Please take the time to watch the video above. In it I tell the story of escaping Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, as rioting escalated and smoke from burning barricades filled the air.

Haiti is just one country where Compassion is working. All over the world, often in difficult circumstances, Compassion is working to release children from poverty. They can only do their job if we’re prepared to get involved.

Having seen first hand, both in Haiti and Dominican Republic, how effective Compassion’s work is, I am determined to do more to help. That’s why from the 12th to the 14th of February 2012 I’ll be taking part in the 25000 Spins Great Ocean Road Challenge.

I’ll be riding 290 kilometres in three days and I need your support. By sponsoring my efforts on the challenge you’ll be releasing children from poverty. You’ll be giving children a real chance at life. Please visit my fundraising page and make a contribution. Maybe you can afford to sponsor me for a dollar a kilometre, maybe 50 cents a kilometre, or perhaps you’d just like to donate $10, $20, $50 or any other amount.

The other thing I’d ask you to do is to spread the video as far and as wide as you can so that it make the biggest impact in releasing children from poverty. Please put it on your blog, share it on Facebook, use the sharing buttons below and do whatever else you can do to help raise much needed funding to support the work of Compassion.

I really enjoyed watching That’s Christmas, a video from St Helen’s Church, Bishopgate. It’s well worth a look if you’re interested in the real story behind Christmas.

What’s the most unusual telling of the Christmas story you’ve heard?

In their article The Beatbox Bible: Rapping vicar rhymes the story of Nativity and becomes internet hit, Britain’s Daily Mail is reporting that a beatboxing vicar has retold the Christmas story in a rather unusual way.

Reverend Gavin Tyte (aka TyTe) was a professional beatboxer before dramatically changing careers and his Nativity video has had more than 15,000 views on YouTube in three weeks.

The 40-year-old vicar of Uplyme Church, in east Devon, raps: ‘Welcome to Beatbox Bible’, before continuing his sermon online to parishioners.

Enjoy watching the vicar’s efforts in the video above.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival. There is some great reading here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy working your way through the list of posts. I’m guessing that many bloggers are busy with preparations for Christmas as there have been very few submissions this week but that should give you the time to read and ponder the very good posts that are listed below.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify.

As always it’s a real honour to be able to present the Christian Carnival.

Please take the time to read through each post … it’s worth it. You might also like to link to this week’s carnival so that your blog readers can enjoy the variety of styles and thought. Another way to spread the word about the Christian Carnival is to click any of the buttons below this post to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Let’s get started!

We can certainly achieve a lot more when we work in unity with others. Ridge Burns is writing about Partnerships over at Ridge’s Blog. “Last Friday night I went to a banquet for InFaith’s Kids for Christ in Dallas, led by Joe and Lindsey Anderson. It was a pretty incredible experience, as kids and supporters of the ministry packed the room, getting together to raise money for Christmas gifts for the urban poor children Joe and Lindsey work with.”

Sarah looks at a thorny theological issue in her post Calling All Theoblogians: Creation and Evolution at This is what Sed said. “There is no dispute that God created or could create in six 24 hour days, but they believe the word ‘day’ in Genesis means ‘a period of time’. They believe the earth is millions of years old, and not thousands which is the claim of Genesis.”

Devotionals

Joe Plemon believes that the key to Moses’ greatness was a financial decision…an amazing one. Check out his post Moses’ Amazing Choice: The Key to His Greatness at Personal Finance By The Book. “Moses, by any standard, was a great man — he was instrumental in liberating an entire nation from slavery. Yet his path toward this success was cluttered with obstacles, the most prominent being the huge wealth at his fingertips by virtue of being an adopted son of the leader of richest nation in the world.”

Do you struggle with waiting? Do you sometimes feel that you need to keep putting hope on hold? Ashley Reid presents The Expectancy of Change: Why it’s Worth the Wait posted at The Real. “We are currently in a season of expectancy. For some of us, we have been struggling day to day to keep a smile on our face, make ends meet or just find joy in this thing called life. For others God has promised us something great, something new, a breakthrough, relief, a blessing or miracle. However, with all of this prophesy and expectation consuming our hearts, it makes us anxious, weary and tired of waiting.”

Narratives

Are we living the lessons we teach others? Lee Beldon presents The Sunshine Lady and a Big God over at Mission Blog. “I have been teaching the Rackerby people about having a big God. It is easy for me to teach about God and to tell others about a big God, but to live it for myself is another thing. You see, in my mind, for God to supply my need for a car is up to my resources; I have to figure it out as how to pay for a car replacement. God can take care of my congregation and supply their needs, but I have to be a good steward and do it myself. ”

I’ll finish with my own post which is designed to give unchurched friends a basic understanding of the Christmas story. I hope you enjoy The Real Meaning of Christmas. “Why do we still celebrate Christmas? Is it still relevant or just a chance for another holiday? Does Christmas hold any real significance for people today? What’s the real meaning behind the 25th of December and why do we make such a fuss about it?”

That’s it for this week.

In light of the lack of submissions this week, if you’re still looking for some great reading you might like to explore some of the links provided on the blogs that have been submitted. Maryann has an excellent list of links to explore here.

If you’re a Christian and you missed out this week, how about choosing something to contribute for next week’s edition? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to spread the word. Feel free to click any of the buttons below to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Why do we still celebrate Christmas? Is it still relevant or just a chance for another holiday? Does Christmas hold any real significance for people today? What’s the real meaning behind the 25th of December and why do we make such a fuss about it?

While you look forward to unwrapping your gifts this Christmas I wanted to take a few moments to unwrap the real Christmas story and ask what it’s really all about.

We all enjoy giving and receiving gifts on Christmas Day but it’s important that we take time to remember what Christmas really signifies.

It’s more than just the gifts and the jolly man in the red suit. It’s more than a ‘feeling’ or ‘spirit’ that makes us feel warm inside. It’s more than time with family enjoying good food and good times.

December 25th

While it’s generally accepted that the 25th of December isn’t the actual date that Jesus was born, it’s the day that has been chosen for celebrating Jesus’ birthday. That means Christmas is really a big birthday party.

So why should we be invited to the birthday party? Jesus was born around 2000 years ago. Why do we still celebrate his birth?

Who Was Jesus?

Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact, and this is where it gets tricky, according to the Bible, Jesus is actually God in human form so this is no ordinary birthday.

Here’s a little bit of the Christmas story from the Bible. This account is from a book of the Bible written by a guy named Luke.

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no vacancy for them.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Aha! So that’s where the manger and the shepherds come in.

God With Us

That’s pretty much the story of Christmas. God living among the people he created. It’s an amazing thought but it’s even more amazing when you thread the whole story of Jesus’ life together. After all, usually when we celebrate someone’s birthday we don’t just remember the day they were born, we celebrate who that person has become and what they’ve brought to the world.

If we’re still celebrating the life of someone born around 2000 years ago, we’ve got to assume that they lived a remarkable life. If you want to find out more about the remarkable life of Jesus, I’d encourage you to grab a Bible in an easy to read translation and then read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) to find out about Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection.

Are you interested in travelling the Road to Bethlehem?

We’ve been to visit the Road to Bethlehem production each December for several years but things are now a little bit different. Our daughter Emily, son James and I will be taking part once again as members of the acting cast. We play …. well …. a family. We’ll be one of the teams of guides taking people from scene to scene.

The Road to Bethlehem is a remarkable portrayal of the Christmas story in the form of a free, interactive, dramatised experience featuring dozens of actors and singers.

The idea is that you’re taken back in time to witness the events of the first Christmas as they unfold, providing a unique entertainment experience that the whole family enjoys.

Travel back in time and take a journey through the streets of Jesus’ birthplace – Bethlehem. See a wiseman discovering prophecies of Jesus’ birth, enjoy the atmosphere of the marketplace, discover the extravagance of Herod’s Palace and the excitement of the shepherds as they are told of Jesus’ birth.

But watch out, don’t get in the way of the Caesar’s soldiers or you may just end up spending the night in prison, and beware of the snake-oil salesmen in the marketplace – they don’t take no for an answer.

Allow time to enjoy the food and free family entertainment in the Welcome Area. Plenty to do and see including camel rides, Mary’s Kitchen, bouncy castle, Joseph’s Workshop, vegetarian cooking demonstrations and much, much more!

Instead of sitting down and watching a show, you walk from scene to scene as you travel to your destination, the stable. Live animals, great humour and some wonderful angelic choirs add to the experience.

Before and after you’ve trod the Road to Bethlehem you can spend time in the welcome area where you’ll be entertained, take part in craft activities or even buy a meal.

Road to Bethlehem is hosted each year by the Livingston SDA Community Church in Canning Vale. It runs for three nights each year. It’s on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the 12th, 13th and 14th of December. It starts at 7 o’clock each night and there’s free parking across the road at Livingston Marketplace Shopping Centre.

I’d love to see you there.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival. There is some great reading here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy working your way through the list of posts.

I do need to apologise for posting the carnival so late. I always take great care to do the best job possible whenever I host but this time around an extraordiarily busy week and computer problems have conspired to make things difficult. I am sorry for holding things up.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify.

As always it’s a real honour to be able to present such a diverse range of great posts.

Please take the time to read through each post … it’s worth it. You might also like to link to this week’s carnival so that your blog readers can enjoy the variety of styles and thought. Another way to spread the word about the Christian Carnival is to click any of the buttons below this post to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Let’s get started!

Moyo has Model of Prayer  over at Eden Life Magazine.

Over the years, many theologians have studied and worked to help people understand God and religion. If you are interested in studying theology and spiritual traditions, studying these great theologians will give you a better understanding. Diana Clerk presents The 40 Greatest Theologians Throughout History at Theology Degrees Online, saying, ” This list of 40 amazing theologians throughout history offers mostly Christian theologians, but also includes some non-Christian theologians who have been influential as well.

Annette asks “So what does it mean when it says that love is patient?” in the post Love is Patient at fish and cans.

Mere talk is so cheap that Jesus addressed it specifically with a parable found in Matthew 21:28-32.  Tim Fraticelli takes a look at the parable of the two sons in Talk Is Cheap: Hard Work is Profitable posted at Faith and Finance,

Richard H. Anderson presents an article from a series of articles on the priority of the Gospel of Luke. Check out Juxtaposition at dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos Theophilos,

Cameron Cloud presents No. I won?t share your Christian movie with my friends. (Yet.) at Nephos.

Revamping the Masters of Divinity Degree by Marcus Maher is posted at Seeking the truth….

Sarah has presented Convicted over at This is what Sed said.

Apologetics

Isabel Anders presents Reiki for Christians—and Everyone: An Interview with author Ruth Mayeux Allen, Ph.D. posted at BlogHer.

10 years after 9/11, the New Atheists say we’re nuts to believe in God. They say religion is dangerous and outright evil. But is religion itself evil? Mikel Del Rosario presents an easy way to say “No Way” in the post America After 9/11: Is Religion Evil? posted at Apologetics Guy.

Scott Smith has posted Do all roads (and flights) lead to God?, a look at religious pluralism in the light of 9/11″, posted at Sarcastic Xtian.

Russ White presents An Answer to a Friend (Part 1) at Thinking in Christ.

Devotionals

Dan Lower presents The Bible Tells Us posted at keyboard theologians, saying, “I think I can actually call this one a devotional, though it prompted my physics-majoring housemate to tell me I write theology like a mathematician.”

Ridge Burns has written about Communion at Ridge’s Blog.

Henry Neufeld presents a post from a new group blog. The author is Geoff Smith. The topic is just how one puts the rule of Christ above all. Matthew 28:8 and Titus 2:11: Christ’s Archy and Jesus’ Teachings is posted at Under Christ’s Archy.

Zowada has posted some thoughts on man/woman relationships and idolatry in Idolatry: The Jerry MaGuire Syndrome at Zowada Blog.

Josh presents a great list of scriptures on different types of relationships we have in Bible Verses About Relationships: 20 Good Scriptures over at What Christians Want To Know.

Narratives

Francis presents games for youth groups in Church Party Games – have inspirational fun! posted at Truth or Dare Blog.

Melanie Grant encourages us to Never Quit at Mel’s Mouthful on Mothering.

loswl presents A Broken Vessel Restored posted at INSPIKS, saying, “I am sharing this because it is a wonderful and heartfelt dream that I have been seeking the Lord about for the past several years. It is answered prayer and one that will come to pass in Gods perfect timing. I must wait, wait for it, wait for the Lord Jesus​ concerning such.”

Kristin posts about her baptism in Well, it’s about time. at June Cleaver Would Be Shocked.

Frank Distad has published the post High Tea at Mission Blog.

Why do churches begin with worship music? Hats4Christ came up with a couple of silly ideas and then dug into the Bible to find out what it has to say about worshiping God. Check out Kaleb’s post Why do we Worship? at W2W Soul: Windows to The Woman’s Soul.

How did a 2 year old get a message that everyone else, including Henry Neufeld, missed? Find out more by reading The Only Worshiper Who Got It posted at Threads from Henry’s Web.

Finally, Peter Marsay presents some film reviews from a Christian point of view in All unposted Evangelical’s Now film reviews to date! posted at PDM Film Reviews.

That’s it for this week.

If you’re a Christian and you missed out this week, how about choosing something to contribute for next week’s edition? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to spread the word. Feel free to click any of the buttons below to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Transcendental Meditation or TM started as a Hindu religious practice but came to greater prominence in the western world several decades ago.

These days it seems that many sporting clubs, including those from a variety or football codes, are using TM to ready themselves for games.

Promoters of the practice list a number of benefits to TM but others aren’t so sure that it lives up to all its promises. Being a spiritual practice there is also concern from people of other faiths regarding Transcendental Meditation and while many have reported positive effects it’s worth considering whether the fact that something seems to ‘work’ means that it’s necessarily beneficial.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Last Wednesday we discussed TM. Christian spirituality also promotes meditation but how different is a Biblical view of meditation to TM?

You can hear what Ross had to say about it by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

Would you like the opportunity to have your blog promoted? Have you published a post that you’d like read by a wider audience?

I’m having some friends drop in this week. They’ll be visiting from all over the world and you’re invited to join us. The next Christian Carnival is being hosted here at Beyond Belief.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify. You may wish to consider that the readership of the Christian Carnival will be more varied than your usual readership, and you might do better contributing a post with broad appeal.

I’ve already received a number of contributions and I’m looking forward to offering readers of this blog some great links when the carnival is published.

If you’re a Christian and you’ve never contributed before, or if it’s been a while since you have, how about having a look through your posts for this week and choosing something to contribute. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday evening at midnight, Eastern (US) Standard Time. That means it’s midday Wednesday here in Perth, Western Australia.