Friends, We gather today on the lands of the Gadigal people and pay our respects to the people, cultures and elders past and present. We gather today as people of faith, and people of conscience. On Palm Sunday, Christians everywhere remember the time when Jesus of Nazareth entered Jerusalem—not on a warhorse, but on a …
The problem with atheism
Roman, Entry into Jerusalem, marble, late 4th century. The fool says in his heart, ‘There’s no God.’” (Psalm 14:1; cf Ps 53:1). Psalm 14 opens with these famous words. No one likes to be called a fool. But these words, as I read them, are neither an attack on a specific person nor a rebuttal of a …
Nine reasons why people embrace atheism
“Portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche”, by Edvard Munch, c. 1906. I curated this list on 13 April 2025 to complement a sermon I preached on Psalm 14:1. The list presents brief biblical and theological responses to nine common reasons why people embrace atheism in the 21st century. 1. Scientific Understanding Atheist Claim: Science provides more reliable explanations …
When human rights fail us
Psalm 12:1-8 Australian navy personnel rescue asylum seekers from a sinking boat off Christmas Island in 2001. I have had the privilege of sitting with asylum seekers at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney, and at the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre in remote north-western Australia, as the asylum seekers shared their stories of oppression, fear, …
Questions for book club discussions
If you’re thinking about starting a book club, or you’re leading one where the conversation tends to go off-topic or you need prompts to extend the discussion, here are some sample questions. They are designed for literary fiction but will suit any kind of fiction, including children’s and YA literature, and I’ve added a section …
iDigress 