2012

In a move that I believe is right but strange, I'm jumping denominational boats. In January 2012 I'll stop being an Anglican priest to become a Presbyterian preacher. In the midst of trying to figure out my next Anglican appointment I was approached by SOUL (Presbyterian) Church, a recent church plant of Cornerstone (the church Amy and I attended before I went to Ridley!) to become their new minister.  I agonised for a while not wanting to burn my bridges but also wanting to be in the right location and role to serve God.  I have to jump through some Presbyterian study hoops before my ordination is recognised and I'm inducted as a Presbyterian minister.  These last couple of years have worn me out and so I'm feeling a little flat and nervous about it all but I'm in God's hands and what place could be better than that!

A new stage in already unusual journey.

Pilgrim Hill Association

We formed the Pilgrim Hill Association on Saturday 30 July, 2011.  I'm one of the founding members and the secretary of the committee.   Pilgrim Hill, to loosely paraphrase the Phantom, for those who came in late, will be a Christian hostel nestled in the foothills of the Mount Wellington and overlooking Hounville, Tasmania. It'll be a sort of bush L'Abri, a place for both regular travellers who'd like to stay somewhere a  little exotic and a haven for spiritual travellers who'd like have to a discussion over a meal.  The plan is also to have an Artist residency which will include accommodation and workshop space.  Peirce and Christina Baehr will be the first managers of Pilgrim Hill and will live onsite. They'll report to the association whose membership is open to anyone who supports the ethos of Pilgrim Hill.  We're about to contract 1plus2 Architects to build a self-sustaining complex on the hill and now have the ambitious task of raising the funds to build the hostel and begin operations.

• Pilgrim Hill Facebook page
• Pilgrim Hill Blog

Worldview movies: 'Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl'

This could be very interesting, looks well done.  Regardless of how it turns out, I like the new genere that's being formed here, 'worldview movies'.  Although admittedly all movies are ideological (eg Eat Pray Love), but most are ideological either inadvertently (eg Babies) or secretly (eg Four Lions).

Queensland Floods

There are a number of appeals running at the moment for the current Queensland floods.  Bush Church Aid, an organization that funds church ministry in rural and regional Australia has an appeal if your thinking of how best to help. Also Anglican Aid, run out of Sydney has an appeal.

[Picture © 2011 ABC]

Christmas 2010

A picture of Evangeline, our daughter who was born earlier this year, getting some of the blue light treatment right after she was born.  I'm reminded when I hold her and squish her with kisses that God's Son took on a human nature and was born all vulnerable like Evangeline in the picture and probably under less hygienic conditions. Christianity is built on the miraculous life of Jesus, the first half of which we celebrate on Christmas Day and the second half which we celebrate on Easter Sunday.  There's lots of mystery about God but it's interesting how he reveals himself through the Incarnation. The Journey by Peter Kreeft is a metaphysical exploration of meaning and truth and it begins in Plato's Cave with it's inhabitants watching the shadows on the wall.  Then, just as it says in Isaiah 9, there is a light in the darkness, a child is born, and like in Chile earlier this year, a rescuer enters the cave, a man like us, and he will be called "wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Our King returns, the Kingdom begins!  Merry Christmas dear Readers.  (See/read you in 2011!)

Celebrating seven years of marriage!

Cross of Christ

Cross of Christ 2010 from Vision100 on Vimeo.

This is a promotional video for an evangelistic rally to be held in Hobart at the Oden on December the 17th.  I along with several others was recruited to say what the Cross of Christ meant to me, I'm about the third to appear.

Equal and Complementary

I'll be attending the Equal and Complementary Conference held on 23 October at Holy Trinity Church, Doncaster.  The role of women in church leadership was a controversial topic at Ridley College but doesn't seem to stir the water as much down here in the Diocese of Tasmania. Getting people into church communities and then seeing them grow in spiritual maturity are the pressing tasks facing Anglicans in Tasmania.  Although I'm not a fan of the Egalitarian position, it's the theologically reasoning used to arrive at that position that aggravates me the most.  I'm seeing this conference as a chance to remind myself of the Complementarian position and catch up with some Ridley contacts. While I might argue on this blog against the arguments used to arrive at the Egalitarian viewpoint I acknowledge that my viewpoint is in the minority in the Diocese of Tasmania.  I thank God that being either position isn't a test of orthodoxy down here as it has become in some circles in Melbourne.

Pakistan Update

This map on the left from the BCC, shows the widespread effects of the flooding in Pakistan.  The story, that map was taken from, reports that hardline Islamic groups have taken this opportunity to help the flood victims.  Again I'd like to direct my reader's attention to Barnabas Fund an organization that gives spiritual and material aid to persecuted Christians and who, in this case, have mounted a special relief effort to help Christians hurt somehow or other by the flooding.

[Map copyright BCC News, 2010.]

Blog re-desgin

Dear readers,

Thank-you for your patience as I keep redesigning my blog.  I was tempted to change to Tumblr because of it's iphone interface but stayed with Blogger because I value people's comments and Twitter is still the best vehicle for rapid, frequent and short updates from either the web or an iphone.

Flooding in Pakistan

Barnabas Fund, a Christian organization dedicated to helping the spiritual and material needs of persecuted Christians is directing funds to Christians displaced and hurt by the current flood disaster in Pakistan.

[Picture of the flooding in Pakistan. Copyright Boston Big Picture, 2010. ]

My World Cup victory

I don't often think or blog about Sport but Amy and I make a special exception every four years for the FIFA World Cup.  This year I entered a competition on Peter Ould's blog, (An evangelical Anglican minister in England.) and somewhat surprisingly won!  For example in the last two games I predicted a 3-2 win by Germany over Uruguay and 1-0 win by Spain over Holland (Sorry JD), who needs an Octopus!  But the really cool thing is the prize, which is my choice of theological topic for Peter to blog about.  I have something in mind but do any of my readers have a suggestion?

Moving House

We're moving house, which is almost to fun for words but lovely to have friends and family helping.  So they'll be a one week blogging break.  See you in early June after my priesting!  (Thanks for reading, commenting and being thoughtful sounding boards.)

Thanks Jon, Jill, cousin, Mum, Mikey, Radagast and Andrew for leaving your answers on my last post, now I need to time to process them all!

Collision!

The church where I work, St George's Anglican, Battery Point is hosting two free screenings of this documentary of a series of debates between Hitchens and Wilson.  Saturday 13th March, 2pm and 7:30pm.  I know we'll be the first public screening in Tasmania, I wonder if we are the first in Australia?

Amy is with Child!

Amy's pregnant, which is very exciting, we've provisionally named him or her Tigger, until they are born.  I think a temporary nickname, like the working title of a novel, is important because from conception the child is a person. Thank God for the gift of being parents and for the way that we have our being because He recognises us as a person.

Happy Reformation Day!

Here is a portrait of John Calvin for your edification, it's been 500 years since he was born.

(Speaking of Geneva, The Geneva Push is a new Australian church planting network, sort of built on what Acts 29 Australia, planned to do.  I believe Nick and Bron are planning to part of it and are being assessed this December to be church planters behind the flannelette curtain in Hobart!)

Wedding

Dad and Shiloh arrive at her wedding with Will.
[Photo by Emily Thomson]

Willborg!

Willbur has decided to marry my cybernetic sister on the 23rd August, so there will be a one week blogging hiatus while Amy and I travel to Van Diemens land for the nuptials.

2009

I accidentally started this blog when I realized I had things to say and needed some sort of public format and forum into which to say them. Since I'm on the road to becoming a 'parson,' which in many ways is a sort of public role, I thought a blog would also be a good insight into my thoughts and theology. (Amy sends out an email update that has more personal anecdotes about us.)



The purpose of my blog for 2009:

• Discussion of my MDiv project. "How Augustinian is Jonathan Edwards' doctrine of Original Sin?" (Wikinomics has convinced me that the web is very useful for certain types of collaboration.)
  
• Sharing the good stuff; maps, ministry, book reviews etc.
• Riding my theological hobby horses!