THE AMAZING DAWN ROWAN SAGA

 

(Channel 7's Today Tonight, Adelaide, broadcast 14th May 2007)

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For more information:
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4728.htm
http://dawnrowansaga.blogspot.com/

THE THREE KEYS TO ALL RELATIONSHIPS (A talk by Rowland Croucher to the Staff of World Vision Australia)

How are we supposed to relate to one another in a Christian organization like World Vision? One short answer: As Martin Luther put it: 'Act as Christs to each other' (or, conversely, treat others as if they were Jesus). Another: Learn to view one another as more than role-players (IT person, HR person, PA to an executive staff-member etc.). Don't let what *describes* someone/yourself *define* them. To paraphrase C S Lewis: we look around this room and see others with various roles, with whom we work, or see in the cafeteria... If we really understood who they were, created in God's image, we'd be tempted to fall down and worship *them*!

This morning I want to offer some thoughts on three aspects of relating Christianly to others. These three concepts underlie *all* relationships between humans, between humans and God, and even between humans and animals...

More...

THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ (by Rowland Croucher)

My journey as a Christian, lover/husband, father, and pastor/teacher/ evangelist has covered different terrains during threescore and ten years. Here’s a rough chronological journey listing books that influenced me ‘at the time’. Remember, I’m not ‘back there’, stuck where-I-was. I was brought up in a ‘gentle fundamentalist’ church (Open or Plymouth Brethren) and I’m still ‘evangelical’ but now also somewhat ‘progressive’ and ‘catholic’, conservative about a few things but also radical, encouraging individual initiative but also committed to social justice, compassion and community. As Richard Rohr says in his latest book (Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality) we must incorporate - not reject - Torah/tradition, Prophetic/dissenting perspectives and Wisdom/mysticism – all of these - into a full and complete life of faith, hope and love... More...

THE SHACK (Review by Rowland Croucher)

Religious books become best-sellers when they connect with our deep questions and tragic/meaningful experiences. Some become classics, others may be left behind with the detritus of literary or theological history.

Wm. Paul Young's The Shack (2007) is a best-seller (over 1 million copies by June 8, 2008, translation into 40-plus languages, and has knocked the 'Left Behind' and Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven books off a few perches) but probably won't be a classic. He's nowhere near the brilliance of apologists like Oxbridge don C S Lewis or Soren Kierkegaard.

But when many ordinary folks tell their friends 'You gotta read this' I think they have two questions in mind which Young is trying to answer:

* 'Where is God when tragedy crashes in on us, when the innocent suffer, when a "Great Sadness" overwhelms us?' (Theodicy) and

* 'What sense can we make of it all?' (Theology).

More...

10 NEW BLOGS
(by Rowland Croucher)

Dear friends,

I am in the process of composing ten Blogs for different audiences. Here are their titles and URLs:

1 Month to Meet the Baptists
1 Month of Books you should Read
1 Month to Learn About the Internet
1 Month to Understand your Local Church
1 Month of Answers to Tough Questions
1 Month of Devotions
1 Month to Change Your Life
1 Month to Meet Some Interesting People
1 Month to Become a Christian
1 Month To Meet Jesus

So for the remainder of this year I'm aiming to write about five articles a week: watch for them. And feel free to leave your comments!

Shalom!/Salaam!

Rowland Croucher