mission
Into the margins of my life I am trying to squeeze assignments for my DMin. My focus at the moment is on the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. I am loving it for all sorts of reasons – not the least being the parallels between it and my favourite story of Jesus on…
READ MOREIs anyone else provoked by this full page picture in New Zealand newspapers this week?The caption, presumably spoken by this African woman, reads: “In New Zealand many women are denied some human rights that I enjoy”. I know they are trying to push the boundaries in order to expose the despicable that is kept hidden…
READ MOREHere are ten reasons why you should have a garage sale in order to raise money to buy this book for every Christian young adult you know. Timothy Keller, The Reason for God; Belief in an Age of Skepticism (Dutton, 2008). Keller is pastor of a church in Manhattan. One over-indulgent (!) Keller fan has…
READ MORETwo funerals in five days. Mike (aged 27) died of cancer. Tony (aged 29) drowned in the flash Mangetepopo flood that also took the lives of six of his Elim Christian College students. Both ‘orders of service’ from the funerals are in front of me as I write. Mike was a close relative of a…
READ MOREMy Dad turns 80 on Easter Sunday. I reckon that is pretty cool. It has caused me to reflect on some of the things for which I am grateful about my Dad (and my Mum) who is now more frail as Parkinsons accompanies him through these later years. I’d like to pay tribute to him,…
READ MOREThis week I had a friend ask my opinion on home-schooling. His little family is reaching that stage where a decision needs to be made. Knowing that Barby and I had chosen to public-school, he wanted to hear some reasons for doing so. The arguments can go on forever. I realise that. Our view is…
READ MOREThe deepest divisions among the people of God in our nation have nothing to do with denominations. They have nothing to do with political loyalties. No – the deepest divisions cut through the life of individuals. Take the time to listen to Christians talk. I do this all the time. Let me tell you what…
READ MOREA couple of Sundays ago I received an early morning email from Zambia. I had been there last year speaking at a pastors’ conference alongside a delightful Zambian man called Albert. We (my son Martin was with me) grew close to Albert. We’ve kept in touch … except that in August we received an email…
READ MOREA couple of blindspots have been exposed in recent decades… First-up there is the recognition that the earth needs stewardship and the environment needs care. The genius of Genesis 1 & 2 is that it constitutes every possible relationship (God:world; God:humanity; humanity:humanity; humanity:world) – but then from Genesis 3 all of these relationships get stained…
READ MOREI grew up with Robin Hood. My Dad is a big fan of the 1938 movie version starring Errol Flynn. We watched it as kids. The storyline has grafted into my heritage. Then there was the 1991 version with Kevin Costner as Robin Hood. And now … on Monday nights the phone gets ignored and…
READ MOREAbout Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.