Our culture today is preoccupied with the nest egg, the little something stashed away for retirement or in case the regular source of income meets with disaster. All of this slips under my radar, until I go and read something countercultural like Matt 25 with the story of the talents. Remember how this one goes? […]
Counter-culturalism
Counter-cultural challenges to the modern church and to society in general
Death to Beige
As I sit here in my local coffee house, watching the steam rise from my jumbo-sized herbal tea and listening to the sounds of 90s rock, I take a moment to observe my surroundings. It dawns on me how much of my life is coloured with beige. The walls here are beige. The furniture is […]
All to Jesus
I’ve been reflecting recently on the nature of Christianity. It seems that the more I mature in Christ, the more my life seems to be about surrender, not figuring it out or getting it right. Becoming simpler and more childlike seems to be a bigger part of living for Christ than does gaining theology or […]
The Trouble with Treasures
“To obey is better than sacrifice, I don’t need your money, I want your life.” – Keith Green, To Obey is Better than Sacrifice Living in the outer suburbs of Sydney, it’s easy for me to get caught up in the preoccupation with money. I’ve never thought of myself as being particularly materialistic, but I […]
Surviving Contentment
Recently I was asked by a young lady, “What do you say to a single person who is struggling to be content with their singleness?” I have several answers to this, but before I share how I did respond, let’s have a closer look at this challenging and complex question. We struggle with contentment. Even […]
My Island Hideaway
Ps 32:7: “God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.” (MSG) This little verse nestled in the middle of Psalm 32 gives poetic imagery of the rest that God’s children can find in Him. We often talk about resting in God and the peace of God; […]
Countercultural Contentment
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), […]
Fat chance
I read with horrified gasps Joy Beth Smith’s article, “Fat. Single. Christian. In Church, being overweight and dating feels like a sin.” Not being overweight myself, I was oblivious to the unique issues faced by Christian overweight singles attempting to date. I would like to take the opportunity of this weeks’ blog to highlight some […]
Rethinking Singleness
At last, a breath of fresh air. In this weeks’ article review we have a single pastor commenting on the Church’s perception of singles. I found the article refreshingly honest and yet gracious, hence worthy of a response. The author Karina Kreminski addresses “8 ways to rethink the conversation about singleness” and I would like […]
Oh, for Single’s Sake: A Response
I recently read an article entitled “Oh, for Single’s Sake,” written by a girl called Tamara. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to blog a response. The author of this article makes several great points about singleness that are worth touching on. The first point is about our assumptions regarding marriage. I have […]