February 2014 - Liturgy

Feb 28 2014

Evolution – The Elephant in the Empty Nave

Recently I was at a show where “Christian” was synonymous with “someone-who-believes-the-universe-is-thousands-not-billions-of-years-old”. At a dinner party, when someone found out I am a Christian, I was identified with the Flat Earth Society, and it was assumed I was anti-evolution, and anti-science. Somehow the well-financed, American-style, fundamentalist, creationist approach to the Bible and to science and

Evolution – The Elephant in the Empty Nave Read More »

Feb 27 2014

Habemus Blogem

By Bosco Peters / 4 Comments

I regularly rant and rave about the church and its leadership not moving into the new world of the third millennium – web 2.0. So it is only fitting that I celebrate another of our bishops picking up the discipline of blogging. Bishop Jim White, Assistant Bishop of Auckland, is a friend of mine; I

Habemus Blogem Read More »

Feb 26 2014

Beware of the Dogma

By Bosco Peters / 4 Comments

He preached about the Trinity and how the world began; Explained the Incarnation and the Destiny of Man. He carefully expounded every detail of the Creeds, And tried to show their relevance to modern human needs; He brilliantly upheld the Christian heritage of Truth, And sought to make it lucid and acceptable to youth. They

Beware of the Dogma Read More »

Feb 25 2014

“Sola Scriptura” Meaningless

By Bosco Peters / 64 Comments

Those who believe in sola scriptura (“Scripture alone”) cannot agree amongst themselves what this concept actually means. For some the Bible does not just point to God’s revelation, or tell the story of God’s revelation – the Bible is God’s revelation. “Tradition” for these people is nothing more than the history of interpreting the Bible.

“Sola Scriptura” Meaningless Read More »

Feb 24 2014

Twelve Reasons Pastors’ Wives Are Lonely

By Bosco Peters / 13 Comments

I was very taken by the research and summary of Thom Rainer around the loneliness of pastors’ wives. I think some similar points could be made about pastors’ husbands. I copy his twelve points here. Comments could be placed on this site or on his: Superficial relationships in the church. “No one ever sees me as

Twelve Reasons Pastors’ Wives Are Lonely Read More »

Feb 21 2014

Training Readers

By Bosco Peters / 17 Comments

There was a comment here recently that really caught me up short: Can you imagine the cries of “clericalism!” that would ensue if we said you needed to be trained to be a reader? It had never entered my mind not to provide training and help for the immensely significant ministry of reading. And never

Training Readers Read More »

Feb 20 2014

Baptism Expels Us

By Bosco Peters / 2 Comments

I always appreciate people who present a familiar image in a creatively different way – turning our usual ways of viewing things inside-out, upside-down. In the recent so-called Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (I say “so-called”, because we Christians are not even united enough to agree on the same week to pray for unity!)

Baptism Expels Us Read More »

Feb 19 2014

By Heart

By Bosco Peters / 9 Comments

In a recent conversation here it was pointed out that if you place the text in front of someone the majority of us cannot help but read it. That is true whether it is in a book, on a pew sheet, or up on a projected screen. Even if people know the text by heart,

By Heart Read More »