On the power and fragility of public protest

Part of the huge police presence at today's Town Hall Square protest rally in Sydney. Photo: Rod Benson Attending the protest rally against Israeli President Isaac Herzogโ€™s visit to Australia was not part of my plans for this evening. I left work at my city office around 4.15 pm and headed to Gadigal Station to …

What is a prayer chain?

A prayer chain in a local church is an organised way for members of the congregation to share urgent or ongoing prayer needs and to mobilise people to pray quickly and consistently. Its purpose is pastoral, spiritual, and communal; it helps to ensure that no member suffers alone, that burdens are shared, and that the …

Evangelical preaching in four voices

A critical comparison of the preaching models of John Stott, Tim Keller, Rick Warren and John Mark Comer Nineteenth-century preacher Phillips Brooks famously defined preaching as โ€œthe communication of truth through personality.โ€ Expanding this phrase, we may describe Christian preaching as the artful convergence of biblical truth, theological reason, pastoral insight, cultural critique, and practical …

Ecumenical perspectives: World Religion Day

World Religion Day, observed each year on the third Sunday in January, is a timely invitation to pause and remember that our world is religiously diverse, and that diversity can be a source of enrichment rather than conflict. It highlights the capacity of faith communities to build mutual understanding, cultivate peace, and contribute to the …

Screwtape’s advice on Comer’s Practicing the Way

My dear Wormwood, I have received your anxious report regarding the latest fad among the Enemyโ€™s followers: this tiresome programme of so-called โ€œapprenticeship to the Enemy,โ€ promoted by that meddlesome priest, John Mark Comer. You are quite right to be concerned, though not, I think, for the reasons you suppose. At first glance, the scheme …