Mark Conner's Space

2012 Global Atheist Convention

The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is back in Melbourne this year (April 13-15th). Some Christians become concerned and worked up about events such as this. Personally, I don't believe that people of faith have anything to fear about doubt or skepticism. No need to picket or boycott events. In fact, dialogue and discussion can be helpful in all areas of belief. Events such as this give us a terrific opportunity to talk about God and faith with those around about us. Let's pray and show the love of Christ.

One of the main speakers is Richard Dawkins, one of the world's most influential atheists. I have read his book The God Delusion and it only strengthened my faith. It is written in very emotional language and he makes sweeping generalisations about religion and faith that can't be validated. In no way did it shake my faith or give reasonable objections to the classic reasons for believing that there is a God (see my previous posts on this topic here).

For those interested in strengthening their own faith at a time such as this, here are some excellent books to consider reading:

There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Antony Flew

The Real Face fo Atheism by Ravi Zacharias

The Twilight of Atheism by Alistair McGrath

Atheism Remix by Albert Mohler

The New Atheism by John Dickson and John Lennox

The New Atheism: 10 Arguments that Don't Hold Water by Michael Poole

Against All Gods by Phillip E. Johnson

A Sceptics Guide to Atheism by Peter S. Williams

East Africa Emergency Appeal

Many of you would be aware of the dire situation in East Africa right now. More than 11 million people in the Horn of Africa countries, particularly Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, are in need of our prayers for relief from one of the worst prolonged droughts in 60 years. Children are especially in need of prayer for nourishing food, opportunities to go back to school to learn, spiritual nurture and safe places to live and play. The crisis is worsening by the day, and is highly complex and urgent. UN and media reports point to a spreading famine across the entirety of southern Somalia. Some 3.6 million people, mostly children, are in increasingly dire need of help, while famine conditions are forecasted to persist to the end of this year.

Overall, some 12.4 million people are currently facing a combined onslaught of drought, hunger, displacement and armed violence. World Vision has created some resources to assist us. A video has been developed that provides basic information and includes specific requests for prayer. This video can be downloaded here (50MB in size).

A Prayer Guide is available for the region as a whole as well as country specific information and prayer points for Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Prayer really can make a difference in situations such as this in our world. If you would like to make a financial contribution to the relief effort, then please don't hestitate to contact World Vision on 13 3240 or visit the donation page on their web site.

I would also commend the work of John Cairns in Africa to you. 

Thanks very much. 

Matt.25:34-40. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ NLT

The Death of Osama bin Laden

The biggest breaking news of this week has been the killing of Osama bin Laden, the self-confessed orchestrator of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the USA. The execution was carried out by a US Navy SEAL team and watched by a American national security team, including President Obama, via video.This has been the culmination of a 10-year military project of tracking down this terrorist leader.

Response to this news had been wide and varied ... jubilation, relief, sorrow, as well as fear of increased in terrorism.

Here are a few quotes:

• "I think we can agree this is a good day for America. Our country has kept its commitment to see that justice is done. The world is safer, it is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden." American President Obama

• "I just pray that however I'm supposed to feel, I'll eventually feel. if God wants to forgive him, that's God. I can't." Barbara Minerving - lifelong Catholic whose husband was killed in the Sept.11 attacks.

• "I'm happy they got him. But there's always going to be another one right behind him." Walter Hillegass, a plumber who cleaned the dust-choked World trade Center site for days after the attacks.

• "This is the fate that evil killers deserve." Saad Hariri - Prime Minister of Lebanon. 

• "It took 919,967 deaths to kill that one guy. It cost us (USA) roughly $1,188,263,000,000 to kill that guy. But we are winning though. Haaa. (sacrcasm). Chris Douglas-Roberts on Twitter.

• "Woe to his enemies. By God we will avenge the killing of the Sheik of Islam. Those who wish that jihad had weakened, I tell them: let us wait a little bit." Assad al-Jihad2

• "We shall retaliate against the Americans, Israel and Europe, and Christians in Somalia with destructive explosions." al-Shabab, Somalia's most dangerous militant group.

• "Joyfully celebrating the killing of a killer who joyfully celebrated killing carries an irony that I hope will not be lost on us. Are we learning anything, or simply spinning harder in the cycle of revenge?" Brian McClaren

• One journalist notes how this killing does nothing much to help those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. 

How should a follower of Christ respond to news such as this? Many Christians aren't sure (click here for recent article on this).

On the one hand, justice is important and it is appropriate for governments to protect people from evil-doers, such as terrorists (Rom.13:1-5). On the other hand, we should never rejoice over the death of anyone, including the wicked. Ezekiel says it well ...

"As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live." Ezek.33:11.

As Christ-followers, we are also called to love and pray for our enemies, to turn the other cheek and to seek to overcome evil with good. Violence only begets violence. We are called to be peace-makers. Love alone has power over all.

What has been your response? What does it say about you? What does it say about your view of God? These are important questions, as an event such as this can become a metaphor revealing for our view of life and God.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard backs Chaplain Program

Some old but good news ... in August last year, new Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard promised to extend the use of state funds to put staff chaplains in both public and private schools (as it has since 2007) through to 2014. State-funded chaplains now serve 2,700 schools and Gillard wants to add another 1,000.

Gillard, a self-professed atheist, pledged faith in the chaplaincy system shortly after taking office. "We think it has been a great success, and wanted to make sure schools around the country were fairly benefiting from it," Gillard told Australian Christian Lobby director Jim Wallace.  

The program is voluntary. Chaplains offer comfort and support to students and staff as well as general religious and personal advice. Many school principals are keen for this pastoral support, understanding that students are often more comfortable approaching their chaplain than other adults in the school community. 

Thanks Julia!

Muslims defending Christians ...

Some of you may have heard about the brutal attacks from militant Muslims on Christians in Egypt at a New Year's Eve Mass. Tragically, at least 21 people were left dead at the Saints Church in Alexandria after a car bomb exploded outside. The attack rocked the nation. This kind of religiously motivated terrorism is evil and continues to create fear and havoc across our world. 

An inspiring story has emerged since this time, with Muslims turning up in droves for a Coptic Christmas Mass, offering their bodies, and lives, as “shields” to Egypt’s threatened Christian community. Read the full story here.

Deep in the heart of every human, regardless of race, social status, or personal belief, there is a passion for justice. May justice continue to be a value worth working for - for everyone! 

"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get." [Jesus - Matthew 7:12. MB]

 

Approval Ratings of President Obama

It has been 18 months since America elected Barack Obama to be it's president. His presidency began with a lot of excitement and anticipation, partly created by his inspiring messages about "Yes we can!" It has not been an easy run for him, with many complex challenges and problems ... 

Gallup reported last week that the president’s average seventh quarter approval rating among Americans stands at 44.7 percent – its lowest point since Obama took office but still significantly higher than among Protestant pastors. A new survey by LifeWay Research indicates that 61 percent of Protestant pastors disapprove (47 percent strongly) of President Barack Obama’s job performance. The survey, conducted by phone Oct. 7-14, found that 30 percent of Protestant pastors approve of the president (14 percent strongly) and 9 percent are undecided. 

“If voting intentions and job approval measure similar things, the president hasn’t made many friends in the pulpits of America’s churches throughout the first year-and-a-half of his presidency,” Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said.

Although Protestant pastors have strong personal opinions on political matters, 84% disagree with endorsing candidates for public office from the pulpit. 

Let's continue to pray for President Obama ... 

Latest News: The US mid term elections have just finished and the Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats (Obama's party) and just fell short of winning control of the Senate. 

Pastor Plans on Burning Koran

A Florida pastor by the name of Terry Jones plans on hosting a Koran burning event at his church to commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the USA - 9/11 (this coming Saturday). He is doing this to target Islam extremists. Protestors are rallying in various countries around the world and their are growing security concerns in the US. The move has been criticised by many people, including President Obama.Violent attacks of retaliation on innocent people could occur.

So what do you think? Is this an appropriate response by a Christian leader to Islam extremists? What would Jesus do? What happened to "love your enemies?" It sure doesn't help the cause of Christ and the reputation of His followers in our global village. 

What would you say to Terry Jones if you had a chance?

P.S. Latest reports indicate that the event has been cancelled ... though we can't be sure (see report here).

Labor Wins the Australian 2010 Federal Election

Finally, after two and a half weeks of speculation and negotiation, we have a government - a Labor government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Support from a few independent MPs has given Gillard the narrowest of margins. Labor's position on broadband and climate change were influential in the final decision. This has been Australia's first hung parliament since the 1940s.

Without doubt, Australia is a divided nation politically and only time will tell how well the new government will perform in leading the nation forward. Labor voters will be pleased with the final outcome while Liberal voters will naturally be disappointed. 

Whatever our personal stance politically and however we may have voted, as followers of Christ now is the time to accept the decision that has been made. Like it or not, Julia is our Prime Minister and we have a Labor government. Paul's words to the early Christians have fresh relevance for us today. Remember he was writing during a time when the Roman Empire was in power and Nero was the Emperor.

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth." [1 Timothy 2:1-4. NLT] 

Now is the time to continue to be salt and light in our world, showing we are Christ's followers by our love - for all people. Finally, let's remember what God requires of us ... "O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." [Micah 6:8. NLT] 

Thinking Globally ...

While those of us who live here in Australia wait anxiously to see who is going to become our next Prime Minister after such a close federal election, let's be sure to lift our eyes and realise that we are only one small part of what is now a global village. We live in a networked world and through technology we can be instantly aware of what is taking place anywhere on the planet. This can become overwhelming at times but we can also become numb and immune to the issues and suffering that others are experiencing right now.

God is clearly at work. He is building his church and expanding his kingdom, more often than not in in hidden and subversive ways. At the same time, we live in a fallen world where tragedy and calamity occurs every day, affecting someones life forever. Every now and then it pays to turn on a world news program such as SBS to avoid becoming overly Australia-centric. Right now we can think of 33 workers stuck in a mine in Chile, 17 million people affected by recent floods in Pakistan, landslides in Turkey and fires in the Philippines. That's in addition to wars taking place and our global economy still trying to recover.

What can we do? We can pray - for Christians, church leaders and workers in these places, and for those who do not know Christ to become aware of God's love for them ... even during difficult times. Intercessory prayer (praying for the needs of others) enables us to partner with God and what he is doing ... anywhere in our world. It also gets our eyes of off ourselves for a moment and on to the needs of others.

Some Post-Election Observations ...

The voting is over and the 2010 Australian federal election has turned out to be the closest election result in our short history as a nation. No out-right leader has emerged yet and we may end up with a hung parliament. 

A few observations are clear: 

1. The Labor Party has had a large swing against them right across the nation, with many seats falling to the Liberals. Maybe the de-throning of Kevin Rudd has come back to haunt them after all. Julia Gillard looks a little shaken, to say the least. 

2. The Liberal Party has made a remarkable comeback, after losing the nation's leadership a few years ago. Who would have thought that this would have occurred so quickly after Kevin Rudd's historic win over John Howard and his resultant high popularity rating even up to just twelve months ago. Tony Abbott has pulled off quite an achievement. 

3. Like it or not, the Greens Party have emerged as a legitimate third party in our nation. They will hold the balance of power in the Senate and will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Their appeal to the younger generation and to swinging voters disillusioned with the major parties is only growing. 

4. If a government can be formed, there will only be a slight majority. Maybe this isn't such a bad result after all, as governing will require a greater degree of partnership and collaboration OR maybe it will just be difficult to get much done at all. Only time will tell. 

5. The Christian vote continues to emerge as having a significant influence around election time. See a report about this here.

6. Finally, at times like these, it is good to remind ourselves that God rules in the daily aspects of our human lives, including politics. He puts one leader up and takes another one down. Everything and every one is under his ultimate authority and power. His will will be done. I can sleep on that.

The Australian Liberal Party

The Liberal Party of Australia has been the opposition party since losing the 2007 federal election. Prior to that, it had held power since the 1996 election. At the state and territory level, the Liberals hold government only in Western Australia. The Liberal Party was founded after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party. When in government, the Liberals usually govern in a coalition with the National Party. 

Tony Abbott is the current leader of the Liberal Party with Julie Bishop as his deputy. For more background on Tony Abbott, click here. For more details about the history, structure and policy of the Liberal Party of Australia click here. For more information about the current Liberal Party, visit their web site here.

The Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party has been the governing party in Australia since the last federal election in 2007. Labor currently governs all states and territories other than Western Australia. Labor is the country's oldest political party, having been founded in 1891. 

Julia Gillard is the current leader of the Labor Party and the Prime Minister of Australia. The former Deputy Prime Minister became Prime Minister on June 10th, 2010 when former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stepped down, after losing the support of his party. She is the first female Prime Minister and the first not to be married. For more background on Julia, click here.

For a full overview of the history, structure and policy of the Australian Labor Party, click here. To learn more about the current Labor Party, visit their web site here.

What about Family First?

 The Family First political party was founded in South Australia in 2002 and spread nationally in 2004. The Family First party has not sought to promote itself as a Christian or church-based party but rather as a party with a primary focus on looking out for families.

Family First currently has four members in parliament, two in SA, one in NSW and one in Federal Parliament - Steve Fielding, who was elected in 2004.

Steve and his family attend CityLife Church. However, I do not act as Steve's policy adviser. We have casual conversations from time to time about various issues but as a politician he is there to represent the views of his party and he is accountable to the Family First Board of Directors.

To find out more about Family First and their policies, visit their web site. You can also ask questions or give feedback directly to Steve or any other Family First members using the contact details on their web. Like every political party, they are always looking for volunteers around election time.

What about the Australian Green's Party?

The Australian Green's Party is gaining more and more interest here in Australia, especially amongst the younger generation who seem to be looking for an alternative to the Labor and Liberal political parties. It is estimated that the Greens could win anywhere between 10-16% of the Australian vote. There is also a high probability that they will hold the balance of power in the Senate after this election, which will place them in a very influential role, much like Family First member Steve Fielding has had over the last term (Family First does still have a chance to be re-elected if enough people vote #1 for them with their Senate vote). 

Overall, people tend to love the Greens or hate them. Herald Sun journalist Andrew Bolt is not too keen on them, nor is Salt Shakers or Bill Muhlenberg. In contrast, Jim Reiher, a follower of Christ, joined them a few years back and is running for a seat in Latrobe at this next election. You can visit Jim's BLOG here and click here for a personal profile.

Personally, I would be concerned at the refusal of the Green's Party to honestly answer 18 of the 24 questions put to them by the Australian Christian Lobby on a wide range of very important policies.

To check out the Green's Party policies for yourself, visit their web site here. As Christians we are called to discern and vote accordingly. 

Preparing to Vote ...

The Australia federal election is just under two weeks away (Saturday, August 21st). Every election is a very important time in any nation and as followers of Christ we should take our responsibilities as citizens seriously. Voting is a privilege and we should be diligent in our research of each candidate and the various political parties vying for our support.

The Australian Christian Lobby has done us an excellent service by compiling the various viewpoints of each party on a wide variety of issues. See their web site here, which includes a recent interview of Julia Gillard who was not the Prime Minister at the June 21st Make it Count event in Canberra, when the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressed church leaders from across the nation.

In addition, be aware that each voter gets two votes ... one for the House of Representatives and one for the Senate. The Senate vote does not determine whether Labor or Liberal win government but rather who holds the balance of power in the Senate (for instance, that is how Steve Fielding from Family First became a Senator at a recent federal election with only a small percentage of the overall vote). 

Please make an informed vote and let's continue to pray for our nation of Australia, a country filled with opportunity for the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  

P.S. For an interesting pre-voting exercise, visit news.com.au Voteamatic 2.0.

 

Does the Prime Minister need to be a Christian?

Last week I received a phone call from Barney Zwartz, a journalist from the Melbourne AGE newspaper. He wanted to get my pulse on the upcoming federal election. We had a 5-10 minute conversation together and talked about a range of issues. In his actual article, I ended up with one quote ...

"Mr Conner, senior pastor at Melbourne's biggest church, CityLife, said he was not concerned by Ms Gillard's atheism: 'Primarily you are looking at them to have what it takes to run the nation' - but felt Mr Rudd's dumping would cost Labor more than the party realised."

In fairness to Barney, he didn't have space to quote everything I said or give the full context of the statement he did quote. Of course, any time you are quoted by the media ... there is always the possibility of misunderstanding. I have had emails from a few people about my quote asking me whether I was suggesting that people should vote for Julia Gillard and whether I didn't think faith for a political leader was important. Neither of those are true. I was thankful for the opportunity to clarify myself and will do so in this blog post.

First of all, my personal approach and our approach as a church at CityLife is to be politically neutral, in that we don't tell people who or what party to vote for. We encourage prayerful and diligent research, so that followers of Christ make intelligent use of their privilege as an Australian citizen to vote for those who will govern us. So, never have I said and never will say, "Vote for Julia Gillard" ... or anyone else for that matter.

Discussion has come up about Julia's atheism and whether any potential Prime Minister who does not have a Christian faith should be considered as a possible candidate to vote for. It is an issue worth thinking about. Let me paint a scenario for you ...

New Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Julia Gillard became the 27th Prime Minister of Australia on June 24th, 2010. This occurred after the resignation of Kevin Rudd. Julia had served as the Deputy Prime Minister in the Rudd Government. She is the first woman Prime Minister in Australia and the first to have never married. She is also a red head - bring on national ranga day! :)

Discussion has taken place concerning the ousting of Prime Minister Rudd, but let's not forget that Rudd did a similar thing to Kim Beazley and similar situations have occurred in other parties. Political leadership is not for the faint of heart.

Although brought up as a Baptist, Gillard has recently declared that she is not religious and has no belief in God. Some people believe that this will alienate her from the Christian vote, though not everyone feels this way. At least she has been honest about this matter, without trying to present something she is not, just to get more votes.

Julia has already demonstrated decisive leadership during her short time in office, immediately dealing with the mining tax issue and promising to move forward on the asylum seeker and border protection controversy as soon as possible. She has also confirmed her commitment to protecting the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman, a commitment welcome by the Australian Christian Lobby who has done much work on this matter.

Only time will tell what kind of a Prime Minister Julia will become, especially in relation to her and her parties policies and values, and how they will shape her leadership. Whatever your political persuasion may be, let’s be sure to uphold Julia and our government up in prayer at this important time in our journey as a nation (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia. Under his leadership, his party won the November 2007 election against former Prime Minister John Howard. As the new leader, he made major announcements about climate change, education, a national broadband network, and health. He will be remembered for a number of things, including his reading of an apology to the Indigenous Australians for the 'stolen generations.'

Mr Rudd started well, gaining fairly broad rapport with the general population and giving some inspiring speeches. Over time, his popularity declined and he didn't deliver on a number of his promises. Was this due to an inability or lack of discipline to implement change or did he lack internal support for his change agenda? Whatever the case, it became clear that he had lost the support of key factions within his party and on June 24th, 2010 he stepped down as the leader of the Labor Party. He became the first Labor Prime Minister not to complete his first term in office.

I had the privilege of meeting Mr Rudd a number of times in Canberra and he visited our church once before he became the Prime Minister. He always came across as a genuine, likable and sincere person. Behind the scenes, the story seems a little different, as there was a lot of staff turnover under his leadership and claims of occasional anger outbursts. This is concerning, as good leadership requires both competence and character (see blog article by Rob Buckingham on 'Leaders Behaving Badly').

Whatever your opinion of Mr Rudd, being ousted from leadership as he was would be a painful  experience for anyone to have to go through. Mr Rudd deserves our sympathy, our gratitude for his overall service to our nation, and our prayers as he moves forward into his next season of life.

P.S. Click here for some reflections by Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, on Mr Rudd leadership.

Remembrance Day

Every year, on 11 November at 11 am – the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month – Australia pauses to remember those men and women who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations since the beginning of the 20th century.

Today is the 91st Anniversary of Armistice Day (Remembrance Day). Click here for further information from the Australian War Memorial.

Can I suggest that all Australians pause this morning at 11 am for a minute of silence in respect of those who have given their lives for our nation and our freedoms.

President Obama's Speech

Last week saw the swearing in of the 44th leader of the United States of America as Barack Obama officially began his role as president.

President Obama's inauguration and speech can be viewed on You Tube by clicking here. A full transcript of his address is available from the New York Times web site (click here).

Not everyone likes Obama. There are concerns about his policies on a number of important issues, including abortion (see Jim Wallace's recent article on this). President Obama is not perfect. He is not the messiah. He needs our prayers and God's wisdom. He plays a crucial role at this important time in world history.

Overall, I thought President Obama's inauguration speech was very inspiring. Here are some of the things I really liked about it ...

1. Obama addresses the crucial issues head on - war, the economy, health care, education, the environment, energy, nuclear threat, terrorism, and world poverty. He names the challenges and refuses to ignore them. He brings them right out into the open where they can be discussed and where decisions can be made. Leaders must always clearly define the current reality. 

2. Obama offers hope over fear. He said, "... the challenges are real, they are serious, and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time ... but .. they will be met." People need hope and leaders need to be dispensers of hope. See the music video 'Yes We Can' for an example of hope-filled words.

3. Obama has an global interest and perspective, which is essential for a leader of one of the most powerful nations of earth. No doubt, his Kenyan father and the number of years he lived in Indonesia have helped this. Although I love America and spent 10 very enjoyable years of my life there, there is a still a tendency in American culture to be somewhat insular and to think that America is the world. The fact that they call their national baseball finals the 'World Series'  is a classic illustration of this. The fact that fewer than 10% of Americans have a passport or have traveled outside of the US also doesn't help (a statistic from the book The Extreme Futureby James Canton, PhD). I believe that Obama will help to change this.

4. Obama calls people to a spirit of service - "a willingness to find meaning in something greater than ourselves."  It's a call to kindness, selflessness, honesty, hard work, loyalty, tolerance, courage, and responsibility. Government and leaders can only do so much. People must rise to the challenges of their time and be the kind of people that make the world a great place to live.

5. Obama seeks to lead for the 'common good'. He said, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth." As the president of an entire nation, his role is to create an environment where diversity is valued, where religious freedom is preserved, and where open dialog can take place. Christians currently living in places where there is no freedom of religion would love to hear this said by national leaders.

6. Finally, Obama speaks with confidence but without arrogance. He models a graciousness and a humility that is important for all leaders. He honours the past. He acknowledges God. He makes it clear that government exists to serve the people and not the other way around.

If you'd like to know more about who Barack Obama is, where he has come from, what makes him tick, and what his policies are, then I'd recommend his book The Audacity of Hope.

P.S. Pastor Rick Warren from California's Saddleback Church prayed at President Obama's inauguration. For responses to his prayer, click here.

Australia Day 2009

Today is Australia Day- an annual celebration, held every January 26th, of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, marking the colonisation of Australia by Great Britain.

Having just read the book The First Fleet by David Hill, it is amazing that our nation, as it is today, even got started. England was sending convicts from its overflowing prisons to America when America's sudden independence (on July 4th, 1776) closed that door. Other locations were discussed, with Botany Bay being a last resort. The long trip out from England was marked by frequent crises and challenges, let alone the first few years of trying to establish a colony in such tough conditions. Although intending to make peaceful relations with the local Aborigines, the arrival of the First Fleet no doubt became detrimental to these first Australians.

Reverend Richard Johnson was the chaplain of the First Fleet and he held the first church service on Australian soil on Sunday 3rd February, 1788. His sermon was based on Psalm 116:12 - "What shall I render unto the Lord for all that he has done for me?" To learn more about Australia's Christian heritage, click here.

Our nation may seem small and insignificant to many but I believe that God has a purpose for it. As Australians, let's celebrate our nation today - it's heritage, it's diversity, and it's future.

 

Racism

Many have lauded the election of President Barack Obama as a new day for African-Americans, after a long history of abuse and mistreatment. Unfortunately, racism is still alive and well in America. 

Click here to read a shocking report of recent incidents since the election.

Prejudice based on skin colour is not only sad, it is morally wrong. Each human being is created in the image of God and is to be treated with dignity and respect. The apostle Paul tells us that 'in Christ' there is neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male nor female (Galatians 3:28). This does not mean that racial, socio-economic, and gender differences cease to exist (they don't) but that are no longer to be a cause for segregation or prejudice.  

One of the things I love about CityLife Church is that we have over 100 nationalities represented in our community, which now numbers over 8000 people. I love this diversity as it gives us a bit of foretaste of heaven, where people from every people group will gather around the throne to worship God (see Revelation 7:9). 

God is an incredibly innovative God who created difference on purpose. Let's value the differences and remember that unity is not uniformity but rather harmony in diversity.

A New American President

Yesterday, the American people voted in a new president - Barack Obama. Winds of change are in the air and there is a lot of anticipation about what kind of leadership Obama will bring to his nation.

There is no doubt that he is a charismatic speaker who has captured the attention of people from all sectors of society. The challenge for Obama now is to try to turn around a nation that is in crisis financially and in regard to its place in the world arena.

Regardless of our personal thoughts about Obama, we need to pray for him - that God will give him wisdom to lead America.

The apostle Paul put it this way back in the first century under the rule of the Roman Empire ...

"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us — Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out." [1 Timothy 2:1-7. The Message Bible]

P.S. For full election coverage from the USA click here. For local coverage from the Herald Sun click here or from the Melbourne AGE click here.

P.S.S. To watch Obama's victory speech, click here. It is in three parts and is over 20 minutes long, but it is well worth a listen. Click here to listen to John McCain's speech. He was very gracious in defeat.

Obama or McCain - who would you vote for?

On Tuesday, November 4th, Americans will vote for a new president as their presidential election takes place.

Who will win - Barack Obama or John McCain? Who would you vote for?

Some people tend to vote more 'conservative' while others vote on the 'liberal side'.

Here is an article on the election by American political commentator, Jim Wallis (author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It). You may not agree with everything he says but his comments are very thought-provoking ...

"In 2004, several conservative Catholic Bishops and a few megachurch pastors like Rick Warren issued their list of 'non-negotiables' which were intended to be a voter guide for their followers. All of them were relatively the same list of issues: abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, etc. None of them even included the word 'poverty', only one example of the missing issues which are found quite clearly in the Bible. All of them were also relatively the same as official Republican Party Web sites of 'non-negotiables'. The political connections and commitments of the religious non-negotiable writers were quite clear.

I want to suggest a different approach this year and share my personal list of 'faith priorities' that will guide me in making the imperfect choices that always confront us in any election year -- and suggest that each of you come up with your own list of 'faith' or 'moral' priorities for this election year and take them into the polling place with you.

Was Moses a Mass Murderer?

  A recent article in the Melbourne Age profiled Cleric Francis Macnab of St Michael's Uniting Church in Collins Street. He is hoping to start a new faith for the 21st century claiming that the 10 commandments are too negative, Jesus was just a Jewish peasant, and Moses was a mass murderer.

Francis feels that this new faith is necessary because the old faith no longer works. "The old faith is in large sections unbelievable. We want to make the new faith more believable, realistic and helpful in terms of the way people live," he said. St Michael's is promoting the new faith with a $120,000 campaign over several months, involving newspaper and radio advertising, the Internet, banners and billboards.

It's sad to see numbers of churches today refusing to change their liturgy (how they 'do' church) yet willing to totally rework their theology(what they believe about God) in their quest to be relevant to an increasingly secular culture. Is it any wonder that attendance at these kinds of churches is on the decline, as they have little to offer. In contrast, churches who are willing to change their liturgy, making it more contemporary and relevant to the culture, yet who are faithful to foundational biblical theology, are often the ones who are growing and reaching out to the needs of all generations.

In our quest to be relevant let's continue to contend for the 'faith once entrusted to God's people' (Jude 3)!