Entitlement. It’s the new buzz word of our society. For some it’s a good thing, standing up for oneself and one’s rights; but it can get a bit carried away, even turning ugly and aggressive. Living in a relatively affluent part of Australia (not by any means the most affluent, but then affluence is relative), […]
Author: Steph Penny
Write Your Passion
Writer Red Smith famously penned, “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” Although our modern world has moved on from typewriter times, I believe that the art of writing has not varied in its inherent nature. I used to write a diary. During my emotional […]
Ministry Matters
* When I was growing up, I thought that serving the Lord meant being a paid full-time pastor. I thought being in ministry meant having an official title in your church, along with status, authority and responsibilities. As a teenager, I joined the church band and helped to lead worship. I served during the week […]
Joyful, Joyful
“Joyful, joyful, Lord we adore Thee. . .” This poem written by Henry van Dyke perfectly encapsulates the act of corporate worship. While worship can be a serious, somber, reverent experience, it can also be a joyful one. All too often in our churches we focus on the former and restrict the latter. But I […]
Good Grief
My grandfather recently died and I now find myself wanting to blog about death and grief. Those of you who have been following my blogs for a while may recall that I have previously written about lamentations and joyful grief. This week I will be talking about some of the most beautiful and encouraging aspects […]
The Power of Meandering
“The first sentence of every novel should be: ‘Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human.’ Meander if you want to get to town.” – Michael Ondaatje. This well-known quote from Ondaatje’s novel In the Skin of a Lion speaks not only to the style of writing that […]
The Purpose of Parody
Listening to songs by Weird Al Yankovic has got me thinking about parody songs, their nature and their purpose. For those unfamiliar with Weird Al or with parody songs generally, strap yourselves in and we’ll go for a spin. The world of parody is part humour and part serious. Typically, parodies aim to make comment […]
Worship as a Window
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the nature of authentic worship. It is a mark of courage when one embraces the worship of God as He truly is. Such worship will inevitably bring us toward an encounter with our own true selves. It is an adventure not for the faint-hearted. Worship can act as […]
The indignity of worship
Worship in contemporary church has become something pretty and dignified. But worship is not meant to be a face-saving exercise. Nor is it designed to inflate our sense of self-importance. We cannot be worshipping Jesus and at the same time thinking about how good we look. Worship is not about ego or reputation. Worship can […]
Risky Business
I have worship on my mind this morning. I’ve been pondering the nature of worship and worship leading in the context of a congregational service. Here are a few of my thoughts. Worship is confusing – and yet so simple at its core. Worship at times can feel very private and personal, and yet we […]