The Runaway Bride!

This week I got the privilege to officiate the my first marriage , so I’ve been thinking about marriage. Back in 1999, Julia Roberts starred in a movie called ‘Runaway Bride’, where she played the part of a woman who was notorious for fleeing before she got to the altar. It is a fiancé’s worst fear, being … Read more

What they won’t talk about at G20

This weekend will see leaders from 19 countries plus the European Union gather together in Brisbane to talk about ways to strengthen the global economy. In particular, they’re trying to work out how to grow the prosperity of our planet, and to help protect us all from the threat of another global financial crisis. It’s … Read more

Our priorities for the future

At our recent meeting of all the Anglican churches in Sydney and the Illawarra, we agreed on four key priorities for the next five years. We know for sure that it is God who brings the growth in his church as we share his word with the world, but it’s still valuable to focus on some particular … Read more

The things we value the most

At our recent gathering of all the Anglican churches from Sydney and the Illawarra, we decided on a list of values that unite us and drive us in our mission to the world. Our values flow from our identity in Christ. We are created in God’s image and redeemed by Christ’s blood for the glory of … Read more

Mission 2020

This week the annual Synod of the Anglican Church of Sydney (the ‘parliament’ of our church) decided upon a new mission (‘Mission 2020’) to help focus us for the next five years. It include a vision, mission, values and priorities. Our vision (what we dream to see happen) is: To see Christ honoured as Lord … Read more

Hope for those with gambling addictions

Gambling is seen by many to be part of the Australian fabric of life, but for many people, gambling is an addiction that wrecks the lives of individuals, families and whole communities. In this week’s Synod, (the annual parliamentary-style meeting of the Sydney Anglican Diocese), we stood together to bring attention to this problem that affects so … Read more

Mental health matters to God

According to Mental Health Australia, almost half the total population experience a mental health disorder at some point in their lifetime, and at least one third of young people have had an episode of mental illness by the age of 25 years. What’s more, one in five people will experience depression in their lives, and … Read more

Being confronting, but not confrontational

In a discussion which has taken place this week about the appropriateness of people’s attire in parliament our Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, declared that the wearing of the burqa was too confronting. The comment sent shockwaves throughout the media. While I don’t agree with the wearing of burqas, we must remember that it represents an … Read more

Finals fever hits!

In writing this we await the crowning of premiers for this year’s footy codes. By the time this makes the print, we would have already seen the end of the AFL Premiership (go Swannies!), and we will know who will be playing in the NRL Grand Final. For these men, all the hard work and … Read more

Being alert but not alarmed

We had all hoped that the days of terror after the September 11 attacks would not return to our shores too soon. Yet as the national security threat level rose last week, it was quickly followed by arrests that allegedly foiled an imminent attack upon civilians. This news unsettles us and it weakens the confidence we have … Read more