tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186922182011-12-15T13:41:40.003+11:00exploring faith, life, and whatever captures meChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1150196920530369072006-06-13T21:04:00.001+10:002006-06-13T21:13:27.436+10:00

I will not be putting up posts on this blog anymore but will keep it active until things take off over at my new blog I have still got a few bugs to iron out (eg my links don't appear. I have a few blogs here that I link to and read faithfully. I haven't abandoned you!). I have started posting, so hopefully I'll see you over at wordpress....

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1150084200487022322006-06-12T13:42:00.000+10:002006-06-12T13:50:00.500+10:00

It seems to me that I have reached a milestone in a bloggers' life. I am contemplating crossing over to wordpress - time to join you Geoff. I have been very happy with Blogger (especially with its ability to be customised) but I am a frustrated categorizer. Wordpress allows for sorting, but alas the free version is barely customisable. Not sure about monitoring the stats either (another

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1149213606296691472006-06-02T11:41:00.000+10:002006-06-02T12:03:29.826+10:00

I am doing some reading at the moment on Jesus as the Healer,and decided to give Google Scholar and Google book search a go. Go Google! Great stuff available at my fingertips without leaving my lounge. I came across an interesting excerpt from Phillip Yancey's "The Jesus I never knew". It has very little to do with my topic of interest, but got me thinking anyway. Reflecting on a trip to

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1148546503711799312006-05-25T18:28:00.000+10:002006-05-25T18:41:43.723+10:00

There is much use of the word 'processed' in the media at the moment. Sadly, l am hearing it used in relation to people. When l think of the word, l think of cheese. That gluey stuff that binds countless burgers around the world. Or sausages, ham, or the suspiciously titled 'luncheon meat'. 'Processed' in the food world is no complement, but rather speaks of inferiority, impurity, attached to

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1147781786344444112006-05-16T21:48:00.000+10:002006-05-16T22:22:20.140+10:00

I have been a bit quiet here of late as my old laptop completely died, and I have just got a replacement. I am in the frustrating midst of configuring a dual boot system with not a lot of success on either front - Windows is currently faring no better for me than Linux. I can foresee a few more late nights...Anyway, I happened to read a few snippets in the Herald Sun today (my newspaper of

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1147083388651267992006-05-08T18:02:00.000+10:002006-05-09T09:37:50.110+10:00

“Whether it’s God who makes us puppets, or whether it’s genes…… it doesn’t matter much to me. I have little time for determinism. If it’s true then I can’t help but not believe in it, because, after all, I have not choice.” This quote comes from Brian McClaren's book "A Generous Orthodoxy" and was referenced here as part of Geoff's comprehensive book review. Well worth a read, if you have read

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1146778533143338302006-05-05T07:17:00.000+10:002006-05-06T17:14:57.333+10:00

Neil Cole likes his farming analogies when he talks about church life. In that regard he is in good company. Farming images frequently featured in Jesus' stories. The harvest in particular was a dominant theme (for both Jesus and Neil). This is a metaphor the church still uses, especially in relation to yearning for growth. How many times have I heard earnest men and women passionately

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1145883081811574192006-04-24T22:12:00.002+10:002006-04-25T08:56:18.466+10:00

I have not long finished reading a book called "A spectator's guide to Jesus", by John Dickson. It was an interesting read and got me thinking, so I guess a few posts are in the pipeline. After establishing historical evidence for Jesus' existance, Dickson goes on to explore the concept of Jesus as teacher. As he rightly points out, much of gospels is dedicated to documenting Jesus teaching -

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1145525890978240182006-04-20T19:05:00.000+10:002006-04-20T19:38:11.536+10:00

I am re-reading a great little book by Michael Frost called "Jesus the Fool". It is currently out of print, but is well worth the read if you can get your hands on it. In chapter 3, provocatively titled "Jesus the jester" he examines the story of Jonah. Now this is a book that I had heard of as a child even though I didn't go to Sunday school. The idea of being stuck in the belly of a whale was

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1145167692981550662006-04-16T16:03:00.000+10:002006-04-16T16:08:12.993+10:00

On Friday night we a reflective gathering contemplating the stations of the cross. We did not adhere to the traditional Catholic stations. People contributed art work, reflections, visualisations etc on parts of the story of Jesus' last hours that spoke to them in some way. My contribution was this reflection on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene before he was arrested:Sometimes when we reflect

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1144929105068755882006-04-13T21:34:00.000+10:002006-04-13T21:51:45.116+10:00

This headline in the Herald Sun caught my eye whilst flicking through on my lunch break at work today. The article is written by Tim Costello and Jim Wallis. The alignment with right wing politics and Christianity in America is blindingly obvious, and it was not so long ago that I breathed a sigh of relief that Australia was not quite so polarised. However, it is also plain to see that

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1144754443431124912006-04-11T20:56:00.000+10:002006-04-11T21:20:43.500+10:00

This might seem rather obvious, but l can't think of any better place to start. l don't mean some well documented treatise to prove his existence, or an in-depth theological explanation of our sinfulness. We are known as 'Christ-ians'. My own name means follower of Christ. Surely Jesus must be central in how we live our lives and tell our stories. Have you ever done Alpha? l had the

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1144278858063283572006-04-06T08:48:00.000+10:002006-04-06T11:26:43.263+10:00

The term ''pastor's wife'' came up frequently at the recent National Vineyard conference. All the women l spoke to about it struggled with the term. l expected women who function as pastors to be uncomfortable, but interestingly, women who did not want to be considered as pastors felt the same. For one woman in particular, the title both diminished her own identity, and placed unwanted

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1144064050044390072006-04-03T21:16:00.000+10:002006-04-03T21:34:10.066+10:00

You don't need to go to conferences for mind expansion. We have a group that meets at a local pub. It is unstructured, with no clear leadership. Someone asks a question and we all engage in the answers that are not assessed as either right or wrong. Some of tonight's questions included the following:When we get to heaven, will it be a finite number - as in not increasing beyond the point of

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1143888468019661182006-04-01T21:22:00.000+11:002006-04-01T21:47:48.790+11:00

I am finally back home after a weekend at Bendigo and the National Vineyard Conference. I have a bit to think about from the conference, mainly from Alan Hirsh's two sessions. I expect to have my mindsets challenged whenever I hear him speak, and this week I had my vocabulary expanded too. Alan spoke about 'liminality' - defined on www.dictionary.reference.com as "the condition of being on a

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1143521469560661472006-03-28T15:42:00.000+11:002006-03-28T15:51:09.900+11:00

Got to love technology. l am at the conference at Collaroy blogging on my wireless PDA. (interesting question - is it a sin to steal bandwidth?). l met an artist who has painted some interesting images of Jesus. Here's one of Jesus sporting a nose ring straddling a Harley. You can check it out here - http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/mrschristos ...

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1143324410335554752006-03-26T09:02:00.000+11:002006-03-26T09:06:50.353+11:00

I will be neglecting this site for the next week or so as I will be up at the National Vineyard Conference in Collaroy, Sydney. I will look out for an internet cafe but down town Collaroy is not particularly flush with such things. I know I have crossed over into geek mode when I find myself mourning the loss of broadband. Key note speakers at the conference include Deb and Alan Hirsh - they

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1143021318966703232006-03-22T20:35:00.000+11:002006-03-22T20:55:19.333+11:00

I caught the Religion Report this morning. It was an interview with an Aboriginal man named Rocky Davis. Davis became a Muslim while in gaol serving for armed robbery. It was interesting to hear about his conversion experience, a process that sounded mostly intellectual. He had a few comments on Christianity. Davis said that unlike the Christians, Muslims don't seek to convert others and

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1142501995368423152006-03-16T20:27:00.000+11:002006-03-16T20:39:55.393+11:00

Yesterday I read an article in The Age on elder abuse. It referred to an elderly woman who was repeatedly raped in a nursing home. The article discussed the merits of mandatory reporting (once apon a time a contested issue in preventing child abuse). I am amazed that there are people fighting the imposition of reporting this kind of abuse. Mandatory reporting would have saved this vulnerable

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1141958677495355172006-03-10T13:30:00.000+11:002006-03-10T13:59:21.993+11:00

I have been thinking further about the "gender" of God, and in particular the title of "Creator". Over at Signposts there is an interesting discussion on this topic. One writer commented that she preferred the title of "Creator" because it was bigger than the more human construct of "father", encompassing all of creation. I think that by exploring the concept of God as "Creator" we can learn

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1141920771522493682006-03-10T02:32:00.000+11:002006-03-10T07:43:11.616+11:00

l have been following an interesting debate on another blog concerning the use of gender-inclusive language in reference to God. Interestingly, some in the Vineyard in Australia seem to be asking questions about this too, but from the less radical perspective of wondering about gender-inclusive biblical translations. I am a big fan of gender-inclusive language. I am not a brother! And I am

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1141469900945854622006-03-04T21:41:00.000+11:002006-03-04T22:01:27.093+11:00

I have just finished watching Hotel Rwanda on DVD. I am overwhelmed by the horror of it. The senselessness of slaughter resulting from colonially orchestrated racial tension. The exodus of many Westerners, including the ministers of religion. The apparent impotence of the rest of the world, bystanders.. One comment hit hard. Paul, the main hero of the story was convinced that seeing the

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1141380105572916682006-03-03T20:39:00.000+11:002006-03-03T21:04:06.580+11:00

l live and work in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. A number of Sudanese refugee families have moved into the area near my work. l have not had opportunity to chat with them. lt is wonderful to see them in the midst of an otherwise fairly homogenous community. While on a lunch break l noticed a beautiful girl sitting alone on the bench. She wore a blue t-shirt with the following words

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1141008000658477642006-02-27T13:34:00.000+11:002006-02-27T13:40:00.673+11:00

I have been rather sidetracked in the last couple of weeks and have not got back to finishing my series on Job. My mind is buzzing with thoughts from the Forge Intensive, and I expect to post on some of this. However, I don't like to leave things unfinished, so here is my last post on the book of Job.The story of Job concludes with series of dramatic reversals. Job who yearned for a mediator

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1140594834232776992006-02-22T18:53:00.000+11:002006-02-22T22:00:02.063+11:00

l was at a Brian Mclaren seminar yesterday. Much of the discussion was about changing world paradigms. Someone in the audience said that the picture of the Kingdom of God did not make sense to him. As he rightly pointed out, he knows of a time of incorporations, commerce, not kingdoms. Kingdoms of course would have meant a great deal to Jesus' audience. What contemporary metaphors would

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1140514020080909892006-02-21T20:25:00.000+11:002006-02-21T21:23:25.176+11:00

l don't think l have ever posted on food before. This is odd really, given that l am really passionate about food. Especially eating it. l have eaten out a lot over the last few days as l have been involved in a Forge intensive, mostly located at St Martin's, Collingwood. l will be posting a bit about the intensive over the next little while, but this one is a tribute to a fabulous meal in a

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1139565361024876102006-02-10T20:14:00.000+11:002006-02-10T20:56:01.130+11:00

Today was a very sad day. l attended thefuneral of a man who took his own life. l heard about it on the radio, except that at the time of the broadcast l did not know it was him. l remember rolling over in bed, relishing the fact that l did not need to get up, and did not think further about the man found in the river. lt is amazing how dispassionate l can be at 6am. l later found out that

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1139483214951732332006-02-09T22:05:00.000+11:002006-02-09T22:33:49.236+11:00

In an earlier post I confessed to a secret tech obsession. Amongst other things I subscribe to a mailing list for Christian users of Linux, an open source alternative to Windows. I never post on it, but some of the discussions are interesting, especially when they are not talking tech. A woman has recently joined. This is a rare occurrence, so I became curious to find out about her. She has

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1139207071987839702006-02-06T17:21:00.000+11:002006-02-06T17:24:32.040+11:00

l went to a seminar on forgiveness during Soul Survivor, and it is one that has left me with a lot to think about. The workshop was presented by a bible college lecturer for whom I have great respect. He put forward the idea that we should not dispense forgiveness so freely that it's meaning is lost. Perhaps he was warning against the same fate faced by love - almost void of meaning in our

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1138607772377328792006-01-30T18:53:00.000+11:002006-01-30T18:56:12.430+11:00

Tension precedes a storm. I imagine that at the closing of the final mortal speech there would have been a moment where Job, the friends and any other observers may have held their collective breath in anticipation. Would God answer Job's challenge? Would Job perish for making his stand? Or for the ultimate anti-climax, would Job simply follow the course of his disease, and slowly fade away?

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1138258070158609442006-01-26T17:33:00.001+11:002006-01-26T17:52:45.956+11:00

Australia has had a bit of bad press lately. We have been under the microscope for a variety of reasons, including our involvement in Iraq, our treatment of detainees, and racial tensions. An article in today's Age calls Australia a nation of waste. Not a title to invoke national pride. New Zealand is officially the most environmentally sound country in the world. And Australia? We are not

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1137916884758659342006-01-22T18:56:00.000+11:002006-01-22T19:02:40.770+11:00

The debate continues, stagnant. The friends are immovable. They have but one way of understanding themselves, God and justice. Job's suffering is retribution from an all powerful but distant God. For Job, it is not so simple. He knows that the wicked may flourish, and that the righteous may suffer. The latter story is played out in his own skin. The God of Job is terrifyingly imminent, mighty

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1137571120844248542006-01-18T18:27:00.000+11:002006-01-18T19:02:35.343+11:00

As I indicated in my last post, this is a risky title, and I am scared of what adsense will do with it! I heard this phrase at a workshop by Deb Hirsch on sexuality. Deb Hirsch is involved with Forge, and has pastored a church with significant emphasis on the sexually broken. You can read her profile here. Deb quoted CS Lewis who stated that our sexuality mirrors our spirituality. Now there's a

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1137406834542129722006-01-16T21:00:00.000+11:002006-01-16T21:20:34.766+11:00

I have just had a week (almost) at Belgrave Heights Convention Centre for the annual Soul Survivor festival. Soul Survivor is targeted at young people, and is a great time of pressing in to God, pondering things of a spiritual nature, awesome worship, and of course no sleep and great merriment. I reckon I paced several kilometres per day around the sprawling campsite, and danced,clapped and

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1137400893692444862006-01-16T19:34:00.000+11:002006-01-16T19:41:33.693+11:00

In dust and ashes Job sits, bereft. Job is stripped of dignity and all that matters to him. The God whose care preserves him seems far away; the God who terrifies is unbearably close. Job's friends are as nurturing as his own bony flesh. Yearning for justice, Job is desolate but not defeated. In a pinnacle statement of faith and hope, Job boldly declares that his Redeemer lives, and that he

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1136541619818628282006-01-09T20:59:00.000+11:002006-01-09T21:44:29.540+11:00

The Beatles had enjoyed superstardom long before I had any inkling of their existance. I have vague memories of playing "We all live in a yellow submarine" on my recorder at school, but that sums up my early Beatle recollections.Lennon was assassinated on the 8th of December 1980, but I can't recall it happening. I was ten years old. However, I do remember the day Elvis Presley died, 16th

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1136713486854446772006-01-08T20:43:00.000+11:002006-01-08T20:44:46.963+11:00

Who will hear Job's cry? No-one, according to his friends. Job's voice drops to a broken whisper in the face of the shadow of death. His body is wracked with weeping. Job's tears rise to heaven, to God who has formed him with bare hands, yet broken him with the same. You give and take away. Blessed be Your name. May these unwavering words of Job be on my lips at all times. May I shout them

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1136538320806633642006-01-06T19:38:00.000+11:002006-01-06T20:05:20.823+11:00

This afternoon I went to see Narnia. It was probably not as good as I had anticipated, as far as big block-buster special effects movies go. The lion was not always believable, and it didn't feel other-worldly enough for the vividly imagined Narnia of my childhood. The children acted fairly well, certainly more appealing than the bumbling Ron etc of Harry Potter. I liked Lucy. She seemed to

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1136082702945458792006-01-01T13:26:00.001+11:002006-01-02T21:36:16.783+11:00

Job's friends were speechless with distress when they first saw him; now it is as though they are deafened. Words like a hot desert wind blow over Job, depleting him. Job thirsts for mercy, understanding, but finds none. The friends speak nothing of Job's own suffering, but of the good life of the righteous to a man for whom life is unbearable. They speak of the despair of the sinner to a man

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1135993286458219362005-12-31T12:22:00.000+11:002005-12-31T12:41:26.460+11:00

Last Friday I had my final classical guitar lesson for the year. However, I didn't get around to taking my guitar out of the case at all. I had been looking forward to the lesson because my teacher, also an accomplished luthier, had just finished making an acoustic bass guitar and planned to show it to me. I love playing bass. It is very different to playing guitar and I find it quite a free

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1135548438758405022005-12-26T09:03:00.000+11:002005-12-26T09:07:18.790+11:00

The friends are no longer silent, and the great speeches begin. Words flow like tumultuous waves, sinking to places 'forgotten by feet', and rising to the heights of God himself. Words. Capable of refreshing like cool water or diminishing like the grave. What do Job's friends hear? Like conversational artisans, Job's friends speak eloquently, but as though Job had barely uttered a word.In my

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1134875708280967862005-12-18T14:13:00.000+11:002005-12-18T14:17:34.556+11:00

As the days pass, I imagine Job's friends shifting awkwardly on the ground. Numb with waiting for reprieve, something to happen. Unknown to Job and his friends, the whole of heaven and earth also watches and waits. Finally, Job speaks. He can wait no longer, for his grief surges like an angry swollen river. The words come passionately, painfully. Words as bleak as the external man. Job is

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1134559890552541202005-12-14T22:13:00.000+11:002005-12-14T22:31:30.563+11:00

I went to work early this morning so I could stop at the local coffee shop to read the paper. I found another article about a man who was deported because of mental illness, drug addiction, and associated criminal activities. Another man homeless and becoming increasingly unwell. Another decision to terminate citizenship because of issues in the "too hard basket". Interestingly, it was a

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1134287866047147442005-12-11T18:41:00.000+11:002005-12-11T19:02:00.643+11:00

The title of this post is not original - is taken from the name of a book by R. B. Zuck that I read as part of my exegesis subject on Job last semester. However, I like it, and it captures the essence of this series of posts that I intend to put up on Sundays. I say intend, for life has a way of intruding on the best of intentions. This series of posts are about my experience of the book of Job -

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1134112242453558802005-12-09T18:01:00.000+11:002005-12-09T18:10:42.473+11:00

I blogged a while ago about Mr Robert Jovicic. He is still in Serbia, stateless,unwell, and still crying out for a chance to come home. I found this picture of him on the ABC website (thanks to a reply on my earlier post). His case is still under review. His expression says it all. Bring him home, Amanda Vanstone. In my last post I commented on the armchair view of justice. Here I go again,

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1134076955844934192005-12-09T08:21:00.000+11:002005-12-09T08:24:01.530+11:00

This morning I will hand in my last paper for a subject I have been studying at Bible College, and thus my headspace is now fully my own again, and I have more time for reading blogs and writing my own. I have been studying the book of Job rather intently as the main focus of an exegetical subject, and I expect that it will permeate some of my blogging for a while til I get it out of my system.It

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1133595795629736582005-12-03T18:08:00.000+11:002005-12-03T19:11:06.503+11:00

Yesterday many Australians had only one thing on their minds - the hanging of Nguyen Tuong Van. It was not possible to watch TV, listen to the news or glance at the papers without being haunted by images of his mother or his ghostly clad grieving twin. We seem to have so many unforgettable painful moments these days. I have the ABC Online as my homepage. Today Nguyen Tuong Van is no longer in the

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1133064323258286062005-11-27T14:11:00.000+11:002005-11-27T15:07:18.360+11:00

I love living in Australia, and could not imagine living anywhere else. I appreciate our cultural adherence to giving everyone a "fair go". But what about a fair go for Mr Jovicic? Mr Jovicic was born in France to Serbian born parents, and has lived in Australia with his family for 36 of his 38 years. Because of thefts to support a drug addiction, Mr Jovicic's visa was cancelled and he was

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1132572766892322252005-11-24T16:08:00.000+11:002005-11-24T00:07:07.430+11:00

This is part two of my reflection on Encounter from last Sunday. The initials "WWJD" are immediately recognisable for most Christians thanks to rather successful marketing. I think that is helpful to stop and reflect on Christ-like responses to situations we face in our daily lives, but perhaps it is possible to overdo it. There is the "What would Jesus Eat" cookbook. How about "What would

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1132572576636364022005-11-22T14:34:00.000+11:002005-11-21T22:32:00.296+11:00

Last Sunday morning I listened to Encounter on Radio National. It is a program that tackles a variety of spiritual topics. Last week part of the program was based around a talk by Andrew McGowan on 'religion'. His basic premise was to reclaim the 'religious' in Christianity. He said a number of things that got me thinking.From a conservative 'religionless Christian' perspective, he says that

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1132224164107373902005-11-17T21:36:00.000+11:002005-11-20T15:26:43.013+11:00

I wrote these few words about grief seven years ago - in the midst of a very painful personal situation. The analogy may be a bit corny (bearing the mark of a dreadfully amateur wannabe poet), but the sentiment makes sense. The grief cycle Leaves you Brutally wrung out, And left out to dry...There are days when ministry leaves

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1132048741634526722005-11-15T20:26:00.000+11:002005-11-16T14:03:44.300+11:00

I have just got back from Queensland. I left Melbourne in rain and cold, and returned to the same. I was glad to bring out my winter clothes again, but there are things that I will miss about Queensland. It is an earthy, natural place. Almost every meal was eaten outdoors, on our friends' 'queenslander' verandah. Simple and refreshing. I never managed the time difference so I essentially went to

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1131486523341943992005-11-10T03:52:00.000+11:002005-11-09T21:49:14.076+11:00

I am on a get-fit kick at the moment, and my "torture" of choice is an early morning run with my dog and my mp3 player. I have resisted the I-Pod craze, and have an I-River. Not so funky, very chunky, but at least I only need to carry one accessory - my headphones. My music of choice? At the moment I can't get past Franz Ferdinand - "You could have it so much better". An album that kicks along at

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1131314092917938622005-11-08T03:56:00.000+11:002005-11-07T21:50:34.046+11:00

Most of my posts on my previous blog were critiques - of church, theology, movies, politics. Perhaps not dissimilar to some of the blogs that I read. On Saturday night I had dinner with friends who introduced me to the RealLivePreacher. They also lent us his book, a collection of posts. The preacher does look critically at himself and life around him, but there is also optimism, posts with heart.

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18692218.post-1131260742423967612005-11-06T18:04:00.000+11:002005-11-06T18:05:42.430+11:00

This is my first effort at a solo blog. Posts will be somewhat slow until I can get things looking how I want...

Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08806394130453243965noreply@blogger.com2