We should in humility and joyfulness acknowledge that the supernatural and divine reality we all worship in some form or other transcends all our particular categories of thought and imagining, and that because the divine — however named, however apprehended or conceived — is infinite and we are forever finite, we shall never comprehend the Read more
“I long to see a church that is Jesus-focused and Jesus-flavoured. I long to see a church that reflects His heartbeat. I long to see a church that speaks confidently of his heart, life and has a destiny-transforming message. I long to see a church that refuses to be a holy huddle or Christian country club.” said Mike Norris Read more
A new parliamentary bill that creates a new offense with a maximum of 10 years in jail for failing to protect a child or vulnerable adult from serious harm by a member of the same household as the victim has passed its first reading. Speaking to the Bill Simon Power said “We need legislation that gives a Read more
“Millions of men and women have experienced abortion loss across the world,” says Vicki Thorn. “When they are ready to heal the wound, the Church needs to be there.” “The faith community needs to be a “prophetic voice” heralding the sanctity of life, as well as a source of comfort for those affected by the Read more
Politicians, and we individuals, surely love to scapegoat people. We put them into boxes and blame them for their misfortune. We wash our hands of any responsibility. It is happening in Australia at the moment. Asylum seekers, people on welfare, are ready targets for scapegoating. How often in Israel are all Palestinian people scapegoated, dismissed Read more
Dean Peter Beck and Jonathan Mane-Wheoki are wrong to reject Alan Goss’s suggestion of rebuilding the Christchurch Anglican cathedral as a people’s cathedral. Keeping some of the old and embracing the new is a must in our new world of blended religions and spirituality. Like Alan Goss, I’ve been dreaming about this multi-faith worship and Read more
The Governor of Tokyo suggested that Divine punishment was the cause of both the earthquake and subsequent tsunami which have devastated Japan, caused the deaths of thousands and the suffering of an entire nation. He “took back” his comments because he said that in making them, he failed to take into account the “feeling of the victims.” Read more
Christopher Lane considers the case of a man who has lost his faith, but continues to practice his religion. ‘I continue to believe that religion brings the potential for a great many good things” says the man. “I could probably continue going through the motions, except that I believe in morality and honesty, and I Read more
A week or so ago the leaders of five New Zealand churches, those usually referred to as “mainline”, issued an election-time statement to the nation, urging voters to choose social justice It is entitled “Towards a Robust Society.” Garth George presents some excerpts from the essay. “Every three years,” they say, “the electoral cycle reminds us of the Read more
On May 19, 2011 front page news in The Dominion Post reported that software made by Massey University computer scientist and astrophysicist, Ian Bond, enabled findings of 10 giant free-floating gas planets around the size of Jupiter. The planets are believed to be about two-thirds of the way to the centre of the galaxy, which Read more