The sub-title of this worthwhile book is “A spirituality for the rough edges of daily life.” It is very down to earth and particularly addresses the issues that get in the way of leading a Christ-like life. To quote from the blurb “the book is a how-to manual about loving yourself, others, the world around…

NEW BOOK IN RESOURCE CENTRE A couple of months ago ABC journalist, Louise Milligan published “Cardinal” an investigation into the sad-and-sorry story of child abuse by some Catholic clergy. Particularly it focuses on the figure of Cardinal George Pell, once a priest in Ballarat, then Archbishop of Melbourne and later Sydney. I have placed the book in…

Dear friends in Christ, The Gospel of John was once described as a waterhole that elephants can swim in, and paddling pool for little children. During Lent the gospel readings are drawn from John’s Gospel, mostly encounters of Jesus with people – religious, outsiders, maimed, stinking of death – and vivid, striking metaphors about the Spirit of God. In the…

This is the very personal account of a time of difficulty and struggle in Nouwen’s life. Each short passage is thought provoking and suggests to the reader a way of relating to God in times of pain and sorrow. I found it worth reading because of the way Nouwen describes his feelings and his longings…

David suggested last Sunday that we might enjoy reading C.S.Lewis’s ‘Screwtape Letters’ (which are in the Church library). I first heard this read aloud at a Fellowship Group in Bristol England, and I was so delighted that I bought a copy. But that was over 65 years ago and I wondered how it would stand up today. Our…

 This book is sub-titled “Journey into meditative prayer”. Foster writes of his own experiences and of some possible techniques for praying using Christian mediation – silence, solitude and a desire for closer intimacy with God.

Review: “Finding your own theological voice”  Posted by:  Bruce Mullan  in  Culture Journey, 11/06/2015 Used by permission  Testing Tradition and Liberating Theology is a little Aussie gem from our own pre-eminent lay theologian Dr Val Webb.  Webb’s goal in this book is to unlock theological process from the rarefied academic world of the seminary and encourage everyone to do their…

“Post God Nation? How religion fell off the radar in Australia – and what might be done to get it back on.” – Roy Williams, ABCBooks, 2015. Reviewed by Neil Wilkinson Very dramatic changes have come in Australian society and the church during the lifetimes of most of us.  The census of 1901 had 96% of…

  This is the  kind of book to come back to. The author leads the reader though the four stages of the practice of Lectio Divina, attending, pondering, responding and being and explores these as prayer and communion with God. Along the way he gently suggests ways in which we might discover and practice a…