David Chats

Kierkegaard's Geese

2008-07-21T23:26:36+10:00

Our speaker last Sunday quoted Soren Kierkegaard's well known Parable of the Geese. It was originally an attack upon the Danish Lutheran Church of Kierkegaard's day - and is still profoundly disturbing today. Here it is for your edification and...

World's Oldest Blogger

2008-07-14T17:07:44+10:00

Olive Riley, reputedly the world's oldest blogger, died in a nursing home on the NSW's central coast on Saturday. Olive was born in 1899, lived through enormous change, and championed causes - such as saving the business of the local...

Beyond Respectability

2008-07-08T17:48:19+10:00

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night (John 3:2). King David's wife, Michal, despised him when he danced exuberantly before the Lord (2 Samuel 6:12-23). Respectable people fear exposure and vulnerability. Respectable people are concerned about what other people think about...

Connecting with God through Community

2008-06-26T03:52:07+10:00

My previous post on the Celtic Way caused me to reflect on the shift that has taken place within me over the years in relation to communicating the good news of Jesus. Long before I began to grapple with formal...

Believing/Belonging/Bounded/Centred

2008-06-20T23:01:02+10:00

Commenting on my recent Celts and Post-Moderns post, Anne has asked for my perspective on “Invited people to Belong before they Believed” . Here it is: Some Christian communities in the past have drawn very solid lines between "insider" and...

There's something about The Cross

2008-06-19T13:51:56+10:00

In a pluralistic culture, where diversity, tolerance and acceptance are highly valued, the absolute claims of Jesus are a stumbling block. Is Jesus THE only way to God? Can God be crucified? Is the cross the supreme sign of grace...

Celts and Post-Moderns

2008-06-12T11:05:04+10:00

As part of helping a friend with an assignment, I read this distinction between the Roman Model and the Celtic Model Roman Model Nature of God--Emphasis on Transcendence Nature of Man--Total Depravity Power of God--Stability and order Organization--Preserving institutions and...

Learning Through Disagreement

2008-06-05T11:56:37+10:00

I try to read theology fairly widely and learn from those with perspectives different from mine. Usually they cause me to think through what I believe and my personal views are either strengthened or modified by engaging with their viewpoint....

Comments

2008-05-29T07:10:07+10:00

I'm enjoying the way Comments on my Posts enhance, fill out and give perspective to the topics I raise in my Blog. Because we have such insightful and articulate people who Comment, I've come to see my Posts as being...

Balance

2008-05-26T19:32:00+10:00

I have always thought that going to the footy was primarily a social occasion but yesterday, for the first time ever, I went by myself. And enjoyed the experience. It wasn't because the Hawks won a close match, and it...

Power and Control

2008-05-22T07:38:24+10:00

Because I'm no expert on International Affairs, I'm perplexed by the actions of the Burmese military junta in restricting foreign aid to their people in need. Perhaps it is because to give up control is to give up power. And...

Church Size

2008-05-15T16:19:05+10:00

How large is too large? My previous post, "Friendly or Friendship?", reminds me of the debate about church size. Is there an optimum size for church health? I think not. Rather, churches need to restructure to optimise both mission and...

Friendly or Friendship?

2008-05-12T16:44:11+10:00

Our webmaster, Don, drew my attention to this blog that raises the well known distinction between a friendly church and a church where people can make friends. For years church growth specialists have pointed out that a friendly church makes...

Faith and Depression

2008-05-10T05:54:59+10:00

"Faith and Depression" is the title of the ABC TV Encounter program this coming Sunday (May 11). But a major sub-set is hope - and the loss of hope. Focussed around the experiences of several people from an evangelical Christian...

Pay Rise for Teachers

2008-05-07T13:25:47+10:00

Paul's comment on one of my recent posts, "Faith at Work", coherently summed up motivation in the workplace: "As an employer, it didn't take me too long to work out that it wasn't money that motivated most people - it...

Partnership Covenant

2008-05-02T14:07:14+10:00

Who participates in informing the decisions and direction of a local church? What are the responsibilities and privileges of being part of a local church? What boundaries define belonging to a local church? To have no boundaries means that the...

Faith at Work

2008-04-29T14:47:56+10:00

In reflecting upon the Emerging/Missional Church reclaiming the work place as a primary place of mission, I'm coming to the conclusion that the Missional Church does not go far enough. Yes, there is a need to get the gospel out...

Bad or Broken?

2008-04-24T18:49:20+10:00

Churches can be places of great hope and healing when things go well, and places of hurt and hostility when things go badly. The pain usually revolves around poor behaviour and broken relationships. What lies behind this? The issues are...

Faith Plus What?

2008-04-16T18:14:54+10:00

Membership in most Australian Baptist Churches is closed to those followers of Jesus who have not been baptised after coming to faith in Jesus. Apart from the fact that there is little evidence of formal membership in the early church,...