On Holidays

Off for holidays for two weeks tomorrow so no posts for that time.

I don't know what it is about holidays, but in the last week, I have been so looking forward to the time away. But when I don't have holidays coming up, I don't feel the need! Why is that?

And why is it that actually going away somewhere seems to give a more restful time than staying at home?

I always dream of my holidays being times of: eating healthy food; exercising non-stop almost; lots of fun with family; reading 2-3 books and having really good times of prayer and Bible reading. I never achieve all this. And maybe that's the point. Maybe holidays and 'achieving' don't really go together.

I sure feel grateful to God for living in a time and place where we can have 4 weeks holiday a year. It is a small (and at times frustrated) taste of things to come:

"Therefore, since the promise of entering God's rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it" (Heb 4:1).

Annual Meeting of Parishioners (Monday 19th June 7:30pm at the church)

OK people, you might think that a church AMP (Annual Meeting of Parishioners) is about as intersting as watching Korea play Togo in the Soccer World Cup, but let me give you some reasons to come along:

First off, you get to feel a part of something bigger and experience with thanks all that God is doing in and around the people of St Matthew's.

And you get to drill the staff about what they are doing and where this ship is heading.

And you get to have a say in the budget for the next year. Most of us probably yawn at the thought of budgets, but money is a God given gift and an opportunity for us to use in the best and most effective way possible.

And you get to pray about the year ahead.

And, I will not be there (on holidays) so you can for once let people know what you really think.

Don't miss this cool opportunity to express your commitment to the bigger picture.

Post-Modernism is on the nose

Gee I am sure glad I am not putting my final touches on my PhD "Post-modernism and the Christian Church". Actually I never started it- but glad no-one would let me!

In the Weekend Australian last week, Australian historian Professor Henry Reynolds said:

"I think the postmodernist movement has gone," he told a session of the Sydney Writers Festival. "We live in profoundly different times to 1980. We live in some ways in a terrifying world where old-fashioned history and truth continue to have their great value and virtue."

He also said:
"As a general principle, I think for students to make sense of history, they have to have a good factual foundation," he said. "Only then can they make sense of all assessments and interpretations."

Facts are back. No doubt parts of post-modernism (the good bits) will remain with us.

For Christians, it is helpful to understand the culture we live in to help us understand ourselves as well as how to most helpfully explain Jesus to people.

So who wants to suggest what the mood of our current culture is? Any suggestions on the best way to explain Jesus to post-post-modern-post-enlightenment-post-medieval-post-classical Perth-ites?