Who are Today’s Secular Priests?
In a secular age, who are our priests? When religion has been dismissed, who do we turn to to find guidance for our lives? Here is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, More Than This: Searching for God in a Secular Age. As it turns out, many of these new 'holy' men and women are
If the Beer is Talking, What’s it Saying?
Perhaps it was growing up as a city boy. Or perhaps it was not growing up in a mainstream Christian denomination. Whatever the reason, until recently I had never experienced a Harvest Festival. Then I went to one and was reminded how we are all dependent on God for what we eat, are responsibe for
Everyone Has a God. Here’s How to Discover Yours
Worship is a universal phenomenon. Anthropologists tell us it's found in some form in every culture. It seems that we all have a longing to place something or someone as a supreme authority or meaning-giver in our lives. To put it simply, everyone has a God - even if we're 'not religious'. So who (or
Losing My Religion: Dialogue with an Ex-Christian [Podcast]
In a previous post I shared some thoughts on how to converse across the Christian-atheist divide, following my dialogue with ex-Christian Rebekah Bennetch on Premier Christian Radio's Unbelievable? program. Like all good conversations, I walked away from the interview with much to ponder. Here are three reflections I scribbled down after the recording. You can
How to Talk to an Atheist (or a Christian)
I love it when Christians and atheists come together to talk. Recently I was invited to be a guest on Justin Brierley's Unbelievable? radio show to dialogue with an ex-Christian named Rebekah. We heard her story, discussed some of the assumptions Christians make about atheists, then explored ways Christians and atheists can better converse together.
Andy Sorenson Sang and Everyone Cried
Throughout the 1990s Andy Sorenson was one of the most in-demand Christian artists in Australia. Then he slipped away from the live music scene. There were a number of reasons why—the more serious of which you’re about to discover in this interview. Watch as Andy talks about the sexual abuse he encountered as a child
6 Lessons from the Life of John Stott
Next to Billy Graham, perhaps no one has defined modern evangelical Christianity like John Stott. On Wednesday afternoon, July 27 2011, Stott finished his race - dying in the presence of friends, with Scripture being read to him and Handel's Messiah playing in the background. Stott lived a remarkable life, left a remarkable legacy and
What I Found at Swiss L’Abri
In 1955 Francis and Edith Schaeffer established L’Abri (French for ‘The Shelter’) in the cosy Swiss skiing village of Huemoz. Established as a safe place for seekers of truth to bring their questions about life, faith and belief, L’Abri centres have now spread around the world. The L’Abri community holds some wonderful lessons for those
The Gift of Listening
Just before I left Australia for the UK I was privileged to be interviewed by Simon Smart at the Centre for Public Christianity. In this short 7 minute video Simon asks me about my time hosting Open House, in particular: some of my favourite interview guests, a surprising guest, guests who displayed unusual wisdom and
5 Years, 1,500 interviews and Voysey Bids Farewell
Sight Magazine profile: Sheridan Voysey's face may not be familiar to many. But his voice? Now that’s a different story. For the past five years Mr Voysey has been the host of Open House, a weekly Christian radio show dedicated to interviewing people about, in Mr Voysey's words "life, faith and culture". That all changed