ mountain. The mountain is Mount Wellington, and that city is Hobart. It’s worth noting that the mountain was there first. English settlers first came to Tasmania in the early 19th century to use this land as a penal colony. Why…