Esther: Born to Rule
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
“The last King of Israel was a Queen. And after all was done, the last became first.”
The Word of God
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
“The Bible is actually quite unique in that it is a library of books, with many different genres, styles, and structures, from different authors, centuries, and contexts. All of that complexity and diversity is wonderful. But does that make it accessible? Does the Bible make it easy to answer life’s big questions? Does it make it easy to find moral guidance? Does it make it easy to build and strengthen your relationship with God? Or actually, does the Bible often seem to be inaccessible, irrelevant, or even, sometimes, boring?”
The Holy Spirit Angel
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
“Who or what is the Holy Spirit? Is it a power or a person? Was the Holy Spirit just a New Testament thing? What is the Name of the Holy Spirit that Jesus said we should be baptised into? These are all questions I had never found satisfactory answers for – until now…”
Loving Boundaries
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
Wisdom’s Story
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
“Solomon states his intent: the Proverbs are designed to steer the reader away from seductive Hedonism (also presented as a woman) and towards Lady Wisdom. For all his destructive foolishness, Solomon is the one who most intelligently articulates the principal dilemma all humans face. Will you marry Wisdom, or be seduced to partner Hedonism?”
See God in Everything
“Our God creates and sustains this magnificent world. He is in everything! I want to be constantly aware of seeing Him, looking for Him, and recognising Him in all things – from the creation around me to my own, personal life.”
“Our God creates and sustains this magnificent world. He is in everything! I want to be constantly aware of seeing Him, looking for Him, and recognising Him in all things – from the creation around me to my own, personal life.”
This Old House
“Addressing the changes we must make in our homes can be challenging, just as changes to our spiritual lives can be challenging. We first must ask why and then we must be honest about whether the renovation is justified. If we agree that it is justified, then we must sit down and count the cost as to whether or not we have the will and courage to make that change – or whether we will continue living with it as it is, because it’s not worth the price. One makes us grow, while the other maintains the status quo. Both are conscience decisions.”
“Addressing the changes we must make in our homes can be challenging, just as changes to our spiritual lives can be challenging. We first must ask why and then we must be honest about whether the renovation is justified. If we agree that it is justified, then we must sit down and count the cost as to whether or not we have the will and courage to make that change – or whether we will continue living with it as it is, because it’s not worth the price. One makes us grow, while the other maintains the status quo. Both are conscience decisions.”
The Character of God
“This dichotomy – between the character of God as revealed in the Old Testament and the character of God as revealed through His Son – has created a cognitive dissonance, which has been gnawing at me for a long time. So how do I reconcile this issue? Can I reconcile this issue?”
“This dichotomy – between the character of God as revealed in the Old Testament and the character of God as revealed through His Son – has created a cognitive dissonance, which has been gnawing at me for a long time. So how do I reconcile this issue? Can I reconcile this issue?”
Transforming Prayers
“So we sat there in our camp chairs, with our whittled sticks, our almost empty water bottles, and a little bit of sand in our hair, remembering Jesus.”
“While so many people treat prayer to “solve” their problems, the passenger sitting beside me on the plane had a different perspective. Prayer was not just a tool to reverse a troubling circumstance – because the flight attendant's situation was not likely to be changed – but prayer was the fundamental tool he used even when he didn’t expect any answer.”
Addressing Apathy
“So we sat there in our camp chairs, with our whittled sticks, our almost empty water bottles, and a little bit of sand in our hair, remembering Jesus.”
“So we sat there in our camp chairs, with our whittled sticks, our almost empty water bottles, and a little bit of sand in our hair, remembering Jesus.”
Holding Space
“The times of life when we are dealing with grief or trauma, or sin, are vulnerable in ways that are similar to the process of labor and birth. When one of our loved ones trusts us enough to let us enter those vulnerable spaces with them, it is just as much a moment of profound privilege as when I am allowed to enter that birth space.”
“The times of life when we are dealing with grief or trauma, or sin, are vulnerable in ways that are similar to the process of labor and birth. When one of our loved ones trusts us enough to let us enter those vulnerable spaces with them, it is just as much a moment of profound privilege as when I am allowed to enter that birth space.”
Wings of Shelter: Ruth’s Story
“Ruth’s story is very much a tale of two halves. From the ashes of famine, bereavement and despair in Moab, arises a tale of compassion, cooperation and caring for others in Israel.”
“Ruth’s story is very much a tale of two halves. From the ashes of famine, bereavement and despair in Moab, arises a tale of compassion, cooperation and caring for others in Israel.”
Love Without the Small Print
“I feared rejection. I believed that love in our community was conditional. It had small print: terms and conditions which might prove unfavorable. If people knew the true me, I’d be labelled, marginalized and rejected.”
“I feared rejection. I believed that love in our community was conditional. It had small print: terms and conditions which might prove unfavorable. If people knew the true me, I’d be labelled, marginalized and rejected.”
Daniel: Extravagant Providence
“This is the exhortation of Daniel in exile. He is an agent of God’s undying love and compassion for his children. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and nothing could separate Israel from the love of God which was in the prophet Daniel.”
“This is the exhortation of Daniel in exile. He is an agent of God’s undying love and compassion for his children. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, and nothing could separate Israel from the love of God which was in the prophet Daniel.”
The Witch of Endor: Reality Bites
”A midnight rendezvous. A forbidden ceremony dabbling in the occult. Disguise, terror, criminality, and a death sentence. King Saul’s encounter with the Witch of Endor has all the components of a fantasy novel and yet, in reality, it is a poignant tale of a desperate king grasping for survival, and clutching only a thin, cold mist of despair. For all King Saul is rejected by God –and we must support the divine decision – it’s difficult not to sympathize with a soul so doomed. Surrounded by faithful warriors he may be, yet Saul cuts a lonely figure.”
”A midnight rendezvous. A forbidden ceremony dabbling in the occult. Disguise, terror, criminality, and a death sentence. King Saul’s encounter with the Witch of Endor has all the components of a fantasy novel and yet, in reality, it is a poignant tale of a desperate king grasping for survival, and clutching only a thin, cold mist of despair. For all King Saul is rejected by God –and we must support the divine decision – it’s difficult not to sympathize with a soul so doomed. Surrounded by faithful warriors he may be, yet Saul cuts a lonely figure.”
The Art Form of Translation
“It’s worth taking a moment to step back from academicism to just live with our faith. We need to be okay stepping into the uncertainty, fear, and doubt that come with being constantly open to new ideas. And perhaps, once we move past those initial emotions, there will be joy. Joy that this is not all there is to the text we base our whole lives on; joy that there will always be something more, something new, something interesting; joy that we have been enabled to lead interesting lives because the text will continue to change to mirror our changing contexts and understanding.”
“It’s worth taking a moment to step back from academicism to just live with our faith. We need to be okay stepping into the uncertainty, fear, and doubt that come with being constantly open to new ideas. And perhaps, once we move past those initial emotions, there will be joy. Joy that this is not all there is to the text we base our whole lives on; joy that there will always be something more, something new, something interesting; joy that we have been enabled to lead interesting lives because the text will continue to change to mirror our changing contexts and understanding.”
Discerning the Body
“This is a meal of fellowship: sharing thoughts, experiences, worries, encouragements, moments of doubt, moments of faith. Gatherings like this have the potential to deepen the spiritual connections between us, where we come to learn to trust one another more and more deeply, to be willing to be more real in the things that we discuss.”
“This is a meal of fellowship: sharing thoughts, experiences, worries, encouragements, moments of doubt, moments of faith. Gatherings like this have the potential to deepen the spiritual connections between us, where we come to learn to trust one another more and more deeply, to be willing to be more real in the things that we discuss.”
When Someone Wants to Leave
“I want to talk about what happens when someone chooses to leave. I would like to share my experiences and the experiences of those close to me and highlight some things that have both helped and hindered this transition…. I do not believe that a shift in belief systems should equate to the breakdown of social connections, but all too often in our community, this has been the case. After watching countless families suffer, and struggle to communicate with each other, I hope these experiences will help us all to bridge the gap.”
“I want to talk about what happens when someone chooses to leave. I would like to share my experiences and the experiences of those close to me and highlight some things that have both helped and hindered this transition…. I do not believe that a shift in belief systems should equate to the breakdown of social connections, but all too often in our community, this has been the case. After watching countless families suffer, and struggle to communicate with each other, I hope these experiences will help us all to bridge the gap.”
Biblical Inspiration
“I have grown to appreciate that I am part of an ancient and diverse Biblical tradition that must handle the scriptures humbly and with the respect they deserve. Interpretation of scripture is a sacred obligation that we are all called to participate in, just like our Jewish and early church fathers did before us. They may have gotten it wrong every now and again – and we will too – but with each new day, let us strive to build on this beautiful divine mystery that is sometimes messy but still a living, breathing, generative tradition.”
“I have grown to appreciate that I am part of an ancient and diverse Biblical tradition that must handle the scriptures humbly and with the respect they deserve. Interpretation of scripture is a sacred obligation that we are all called to participate in, just like our Jewish and early church fathers did before us. They may have gotten it wrong every now and again – and we will too – but with each new day, let us strive to build on this beautiful divine mystery that is sometimes messy but still a living, breathing, generative tradition.”
Take a Breath
“God is in the stillness – if we listen enough and enter the quiet spaces to hear him. And it’s not about finding God. It’s about finding the peace within ourselves that allows us to see that he is, and will always be, there. It’s about letting go. Letting go of our need to control our lives. Letting go of the “productivity” mindset that has been ingrained in us for as long as we can remember. Letting go and learning that it’s okay to… breathe.”
“God is in the stillness – if we listen enough and enter the quiet spaces to hear him. And it’s not about finding God. It’s about finding the peace within ourselves that allows us to see that he is, and will always be, there. It’s about letting go. Letting go of our need to control our lives. Letting go of the “productivity” mindset that has been ingrained in us for as long as we can remember. Letting go and learning that it’s okay to… breathe.”