- The great Christmas conflagration (03 Jan 09)
'Twas two nights before Christmas and soon at our place nine guests were arriving each ready for Grace with pot-luck to follow all shared face-to-face. The cook was quite ready ...
- Statio, interruption, and the always hectic (01 Jan 09)
Tomorrow it's back to work after the Christmas break. In the midst of an usually-too-hectic work life this is a favourite story I tell my colleagues:While visiting the University of ...
- Canberra and Goulburn's bishop (02 Nov 08)
Postscript: It's stated here that here that the Most Revd Dr Peter Jensen Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales will officiate at the consecration of the Revd ...
- It leaves a hole (18 Oct 08)
As I was thinking about Rob's death a friend showed me this:Death is outside life but it alters it: it leaves a hole in the fabric of things which those ...
- Rob Lamerton died peacefully this morning (16 Oct 08)
Burdened by cancer our much loved rector of St. Philip's the Reverend Rob Lamerton died peacefully this morning Friday at about 3am at Clare Holland House in Canberra. His wife ...
- Martti Ahtisaari, peacmaker (15 Oct 08)
Until a couple of days ago how many would have recognised the name Martti Ahtisaari? Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. -- ...
- Hogan offers hope (03 Oct 08)
Thank God that among some good ministerial appointments South Africa's new president Mr Kgalema Motlanthe has appointed Ms Barbara Hogan.as health minister in place of Ms Manto Tshabalala-Msimang who embraced ...
- Canberra a tolerant city (29 Sep 08)
It's disappointing to read that research by Professor Kevin Dunn and the Anti-Racism Research Project of the University of Western Sydney indicates that 1 in 10 Australians outwardly 'racist'. The ...
- Birthplace victory (27 Sep 08)
The Hawthorn Hawks (18.7.115) defeated the minor premiers the Geelong Cats (11.23.89) in a remarkable and unexpected premiership triumph before a crowd of 100 012 at the MCG to secure ...
- Colonoscopy may save your life (26 Sep 08)
The life of a dear friend of mine is in danger from colon cancer. My family has a history of long life but it is internal cancer that has been ...
- We keep praying for rain (25 Sep 08)
About this time of year Canberra's people begin to think nervously about what the summer will bring in the way of water supply. At 50.2% the city's water storages are ...
- Miseries with flair (23 Sep 08)
Lord I'm tired of being ill all the time sick of minor but exhausting ailments and sick of feeling weak after every effort to accomplish something. I am tired of ...
- Adult interpretations of children (17 Sep 08)
One of my roles is to help church people to be aware of how to ensure safe ministry to children. Thus I have long been concerned at the increasingly inappropriate ...
- Please say that again (24 Aug 08)
Hearing Awareness Week (24–30 August) aims to raise community awareness of hearing impairment and ways to protect your hearing. Gillian Bouras has written a superb piece in Eureka Street (25 ...
- Left to grace (01 Aug 08)
Today 2 August is the fourth anniversary of the death of my mother June. Whatever is foreseen in joy Must be lived out from day to day. Vision held open ...
- Coffee, closure, Canberra and caffeine (30 Jul 08)
In Australia the problem for Starbuck's has not been a weak economy but weak coffee. In the The Guardian (30 Jul 08) expatriate Australian Brigid Delaney applauds the closure of ...
- Grace and peace to you (12 Jul 08)
Al Hsu writes about his collection of autographed books and the many differing inscriptions the authors use. His favourite was inscribed by Michael Card who used the apostle Paul's expression: ...
- Sexuality in the brain (20 Jun 08)
A question for scientists is whether there are differences in the brains of gay men that relate to things other than sexual preference. A recent Swedish study is receiving much ...
- Queer concrete (09 Jun 08)
On 27 May 2008 German politicians dedicated a memorial in Berlin to the tens of thousands of homosexuals persecuted during the Nazi regime. Seventy-five years ago Nazis launched a series ...
- Snakes and stones (29 May 08)
Australia has a deserved reputation of being home to numerous venomous biting and stinging creatures. Since spending my primary school years in the Stony Rises a part of Western ...
- The kaizen of habit (24 May 08)
Janet Rae-Dupree writes in NYT (4 May 08) that researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits we create parallel synaptic paths and even entirely new brain cells ...
- Rice is nice, if you can afford it (18 May 08)
A couple of days ago James and I paid $45 for a 25kg bag of rice that less than a year ago would have cost $26. Even we in Australia ...
- Owen Dowling 1934-2008 (16 May 08)
Feeling funny Having long ago lost social shyness and as an enjoyer of eye contact it is strange and ironic that now when I see faces in the exit ...
- A outspoken present (12 Apr 08)
On my birthday a few weeks ago a generous friend gave me a full set of DVD's of the whole of The West Wing; hundreds of hours of superb viewing. ...
- Good news hand written (05 Apr 08)
Like cold water to a thirsty soul so is good news from a far country. (Proverbs 25.25) How delightful to receive from far away friends not an email but a ...
- Sandra's Passover Lamb (21 Mar 08)
Each year my local church celebrates Maundy Thursday with a passover-style meal foot-washing the eucharist and the stripping of the sanctuary. Some feel that this is not an authentic Christian ...
- Professor Peter Wray Cullen AO FTSE (14 Mar 08)
I am saddened by the death in Canberra yesterday of one of Australia's most eminent scientists Professor Peter Wray Cullen AO who collapsed at his home in Gunning NSW last ...
- 21,915th (28 Feb 08)
Today I am 21 915 days old which I am given to understand means that it is my 60th birthday. James commemorated this by presenting me with a lovely poem ...
- Sorry. (12 Feb 08)
These are the words of the apology to the stolen generations that the Prime Minister will propose to the new Parliament as its first order of business this morning. ...
- Different? (21 Jan 08)
In Time (17 Jan. 08) John Cloud writes about the end of his 7 1⁄2 year relationship with his former partner and asks "Are Gay Relationships Different?" An interesting question. ...
- Second Life is human life (17 Jan 08)
Mostly through curiosity I have been experimenting with Second Life. It's surprising how psychologically engaging it can become quite quickly. My appreciation of this is reinforced by a 5 Apr ...
- The feast day of St. Aelred of Rievaulx (13 Jan 08)
Today is January 12 the feast day of St. Aelred of Rievaulx. Highly regarded as one of the most loving and most beloved of historical Christian figures Aelred was deeply ...
- Andrew, Advent and AIDS (01 Dec 07)
30 November just gone was the feast day of Andrew the Apostle a day for me to remember and honour my Scottish heritage as Andrew is of course the patron ...
- Rain of Christ (27 Nov 07)
In last Sunday's Messiah rehearsal we sang ". . . and he shall reign for ever and ever." It was fitting as that day was the feast of Christ the ...
- Ailments north and south (20 Nov 07)
I needed to do a medical inventory recently. Well . . . from the top down there's high frequency tinnitus and high frequency hearing loss keratoconus (one eye) presbyopia and ...
- Fair indeed (12 Nov 07)
St. Philip's Community Fair last Saturday was great fun and a good success. A crowd of people enjoyed food drink and each other's company--as well as live music from CAMRA. ...
- We pray for Burma (23 Oct 07)
Before traveling to Goulburn for worship in the Cathedral on Sunday Australia's General Synod joined in the 21 October National Day of Prayer for Burma. The General Synod resolved to ...
- A sin to be boring (15 Oct 07)
Browsing around I came across this piece by John Elder in The Age of 27 Mar 05 about a Good Friday service at City Life Church in Wantirna South in ...
- I meet the Women in Black (05 Oct 07)
This is my friend the Revd Linda Anchell who is a deacon our parish and with her husband Fred a strong advocate for justice peace and environmentally sustainable living. (In ...
- Boy in space (05 Oct 07)
A few days ago was the 50th anniversary of the launch by the Soviet Union on 4 Oct 1957 of Sputnik 1 Earth's first orbiting artificial satellite. I was nine ...
- God's own self is present (01 Oct 07)
Hymns have a way of catching one unawares. On my recent holiday I slowly read through M. Basil Pennington's Engaging the World with Merton: on retreat in Tom's hermitage (Paraclete: ...
- Untied (29 Sep 07)
On our recent holiday James and I splurged on some casual clothes--jeans and shirts mostly nothing outrageous. Some time ago I looked at Gianni Versace's book Men Without Ties which ...
- I don't recall thanking him (29 Sep 07)
A friend shared this poem with me recently "Those Winter Sundays" written in 1962 by Robert E. Hayden (1913-1980). It speaks strongly to me of the love and care of ...
- Holidays at last (07 Sep 07)
There won't be any postings from me for a while; on Tuesday James and I leave for a few days much needed holiday here. ...
- On being an emotional energy miser (04 Sep 07)
Some wisdom from Ruth Ostrow (Weekend Australian Magazine 1-2 Sep 07 p. 10)The other day I decided not to take on a project that I'd been offered. It was a ...
- Fatherly (03 Sep 07)
Last Sunday was Father's Day in Australia. Our church St. Philip's made this a "men and boys" day. We included men who give fatherly love and care to others if ...
- The moon and wisdom (30 Aug 07)
The lunar eclipse on Tuesday evening coincided with a pot-luck dinner party of a group of friends at our place. Throughout the dinner we kept stepping out into the winter-cold ...
- A neighbour burned (09 Aug 07)
Arson has severely damaged our nearby Roman Catholic church St. Joseph's O'Connor and largely destroyed the adjoining the parish centre -- perhaps $3 million in damage. Bishop Pat Power said ...
- Will the Bishop in Iran speak out? (08 Aug 07)
The installation of a new Anglican Bishop in Iran is a happy occasion (ACNS 6 Aug 07). Yet the Iran authorities continue floggings and executions of minors and homosexuals and ...
- Dr May (29 Jul 07)
At the age of 60 Brian May CBE formerly lead guitarist of rock band Queen is close to completing work for a doctorate in astrophysics -- more than 35 years ...
- Celebrating James (25 Jul 07)
The 25th July is St. James day a patron saint of the Spaniards and Galicia in particulalar. The old Chambers Book of days says that according to legend James ...
- 50 years, 50s style (20 Jul 07)
On Sunday 6 May 07 St. Philip's Church celebrated the 50th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone it buildings the Rt Revd EH Burgmann then Bishop of Canberra ...
- An honoured pastor and uncle in God (16 Jul 07)
A National Day of Thanksgiving on 26 May 2007 thanked God for our heritage and offered honour respect and gratitude toward others. Acknowledged by the Governor-General the Prime Minister and ...
- Honoured friends (12 Jul 07)
I am honoured to call the bishop of Canberra and Goulburn the Rt Revd George Browning a friend. At the recent graduation ceremony of the Charles Sturt University School of ...
- Liberty and the pursuit (04 Jul 07)
Greetings to my American friends! As I was driving to work this morning ABC Classic FM reminded me that it is July 4th by playing Sousa's Presidential Polonaise (Cincinnati Pops ...
- Every drop welcomed (26 Jun 07)
We Canberrans are preoccupied with the rain. Every drop is welcomed and every cloud is inspected for its wateriness. This afternoon the radar shows clouds heading out to sea after ...
- The wood and the trees (26 Jun 07)
As to the Government's recent moves to try to end abuse of children in remote Aboriginal communities I entriely agree with the Australian Financial Review in its Editorial of 25 Jun 07Bold ...
- Weighting for it (21 Jun 07)
These are my bathroom scales. They have story to tell. This is the story.So far so good. Only 9 more kilograms to go. Perhaps Aussiebum model Andreas Lundin may inspire ...
- Autumn blooms (18 Jun 07)
May was the warmest ever recorded -- not because of the day time temperatures but because the overnight lows were much higher than usual. So the garden plants are utterly ...
- Smoke free (30 May 07)
31 May 2007 would have been the 85th birthday of my mother June. It is also WHO's World No Tobacco Day. She smoked only a little and quit towards the ...
- Amnesty and abortion (30 May 07)
There's been a lot in the press about Amnesty International's revision of its policy on abortion. In The Age 28 May 07 for example Barney Zwartz says that "Amnesty in ...
- My colleagues (24 May 07)
I've been enjoying in my new job about a month now. These are my colleagues in a group photo taken at an out-of-office planning day last week. They're good people. ...
- More rain? (22 May 07)
We have had several good falls of rain through much of SE Australia recently and people are beginning to hope that maybe just possibly maybe the long long drought may ...
- Othello (19 May 07)
I enjoyed Bell Shakespeare Company's performance of Shakespeare's Othello at Canberra's Playhouse last week. Directed by Marion Potts Wayne Blair leads as Othello with Leeanna Walsman as Desdemona and Marcus ...
- Carpe diem (14 May 07)
Phillip Adams's latest column in the Weekend Australian (12 May 07) is a superb comment on the famed interview between Melvin Bragg and Dennis Potter.Now. Get on with it When ...
- Two anniversaries (05 May 07)
This weekend my parish St. Philip's at O'Connor in Canberra celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of its first building and 50 years in the ...
- On not being plant blind (19 Apr 07)
Natalie Angier praises plants in an elegant piece in the International Herald Tribune (17 Apr 07).Show somebody a painting of a verdant botanically explicit forest with three elk grazing in ...
- A puzzled farewell (05 Apr 07)
After nearly eight years working in the Australian Government's aged care programs it was time to move on. I have a new job in a team developing the next round of ...
- A weighty matter for Lent (19 Mar 07)
Traditionally Shrove Tuesday -- Mardi Gras or 'Fat Tuesday' -- is the last day for eating fat before giving it up for Lent. Fat is a Lenten issue was the ...
- New life in autumn (18 Mar 07)
Though it's early autumn the roses that lost most of their leaves in the hailstorm just two weeks ago are putting on new plum colored leaves in between the ...
- Hailing a birthday (28 Feb 07)
Yesterday was my birthday. To celebrate a severe high-precipitation supercell thunderstorm hit our area in central Canberra late at night.Hail up 2cm in diameter fell for about 40 minutes with ...
- Revd Dr Elizabeth B. MacKinlay AM (27 Jan 07)
In the annual Australia Day honours the Reverend Dr Elizabeth MacKinlay of Canberra was made a Member of the order of Australia (AM) "For service to the welfare of aged ...
- Never too much (27 Jan 07)
Precious Lord we thank you for your tender love shown to us in Jesus Christ and the life of sacrifice he taught us. You have brought us together. We claim ...
- Fifty days of fire (19 Jan 07)
On 1 December severe storms brought lightning strikes but little rain to Victoria's mountains; within 12 hours there were 80 bushfires. It is 50 days since and fires are still ...
- Drought goes on and on and on and on (01 Jan 07)
The ACT moved to Stage 3 Water Restrictions on 16 December. With daily useage now at an average 201 meglitres the target is 139 ML -- a reduction of 30 ...
- Fires and global warming? (20 Dec 06)
The Bureau of Meteorology reports that most of the bushfire fire-affected areas in Victoria and elsewhere are having their worst year -- and in many cases worst decade -- of ...
- Consecration (14 Dec 06)
This is an event I look forward to. The Archbishop of Adelaide The Most Reverend Jeffrey Driver invites Mr Brian McKinlay To join in worship at The Episcopal Ordination of ...
- Smoke not rain (08 Dec 06)
This is smoke not a rain cloud. Firefighters in Victoria struggle with massive blazes and a number of towns and regions are on high alert ahead of forecast extreme ...
- We thank you for their grace and care (11 Nov 06)
Yesterday I attended the annual valedictory eucharist of St. Mark's National Theological Centre. I appreciated the prayers led by Dr Heather Thompson.God of love we pray for friends and family. ...
- Pray that they will come and see (28 Oct 06)
Please pray that God will direct and empower St. Philip's Come and see catechumenate. The Candidates -- pray that they will be prepared and guided by the Spirit in their ...
- Erase hate (14 Oct 06)
Thursday last 12 October was the eighth anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard. How quickly we forget. And how quickly we forget that he is but one of too ...
- The crimes of incompetence (14 Oct 06)
"The Human Cost of the War in Iraq: A Mortality Study 2002-2006" has been completed by Gilbert Burnham and others from the Bloomberg School of Public Health Johns Hopkins University ...
- Amish Economy (10 Oct 06)
The recent shooting horror visited on the Amish people of Lancaster County PA puts me in mind of yet another fine poem by Wendell Berry.Amish Economy We live by mercy ...
- Wattle and daffodils (24 Sep 06)
The September Equinox has just passed 23 September 2006 at 0433h UTC or 1422h in Eastern Australia. In the South it's our Spring equinox. 'Equinox' derives from aequus and nox ...
- China welcomes Dr Williams and curbs churches (19 Aug 06)
ACNS (10 August 06) reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams is to visit China from 8-23rd October at the invitation of the senior leadership of the 'post-denominational' ...
- Australia's longest war (17 Aug 06)
18 August 2006 is Australia's Vietnam Veterans' Day and the 40th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. It was the first significant engagement for the 1st Australian Task Force ...
- Churches united in solidarity with Gaza's people (05 Aug 06)
Christian Churches are unified in their solidarity with the people of Gaza. Episcopal News Service reports a Caritas statement that on July 29 Caritas Jerusalem's President Monsignor Michel Sabbah the ...
- Please help Al Ahli Palestinian hospital in Gaza (23 Jul 06)
AngliCORD is appealing for emergency help for Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. The hospital is a vital institution of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem and led by Palestinian Christian ...
- Mistakes (17 Jul 06)
In church a couple of Sundays ago our Rector the Rev'd Rebecca Newland showed the children this picture that she had painted. They were quick to say what was wrong ...
- The school of disappointment (17 Jul 06)
It is indeed natural to us to wish and to plan and it is merciful in the Lord to disappoint our plans and to cross our wishes. For we cannot ...
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