The Royal Commission: This is a good thing
Just over a week ago, on 12 November, 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that she will request the establishment of a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse, particularly institutional responses to child sexual abuse. Subsequently, a formal website was set up as a hub for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. On 19 November, a consultation paper was published by the Australian Government asking for input on the terms
So how is that working out for you?
A large benefit of my faith in Christ, is that it helps me make sense of this world. As a follower of Jesus and his teachings, I realise a few critical points. 1) I am a sinner, along with everyone in this world. 2) Our sin explains the evil things that happen in this world. 3) Without Christ, there is no hope for change in this world or the next. So… When I look at
Cancer
Maybe I am just getting older, but I am increasingly hearing about the big C. People I know are increasingly being diagnosed and talking about their cancer experiences. Cancer is simply a growth of cells that is not natural. It can occur in any part of the body, but commonly occurs in the prostate (men), breast (women), bowel, liver, brain, and other organs or on the skin. Caught early on, there are various types of
Smart phone, dumb people
Over the past five years, the rise of the smartphone has been incredible. They have changed the way we live, the way we work, the way we communicate, and—with the recently released iPhone 5—the way we pay for things. We have been enamoured by the features of these gadgets and the innovative ways to perform new tasks on a small device. So have they really made us smart, or are we really just dumb for
Some thoughts on the Muslim riots in Sydney
The image to the right genuinely shocked me on Saturday. Not really because of what the sign said—that is nothing new. Not particularly because it was a small child holding it, though that is deeply disturbing. Not even because the mum, presumably, was taking a photograph as if this would be a cute moment to remember at his twenty-first. No, none of these were the primary reason for my shock. The primary reason for my
The fellowship of the dead
I wonder if any genre has so much to offer the believer as biography. There is wonderful fellowship to be had among those whose lives ended even before ours began. Muster of the dead Hundreds of lives have been recorded. People whose faith and joy in God changed our nation and our world. Key figures in Australian history include F. W. Boreham, Lionel B. Fletcher, John G. Ridley (though I've yet to find a full
Two voices on pastoral ministry
I came across two unrelated comments today on the pastoral ministry. The first comment was from Booker T. Washington in his autobiography Up From Slavery. Washington was born into slavery in the United State of America and went on to found Tuskegee University after emancipation in 1863. In his comments on the attitudes of the former slaves toward manual labour, Washington recounts the words of a particular former slave on a hot day in the
Do I have enough faith?
The strength of your faith is not the big deal you might think it is. Jesus made it clear that even the most minuscule amount of faith (think mustard seed) is enough to move mountains. The issue is not the quantity or quality of your faith. The issue is the object of your faith. For instance, if you are at sea in a typhoon, the issue is not the quality/quantity of your faith in your
How to run through the pain
With the 2012 London Olympics having come to a conclusion, many of us have witnessed the incredible efforts of talented athletes. Australia was somewhat disappointed with our overall medal result of seven gold and sixteen silver. One newspaper reported that government funding through the Australian Institute of Sport represented $10.6 million for each medal we achieved. But in more than dollar terms, the investment represented years (decades) of training, self-discipline, and painful exercise. Our Olympians
Hollywood in the pulpit
How do you determine the quality of a sermon or devotional thought? I know some Christians who assess the preaching content based upon the level of humour used; others measure its success by the inclusion of illustrations and anecdotes. Some pre-judge the message based upon the preacher's personality; others gauge the success of a preacher's message on the number of people who respond to the invitation at the end of the service. It is my