Law keeping?

Jesus was pretty scathing of people of who honoured God only through outward observance (Matt 6, Mark 7:6-8). I wonder what he would think of this.

Atheists face death

Jim Crace is an author who presented at the recent Adelaide Writers' Week. His thoughts of death from an atheists' point of view end up slipping into a sentimental pantheism (at around 13:30). The reality is that atheism affirms the meaningless of life. The search for solace in the face of death is just a recognition that atheism does not deliver at the point of humanity's greatest need.

Only Christ overcomes death and gives us hope. The Easter story is hardly wishful thinking but the reality that death does not have the final say but that God will raise the dead.

UPDATE: I have updated this post with a link to the full presentation from ABC and not just the highlights.

Seats in churches (cathedrals mainly)

From Blogger Pictures

When I was last in England I visited a number of cathedrals which used the Howe 40/4 chair. These included Christopher Wren's St Paul's Cathedral in London and Salisbury Cathedral (pictured above). I'm also aware that Southwark Cathedral and Ely Cathedral also use these chairs. While in Oxford I really liked the welcoming entrance placed on St Aldate's church and their flexible interior (pictured below). The design of the Howe 40/4 chair is from the early 1960s and a real classic and very beautiful chair. Check out their website here.

From Blogger Pictures

Ideas for the Parents' Room

We're thinking of setting up the Parents' Room better. The idea is to move it from under the tower to the vestry. Any good ideas for the room?

Lion enclosure at Taronga

(NIV) Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

I think the symbolism of Jesus as a lion predates Medieval Europeans!

Some thoughts on sticking at church

Mark Dever shares about sticking at your church...

Phillip Jensen asks Mark Dever - When is it ever right to leave a church? from Audio Advice on Vimeo.