Thoughtful Ramblings

With the drought and fires giving much of Australia an apocalyptic feel I thought I would try and address the idea that appeared recently by a well known sportsman in the news, that somehow God is doing this because of recent laws Australia had introduced around equality and abortion.  First, what hogwash that is. As a follower of Jesus, I want the world to know that God loves them, no matter who they are, and he wants a relationship with them. He is a God of grace and mercy.  Secondly,  the Bible says this in 2 Chronicles 7:12-15 Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. [13] At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. [14] Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will for...

Church was never meant to be an organisation but a community. A community of believers, followers of Jesus, gathering together in faith. When we treat church as just an organisation we run the risk, as has happened in the past, and is still in place today in some cases (but not all) of the church losing its sense of community and it's purpose to bring the Grace of God to the world. It becomes instead a base of power that excludes, rather than creating a place for people to belong and to journey together. Rather the church should be a community - where love and grace dominate; where acceptance of all people is paramount and belonging important, not behaviour. A place to belong and where people are encouraged and supported in the journey of life. Where true discipleship is created alongside accountability. Note that I say accountability and not control (let's not confuse the two as often happens). This does not mean we do away with faith or belief. But in the journey towards ...

Dismissed - why are women and their concerns always dismissed by men? Why, when we are trying to give input and add information and understanding to a topic, why are we always dismissed. When we speak, we are seldom heard. When we are knowledgeable we are not given the opportunity to be listened too. We are dismissed. Then the world wonders why women rise in indignation at the treatment they receive. Only to be dismissed. Jill Whalan

What a beautiful morning here at Colour Conference 2. It's been a blessing to be able to attend both of the conferences. Reminds me that sometimes there are things ahead that we come across unexpectedly. I wasn't  expecting to be at both conferences  but God knew I'd be here again. I've received so much and even though their may be things ahead that will cost us something (Colour and accommodation twice is not cheap) if we lean in to God we find that in return God speaks in amazing ways and directs our paths. Have an awesome day.

Every so often and more often than I would like, I'm confronted by misunderstanding around Domestic Violence. By now, most of us understand that it's not just physical abuse but it can also be emotional and/or financial abuse. Any abuse is damaging because it is a result of a power imbalance.  Intimate partner abuse is so damaging because it is soul destroying for those who are living it. For those in these relationships, the partner with the power controls the other and removes the power . Sometimes the other partner will push back and people will say "Oh, they give as good as they get". But what is actually going on? An equal relationship allows the other to have freedom to choose, to live, to have choices and share mutual benefits. In an unequal relationship the partner with the power controls what is happening, who they meet up with, how they spend money, how much they have to spend. They will hide assets and mismanage money for their own ends. Sometimes the pa...

The last few days have been sad ones as we contemplate the loss of so many lives in the attack on Muslims at prayer in a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. In a place where they should have been safe, and able to practice their faith in peace, someone with warped thinking has completely shattered the lives of innocent people. It's hard to get our heads around the idea that one human being can commit so much evil. This is not the first act of this kind. I wish it was the last. But as I heard someone say recently: in a world where we can contemplate travelling into space we don't seem to be able to  work out how to live peacefully with each other. Unfortunately our world is not a safe place. We know that people who were given places of trust have violated that trust in the worst possible ways, (our recent inquiry into institutionalised abuse is a stark reminder of this.) Wars and atrocities continue to happen and political interference in other countries grows. Where does al...