Many people joked and called for Christmas to be brought forward this year—understandably. Within this jest there's a very real craving for happiness, stability, and normality at the end of a year of uncertainty…
Near the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, when all the restrictions started coming into place, I felt like a lot of us felt: shell-shocked. I didn't realise it at the time, but that's what it was. Something new and strange was happening, something a little scary, too…
Blake helps us consider what blessings may be found in this period of isolation. We look at the blessing of isolation, how God is with us in isolation, and opportunities for the church in isolation.
King David wasn’t always King. He spent his formative years working as a shepherd. In this time, David built a personal history of worshipping God when no one was watching.
"...when we read the Psalms we see that David wrote out of both his high times and his low times. He didn’t wait until he felt ‘good’ or ‘righteous’ enough before singing to God. He worshipped in both failure and victory..."
Preaching is fun! We get to share the good news of Jesus with people, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us and using our life experiences, creativity, intellect, emotion and humour. Preaching can be powerful, life-giving, life-changing. But how do we know what to preach on? Where do we start?
Every year Brent and I make a point of visiting at least a couple of churches that aren’t our own, preferably those where we don’t know anyone. Having been part of churches for most of our lives, we could easily forget how it feels to be an outsider coming in...
"...a rich and beautiful montage of different aspects of God’s character, taking words and testimony straight from the Israelites in the Old Testament..."
...While this carol is typically considered part of the ‘general festive carols’ red sack rather than the ‘gospel carols’ red sack, I can’t help but see symbolism in these ding-donging bells...
When it comes to worship, what does God want from us? Our song? Our gifts? Our words? Our actions? He loves those things, but it’s not what He most wants. What He is really after is the core of who we are – our hearts.
Sometimes in our church gatherings, things get 'awkward'. But rather than merely cope with these unplanned moments of awkwardness, we want to learn to embrace them.