High School graduation speeches are supposed to be inspirational. Last year Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough, Jr, took a different tack. He told the students [quote]You are not special. You are not exceptional. Contrary to what your u9 soccer trophy suggests, your glowing...
Joel Madden, Aristotle & Jesus. On Being Free
I like Joel Madden. Lead singer for the band Good Charlotte, Joel was a mentor on the Australian version of The Voice TV program. His cheeky style and enthusiastic yet easygoing persona won him a lot of fans. I like Joel’s smash hit Last Night. It’s upbeat, cheeky, funny and infectious...
Twelve Months of Blogging. The Top Ten Posts
Twelve months ago I decided to try my hand at blogging. And 101 posts later the experiment continues. As I look back on the first 12 months of my blog, these are the highlights. The ten most read posts Belief Blockers. What Turns Australians Off the Church To Love and Submit? Paul Was No Feminist...
The Top 10 New Year Resolutions & Why They Matter
I have made just one new year resolution this year – to give up junk food. In 2012 I ate way too much Maccas, chocolate bars and the like, and it showed on my waistline. It seems I’m not alone. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology showed for Americans the top 10 New...
Where’s Baby Jesus? A Christmas Lights Experience
When my daughters were young, one of our favourite Christmas activities was driving around the streets looking at the Christmas lights. For our kids the burning of those Christmas lights was the first sign that Christmas Day is approaching. Our favourite spot was a pocket of houses down the road...
All I Want for Christmas
Christians often worry about the commercialisation of Christmas, but if you ask me, what we should really be concerned about is its sentimentalising. Christmas as we celebrate it today, even when we celebrate its religious significance, is typically an exercise in sentimentality. We attend Carols...
Desmond Tutu’s Invitation
During the deepest, darkest days of apartheid when the government tried to shut down opposition by canceling a political rally, Archbishop Desmond Tutu declared that he would hold a church service instead. St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa was filled with worshippers. Outside the...
The Funniest Moments I’ve Had While Preaching
Sometimes, despite our best laid plans, things can go wrong. Here are the five funniest moments I’ve had while preaching. 5. The Silly Walk During one of my sermons while youth pastor at Caringbah Baptist everyone suddenly starts laughing. I haven’t said anything funny. I check my fly...
Sheep, Goats and Salvation. On Matthew 25:31-46.
Sometimes Jesus surprises me. Sometimes he confounds me. In his parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46) he both surprises and confounds. I grew up an orthodox Evangelical. At the centre of my faith was the conviction that I am a sinner saved by grace. So what do I do with Jesus’...
How to Become Real
Some of the world’s greatest wisdom is found in children’s storybooks. The Velveteen Rabbit tells the story of toys in a child’s bedroom that come alive at night. The oldest, wisest toy is a skin horse. The newest toy is a velveteen rabbit. This is a conversation between them. “What is REAL?”...