Learning to read 4 Oct 2009
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- Last Updated: 20 March 2014
- Written by Dale
Learning to read.
4 Oct 2009
This week the lectionary sets aside one of the days to remember William Tyndale. Tyndale was an Oxford scholar who did more than anyone to lay the foundations not only for modern English translations of the Bible, but for modern English itself. The 1526 edition of the New Testament was published at Worms and smuggled into England and England was never the same again.
It is hard to imagine today why anyone would oppose having the Bible in the first language of the readers but in Tyndale’s time the opposition was led by the highest in the land. Tyndale himself had to flee to the Continent (where he was eventually assassinated by agents of the King and the Bishop of London).
Which way now? 20 Sep 2009
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- Last Updated: 20 March 2014
- Written by Dale
Which way now?
20 Sep 2009
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where – “ said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“ – so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, if you only walk long enough.”
Sometimes church seems a bit like Alice’s adventure. We want to go somewhere but we don’t know where. And the advisors often seem as unhelpful as the Chesire Cat. Or we try this direction and that direction and find ourselves still in Wonderland.
Following Christ 13 Sep 2009
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- Last Updated: 20 March 2014
- Written by Dale
Following Christ
13 Sep 2009
Did you know what you were letting yourself in for? When you ... said you would teach Sunday School, help with a church roster, serve on Church Council, do some other ministry ...?
Most people have a kind of bemused awareness that the job turns out to be bigger than they thought (or were led to believe). But most of us grow with the job and the challenge.
Following Christ is the same, only more so. We do not know what will happen. It is the great life risk – to let someone else take complete charge of our life. Many of us have struggled with this – we want to know what it will be like, we want to negotiate some guarantees in advance.
Dads 6 Sep 2009
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- Last Updated: 20 March 2014
- Written by Dale
Dads
6 Sep 2009
“My dad is/was ...” How would you finish the sentence? My dad is going strong at 89, still drives the car and plays bowls. But I remember many things: going fishing with him, taking him bushwalking and mountain climbing, learning how to bowl leg breaks (even though he was a fast bowler), watching him sing bass in the choir and serve as a church warden for many years.
All of us have memories – some good, some bad, some ambiguous. Many of us still have day to day experiences of our dad – some good, some bad, some ambiguous.
