The term 'ecumenism' as we understand it today did not exist in the time of Jesus. Yet his teaching and actions demonstrate a strong desire for unity. Three key biblical texts indicate this desire for unity and cooperation among those who followed Jesus. The first is a command for his apprentices to love one another as …
Regeneration, retreat, or decluttering? The many faces of Lent
Ask people what they’re doing for Lent, and you’re likely to get a wide range of replies. Formally, Lent is a 40-day season in the Christian liturgical calendar intended to prepare the faithful to experience the ultimate meaning and resurrection joy of Easter. We take the word “Lent” from the Anglo-Saxon lencten, meaning “spring-time,” which in the …
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How to be a philosopher
Bertrand Russell on how to be a philosopher: It is important to learn not to be angry with opinions different from your own, but to set to work understanding how they come about. If, after you have understood them, they still seem false, you can then combat them much more effectually than if you had …
The vocation and mission of Jesus
The Hebrew Bible contains hints, types, allusions and prophecies relating to Jesus, but the New Testament is filled with references to Jesus, stories told by Jesus, wonders performed by him, and summaries of his teaching. The New Testament identifies Jesus as a carpenter and a teacher. He was raised in a poor Jewish home and, …
Who was Arthur Stace? Part 2
The Reverend John G. Ridley, M.C. Arthur Stace was “born again,” as he would have described his experience, on 6 August 1930 at an evangelistic service at St Barnabas’ Church on Broadway, Sydney. He soon began attending the Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle where Rev. John G. Ridley (1896-1976) was a regular preacher. Ridley himself was …
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