Easter is a busy time. For those entrusted with leading the people of God, the season of Lent may serve to focus deep attention on spiritual reality, but the celebration of Easter is often filled with dramatic intensity, layered worship services, heightened expectations, emotional proclamation, and a desire to do justice to the mystery of the cross and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. When it is over, many …
Origin of the classic Easter greeting, “Christ is risen!”
Upon arrival at my place of worship this Easter Sunday, I was greeted by the declaration, “Christ is risen!” And, aware of liturgical protocol, I replied, “He is risen indeed!” When I stood before my congregation to preach the Easter sermon, I spoke the declaration, and the people replied, with joy, “He is risen indeed!” …
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Why are there so many breeds of dog?
The extraordinary diversity of dog breeds in the modern world, from the towering Irish Wolfhound to the compact Chihuahua, is the result of a long and intricate partnership between humans and animals. Unlike most domesticated species, dogs exhibit an extraordinary level of variation. This diversity reflects not only biological potential but also human culture and labour. Moreover, dogs …
Should Protestants reframe purgatory as final sanctification?
Last night, over a communal dinner, the conversation turned to John 17, and then to the status of Judas Iscariot, and then to the notion of “perdition” (Jn 17:12), which may refer to “destruction, ruin, or ultimate loss.” From there, we skirted around the theology of predestination and Judas’s assumed eternal fate, and then on …
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What’s so good about the Uniting Church?
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) is distinctive among Australian Christian denominations because of a particular way of being church: it is intentionally ecumenical in origin, conciliar in structure, dialogical in decision-making, and diverse in practice. Formed in 1977 through the union of Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational traditions, it represents a culmination of ecumenical aspiration and an ongoing experiment …
