Christian Life

Connecting with the Global Church Ecumenically: Report of Activities

There are many ways that pastors and leaders of the ACC connect with the global church. It may be through global networks, conferences or events. One unique avenue of engaging with different church traditions globally is through formal, ecumenical activi…

Christian Life

Discipleship: Why and How

Originally published in Eternity News. Discipleship-talk is trending amongst church leaders. Why is such an old-fashioned word now so current? And what might effective discipleship involve?Talking about discipleship is prominent now thanks to Covid lockd…

Christian Life

Staying Focused in a World of Distraction

Ping! Ding! You have a new message (or email, social media notification, etc.) interrupting your train of thought.Being able to focus on the most important things has always been a challenge; it just seems to be getting harder these days. The truth is th…

Christian Life

Remembering Dr Gordon Fee (1934 - 2022)

Many Christians from a variety of theological streams are mourning the passing of Gordon Fee, most likely the most famous Pentecostal theologian of the twentieth century. His influence on the thinking of Pentecostals and other believers was immense and…

Christian Life

Interview: 'Being Jesus' through Sports Chaplaincy

Stephen Reid has just successfully completed his DMin thesis on the role of Christian sports chaplains in contemporary Australia. We caught up with Stephen for a chat about his research.Your doctoral thesis was on sports chaplaincy in Australia. What spa…

Christian Life

Report on Participation in the World Council Churches 11th General Assembly

The World Council of Churches (WCC) invited me to be the spokesperson on behalf of global Pentecostals at a plenary session of their 11th General Assembly. The General Assembly, which met in Karlsruhe Germany from 31 August to 8 September 2022, included …

Christian Life

Recommended Resources from the Panel of 'Headship and the Bible'

The recent Masterclass on headship and women provoked many questions and much discussion. Here are some recommended resources to help you explore further some of the issues raised. Top Recommendations from Dr Ally Cawthorn:Podcast: Lisa Harper’s Back Por…

Christian Life

‘Headship and the Bible: Can Women Lead Today?’ Q & A Continued

The recent Masterclass on Women and Headship raised many questions. In fact, there were so many questions we unfortunately did not have time to properly address them all in the Q & A. As a result, I have provided a response to those questions here:‘E…

Christian Life

What the Census Tells Us About the Pentecostals in Australia

The 1970s saw huge growth in the Pentecostal denominations in Australia, as was happening in many places around the globe. Between 1976 and 1981, the Australian Census recorded Pentecostal growth in Australia at 88 per cent. It is likely that the true …

Christian Life

John 17:21: Ecumenical Dialogues in June-July 2022

The prayer of Jesus in John 17:20-26 is for the unity of believers, founded on a common faith in Him, as we proclaim the message of Jesus to the world. Jesus’ prayer is that His followers may be unified in a way that somehow reflects the oneness of the F…

Christian Life

Does Faith Make a Difference to How People Contribute to Australian Society?

A large national survey was conducted to discover whether there is a real and measurable difference to the contributions religious people make to society. In 2016, the ‘Contributing to Australian Society’ was sent to a random sample of Australian adults,…

Christian Life

Advent: Adoring Christ

Advent is one of the great holy seasons of the Christian calendar. The word ‘Advent’ comes from the Latin, adventus, which means coming, arrival. And of course the arrival we’re waiting for is the Christ-child. We join in the expectant waiting of a young…

Christian Life

How much does a woman ‘weigh’?: Issues of status and respect in a patriarchal context

Sometimes we are confronted with issues that do not have straightforward answers. A friend of mine compares this to “nailing jelly to the wall”. The problem is substantial, but the answer is slippery and hard to pin down. The question I am examining, of …

Christian Life

Secularisation

Classical secularisation theory is suggested as ‘a global process of religion waning and becoming less relevant to public life’ (McMahan, 2017, p. 112), a linear process as modernisation occurs in modern society. The rise of science, knowledge and techno…

Christian Life

Intercultural Communication in the Church Setting

Communication between any two or more people, even with a common language, can be fraught with misunderstandings, often due to differences in areas including cultural backgrounds, education and age differences. Even differences in body language can creat…

Christian Life

Love One Another?

Towards the end of the twentieth century, Frank Macchia (1999) expressed concern that an inwardness and otherworldliness had developed and was dominating global Pentecostalism. Twenty-one years into the new millennium, are Australian Pentecostal churches…

Christian Life

Potential for tax reforms to unify church factions?

When studying Torah, at least three central principles seem to guide its social-economic stipulations:(1) God’s desire that all his people would be blessed through the stewardship of His land,(2) the right to private property and a free-market economy, a…

Christian Life

Embodied Encounter: Bare Feet at the Burning Bush

Most of us are familiar with the encounter of Moses and God at the Burning Bush (Exod 3:1-4:17), where Yahweh declares freedom for the Israelite slaves and is revealed as the “I-Am”. But why does God instruct Moses to “put off your sandals from off your …

Christian Life

Focusing on the Holy Spirit

One of the major contributions the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have made to the wider church has been to draw attention to the Holy Spirit as an active participant in the life of the Church and therefore in the life of believers. Among Pentecos…

Christian Life

Does Heidegger Get Theology Right?

In the middle of a Covid lockdown in Sydney, what better after dinner activity than reading some Heidegger with a glass of red in hand. My MEc(hons) thesis at University of Sydney back in the mid-1990s had considered Heidegger and Gadamer’s philosophy as…

Christian Life

Casuistry and Mustard Seeds

We often focus on the intentional actions of the Church, particularly when we feel ‘up against it’ regarding contentions in the public space. Bringing out the boxing gloves is one approach. It is almost always short term and self-defeating, however. Hist…

Christian Life

Building a Just Society in the Midst of an Unjust World

The strain of living with the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed cracks in the foundational structures of our society. Economic and job instability and the effects of climate change are causing concern. Social Media use is contrib…

Christian Life

Why Should Pentecostals Care for Creation?

At the day of Pentecost, after the Spirit had been poured out on the believers in Jesus, Peter stands up to explain this outpouring of the Spirit. Peter quotes Joel 2:28, which promises that God will “pour out the Spirit on all flesh.” Importantly, in Jo…

Christian Life

Remembering the Women Prophets in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, there are many references to prophetic figures. Some of these prophets were women. There are five women in the Old Testament that carry the title of prophet: Miriam (Exod. 15: 20), Deborah (Judg. 4: 4), Huldah (2 Kgs 22: 14– 20), No…

Christian Life

Women in Leadership Masterclass: Resources for Your Journey

In the history of Australian pentecostalism, women have been at the vanguard of planting and leading churches. By 1930, 20 out of 37 pentecostal churches were planted and led by women. Many began as small groups that flourished into faith communities. At…

Christian Life

Every Day as Gift: A Personal Reflection on Cancer, Suffering, Eschatology and Life

Just over 4 years ago I was diagnosed with a high-grade, aggressive cancer and told that with treatment, I would have approximately 5 years to live. This prognosis left me stunned and numb, not knowing quite what to do in that moment. Anyone who has expe…

Christian Life

Religious – and Loving It!

“We’re not religious. We have a relationship with Jesus!” You may have heard this statement in your church circles. It is a pithy way of distinguishing Spirit-centric Christian living from more traditional expressions of the Church. If we want to be aliv…

Christian Life

Isolation and Belonging in J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter and Joseph, prince of Egypt

During the peak periods of isolation in 2020, due to COVID-19, I drew comfort from two literary figures who knew what it was like to feel isolated: Harry Potter and the biblical figure of Joseph. We journey with both characters from places of isolation (…

Christian Life

Assessing your Artificial Spirituality

I recently read Faith in Exile from the Barna Group.[1] The premise of this book describes the current situation of the church living in exile. While this is not a new synopsis (1 Pet. 1:1), they do offer a contemporary context for this exile; the Digita…

Christian Life

Resources for Pentecostal Pastors and Leaders

There are a bewildering number of resources, books, and podcasts to help us in our theological and spiritual journey. It can be difficult to determine which of these resources will be beneficial for us. After quizzing the theology faculty of Alphacrucis …

Christian Life

Korean Church’s Perspective on the Relationship between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom …

One of the problems arising within Korean Christianity, particularly the evangelical wing to which I belong, is that while the spiritual function of the gospel is heavily accentuated, the social function of gospel is relatively underemphasised. Over t…

Christian Life

What are we actually doing in the world?

As Christians we know the Bible passages that tell us to love God first, to love our neighbours as ourselves, to care for the widows and the orphans, to treat foreigners well and to go out into the world and make disciples (Matt. 28:19). Most of us would…

Christian Life

Leading Productive Talk

There have been endless debates about what the Bible means when it talks about “the image of God” [i]. My own view is that the image we carry may be more than, but is certainly not less, than our ability to be like God in making by speaking. To support t…

Christian Life

May I try on your glasses?

On the occasions when I wear my reading glasses, I take them out of their case, give them a wipe, and put them on. And when I do, I am not only aware of their presence, but also aware of the way in which those lenses alter my sight. But not so, with cu…

Christian Life

Simply - GOD IS

I remember it well - it was around the time I was converted, 1974 - J. I. Packer’s best-selling Christian book, Knowing God, had recently come onto the market.[1] I read that book with great intensity, unable to put it down. In the pages of that book, I …

Christian Life

Doing Life With God (and Learning a New Greek Word)

There’s an expression that we use in church (and outside, too) that typically refers to the manner in which we conduct ourselves in relationship with one another. The expression is “doing life”. It’s often said, “I’m ‘doing life’ with such and such”, or …

Christian Life

Spiritual Development

Have you ever wondered how to progress to the next level of your spiritual development? Often spiritual development is presented as doing more spiritual activities. Yet, empirical research[i] and anecdotal evidence affirm that participation in church a…

Christian Life

Challenging Conspiracy Theories through Community

In 2020, we have seen a continued rise in misinformation, “fake news,” and conspiracy theories, often tied to the COVID-19 pandemic or the upcoming US election (or both). A few popular-level publications have discussed the fact that Christians are not im…

Christian Life

Engaging the Unjust in the Gospel of Luke: Jesus and Zacchaeus

It is almost a truism that the Gospel of Luke is a gospel which challenges our perceptions of social justice. Consistently throughout the gospel, we see Jesus acting to confront inequality and injustices, often also offering a critique of the systems whi…

Christian Life

Is your vision for the church too small?

In the last few months, we have been compelled to re-evaluate many of our ‘normal’ activities. This includes how we do church. We have had to re-think assumptions about how we meet as a local church community, and how we interact with one another. Many c…

Christian Life

Black Lives Must Matter: A Historical Pentecostal Response

Many Pentecostal Christians have been divided in how to respond to recent events. The rallying cry for most (as it has been for years) is “Black Lives Matter,” a statement which shocks us with its brazenness; it highlights the fact that African-American …

Christian Life

Prayer and Teaching

Teacher, how often do you pray? When and what do you pray in the classroom? The role of prayer in teaching varies from teacher to teacher.[1] In my research with 37 teachers with Pentecostal and Charismatic colleges across Australia, I discovered severa…

Christian Life

Covid-19: Our Liminal Wilderness Time and Place

In these COVID-19 times, the imagery of wilderness and its associated meaning of liminality echoes deeply. Could our 2020 experience of separation, isolation and uncertainty, be our modern-day liminal wilderness? A key literary association of wilderness…

Christian Life

Revelation as Performance

For most people, the Book of Revelation is a relatively closed book. Scholars of the text have traditionally subdivided the book into three main sub-genres: epistle, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature, applying different interpretive frameworks. Others…

Christian Life

Under the Surface of Pentecostalism

Under the surface of PentecostalismAny substance behind the style of church that our PM attends?There has been a surge of interest in Pentecostalism and its members in recent months. This has mostly been sparked by the association of the Prime Minister, …

Christian Life

The Australian Election: A Moment or a Movement?

I was annoyed. ‘What a pathetic example of parenting!’ my silent thoughts judged. I stood in the queue at the local primary school waiting to cast my vote, with the familiar smell of sausages and onions tracing the air, beckoning me to have a pre-lunch l…

Christian Life

Genesis 2:18

In this Podcast Johnny Kumar, associate lecturer in Old Testament, examines Genesis 2:18. Amongst other things he investigates what this verse has to say regarding the nature of the relationship between husband and wife. Does “helper” mean Eve is subordi…

Christian Life

Ephesians 1:1-2

Enjoy this audio teaching from Dr David Parker

Christian Life

Reshaping the Gospel? The Current Rise of Ultimate Reconciliation

In the past ten years or so there has been a subtle shift occurring in many Evangelical and Pentecostal/Charismatic circles. This shift relates to the nature and essence of the Gospel. We are experiencing an attempt to ‘reshape’ the Gospel. If the con…

Christian Life

Daring to Explore the Possibilities of Pentecostal Sacramentalism

IntroductionCommunion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist; how does your church refer to this Christian meal? How often does your congregation celebrate it? And when they do celebra…

Christian Life

Canon, Councils and Caesars: Scripture, Tradition and Power in the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the…

I thought it made practical sense to examine the process of theological construction during the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Church (AD 325-787) in light of ‘present truth’ applications. To have a document on hand that detailed the content, trajector…

Christian Life

A Response to Article by Robyn J Whitaker of Trinity College

Introduction This paper is a response to an article, “Same-sex Marriage: What does the Bible really have to say?,” authored by Robyn Whitaker, of Trinity College, and published on the ABC website (Read the full story). After examining a handful of commo…

Christian Life

Redeeming Pentecostal Prosperity: From Materialism to Materiality

The prosperity gospel can quickly polarise Christian believers. For some it exemplifies the victorious Christian life that is lived under the blessing of God, apprehended by faith in the power of the Spirit. For others, it stands as a symbol of materi…

Christian Life

Made to Stand Out

There’s been a resurgence of superhero films and television shows of late. Amidst the inhuman powers and impressive gadgets, I think one the reasons why we are fascinated by superheros is because there is a sense of comfort in knowing that someone wit…

Christian Life

In God’s Name

There has been much made of late about the importance of relationships in the context of good theology and active biblical faith. From the doctrine of the Trinity, the image of God, and extending to the broader interpretation of the second great comma…

Christian Life

Let’s Talk About Singleness

Introduction There’s no shortage of advice for Christian single people. From books in the “Christian living” shelves of bookstores to sermons in youth groups, single people are provided with various views on how to keep themselves pure, how to have he…

Christian Life

“Three Strikes, You’re Out!” A Reflection on Church Discipline Then and Now – Part 2

We saw in part one of this paper that the world of the New Testament was one highly concerned with local community stability. In this world, the most common, and indeed, most devastating punishment was exile from the community, making it a powerful de…

Christian Life

Mary Yeung: An Extraordinary Australian Chinese Pentecostal

During the early decades of twentieth century, women could not even open a bank account in Australia without their husband’s permission, yet women founded almost a dozen of the earliest Pentecostal churches. The media ridiculed this minority sect as t…

Christian Life

“Three Strikes, You’re Out!” A Reflection on Church Discipline Then and Now – Part 1

INTRODUCTION The world of the New Testament was one highly concerned with local community stability. A person’s identity was largely defined by the city where one came from and maintenance and protection of the local culture, particularly in relation …

Christian Life

Re-membering that “This is that”: The Importance of historical perspective in building Christian co…

One of the significant challenges to Pentecostal churches in the present is precisely that – our addiction to the present. Almost any cost is, within the value system of our churches, worth bearing as long as change and relevance are attained. Whilever…

Christian Life

The Radical Jesus – Son of God

We are all probably used to hearing at one time or another that Jesus was radical. But exactly how radical was He? It has surprised me to see how little is made of one of Jesus’ biggest claims He made while He was here on earth. At a very early age, p…

Christian Life

The Christian, the Church and Pacifism – the Sword or the Cross

The recent film directed by Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge tells of a Christian pacifist named Desmond Doss who was conscripted during the Second World War and refused to bear arms. As a military medic he put his own life on the line to save dozens of woun…

Christian Life

A Comparison between Christian and Postmodern Worldviews

Introduction In contemporary Western society, it is understood that people are not expected to comply to one way of thinking. “The presence of a multitude of alternative worldviews is a defining characteristic of contemporary culture”, states theolog…

Christian Life

A Reflection on Christmas and Salvation

It is that time of year again, when Christmas lights are hung, carols are sung, shortbread is baked, and presents are wrapped. This is the season of Advent, where the Church prepares itself for the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Lord an…

Christian Life

Obey as to the Lord: Paul’s Advice to the Ephesian Slaves as a “Hermeneutic of Wor-ship”

Introduction Certain NT passages present challenges to the modern reader in regard to their content and their implications for contemporary life. Two of these more difficult passages are the household codes of Ephesians and Colossians, which discuss t…

Christian Life

“Make sure you tell your children”: Preserving Australian Pentecostal Oral History

Oral history is the systematic collection of living peoples’ experiences and contributions in order to preserve history for generations to come. Joel 1:3 states: “Make sure you tell your children, and your children tell their children, and their child…

Christian Life

Broken Telescope: An Allegory

The parable of the lost son (Matt 15:11-31) poignantly illustrates the kind of overwhelming underserved love that God has for his children. Those of us who are blessed to have earthly parents who demonstrate lavish love understand this analogy quicker…

Christian Life

In The Beginning was the Deed: The Religiosity of Wittgenstein’s Tractatus

Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-English philosopher born April 26 1889, is indisputably one of the key philosophers of the 20th century, whose influence extends well beyond his own field. In theology, beyond the small contingent that explicitly acknow…

Christian Life

Ordering with Intent: Restoring Divine Order in Isaiah and Genesis

There are four sections of poetry in Isaiah 40-55 which have been given the popular name ‘Servant Songs’. This poetry concerns an enigmatic figure whose name, family, and location are not described. God calls him ‘my Servant’, and calls for people to …

Christian Life

Cessationism: A Pentecostal Response

Introduction With the rise of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements of the 20th century the question of spiritual gifts became an important topic in pastoral practice and ecclesiology. The rise and practice of various spiritual gifts was a cause f…

Christian Life

The Problem with Being Biblical

A driving principle within Christian Evangelicalism (of which I consider myself a part) is that all advice should aspire to be ‘biblical’. This principle is birthed from a place of reverence towards Scripture and is surely found in some form or anothe…

Christian Life

A Comparison of Pentecostal Preaching with Early Church Letter-Writing

PENTECOSTAL PREACHING The importance of the role of preaching within Pentecostalism is beyond doubt. Lee-Roy Martin notes, “The phenomenal growth of Pentecostalism is a direct result of effective Pentecostal preaching and the life-changing effects of …

Christian Life

Neo-Orthodox Iconography: A Place for Tattoos in Pentecostal Worship

Pentecostals and tattoos Have you noticed that an increasing number of Pentecostals are choosing to become tattooed? In the past this would be almost unheard of (unless, of course, someone had been saved out of a more shady lifestyle), but today it is…

Christian Life

Turning your Bullies into Blessings

April, 2016: a USA megachurch Board terminated the employment of their Senior Minister. Among the grounds for dismissal were: “refusal of personal accountability; failure to be a fellow elder; manipulation and lying; domineering over those in his char…

Christian Life

Christians and the Bible – Part 4

The books that make up the Bible are called “the canon”. Canon does not mean “collection” though, it means “measure.” How did the canon (the Bible as measure) come to be? And what does it mean? The Bible is the book of the community; the community is …

Christian Life

The Joy of the Resurrection

With the proliferation of chocolate eggs, hatching chickens, and cute fluffy bunnies in every other shop, one wonders how many people, particularly in the West, pause to consider the reason for commemorating Easter. For the Christian, Easter is the oc…

Christian Life

Christians and the Bible – Part 3

I was at a church event recently and a young man from the far north of Sweden and his girlfriend sat next to me and we began to chat about church. Speaking about Pentecostal services he said that the main thing is not so much the music and liveliness …

Christian Life

“But there is so much human need to worry about that!”

Introduction Most, if not all people value the environment. We are accustomed to enjoying nature and the benefits that nature brings to our lives – and this is something worth preserving. Many become saddened to hear about the local bushland that is f…

Christian Life

A Christmas Story

A CHRISTMAS STORY (By Lily Arasaratnam-Smith) ‘Tis a story about Christmas You might find it intriguing Read it twice, if you must Let’s now start at the beginning… Once upon a time, there was a small town in northern Sri Lanka. And in that town, t…

Christian Life

Reflections for 2016

Dear Readers, Happy New Year! We are excited to begin 2016 with a few personal reflections from some of Alphacrucis College’s faculty, on something from the scriptures has captured their heart as they begin a New Year. We hope you will be inspired by …

Christian Life

When Tragedy Strikes: Reaction or Response

The world is aghast at the recent tragedy in Paris. In fact this is one of many tragedies that continue to shock us, leaving us bewildered at the extent of hate that could perpetuate such violence. What makes someone strap explosives to their own body…

Christian Life

Indiscriminate Retribution is Evil

The Paris terrorist attacks have shocked the Western world and drawn harsh condemnation. Even though many Westerners[i] were not directly affected, many feel offended by these events because of the shared values they hold with the Parisians. As some co…

Christian Life

Christians and the Bible – Part 2

From biblical inspiration to inspired interpretation Many Evangelicals love to quote Paul to Timothy that the Bible is God-breathed (i.e. inspired). If we believe that prophecy did not cease with the Early Church and continues (although the Age of the …

Christian Life

Christians and the Bible – Part 1

Pentecostals and the Bible On numerous occasions I have heard it said by participants at major Pentecostal events as a negative criticism that Pentecostals do not read the Bible properly. I have even heard this said of international guest speakers, in…

Christian Life

God, Suffering, and Stephen Fry

In a video viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube, Stephen Fry was asked what he’d say were he to meet God at the pearly gates. He replied: “I would say to God, ‘Bone cancer in children, what’s that all about? How dare you create a world in which…

Christian Life

Peace in Turmoil: A Reflection on Philippians 4:7

I recently did a series of lectures on Paul’s “Prison Epistles” (Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon). I had never taught these letters before, nor had I closely examined them to the level required for a degree course, but what a blessing…

Christian Life

Is there such a thing as “Christian culture”?

One of the realities of today’s multicultural societies is that the participants in church congregations are increasingly culturally diverse. This can be both exciting and challenging to those in church leadership. It is exciting, because a culturally…

Christian Life

A Comment on Pentecostal Identity

Australian Christian Churches is a movement of Pentecostal churches in voluntary cooperation.” So says the ‘Who We Are’ page on the ACC website (www.acc.org.au). As a part of the ACC, both in terms of employment and church participation, I appreciate …

Christian Life

The Parramatta Legacy

Introduction In 1815, Samuel and Eliza Marsden founded the first seminary and trade training school for Māori in Parramatta. I recently presented a paper in New Zealand about the interesting trans-Tasman parallels between the Marsdens’ seminary and th…

Christian Life

The Christian Struggle with Fictional Magic

To me [the religious parallels have] always been obvious… [b]ut I never wanted to talk too openly about it because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going.” -JK Rowling, in a 2007 MTV interview, on the Christian all…

Christian Life

Ethics Beyond Legalism

Rules and laws fill our world and affect each of us on a daily basis. Homes have “house rules” that parents give to their children, workplaces have rules and policies guiding workplace behaviour, the nation as a whole has many laws that govern almost …

Christian Life

An Unusual Intercultural Encounter

Urban cities in Australia are becoming increasingly culturally diverse today. We are faced with a unique opportunity to have real conversations and personal relationships with people from the far corners of the world, without having to leave our neigh…

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