Down-under round-up: 15 April 2015

Here’s what caught my eye on the screen over the last week.

Issue of the week

Concern over the very real threats to religious freedom through accelerating discrimination, litigation and their threat continued to be discussed widely.

But amidst all that, this needed saying. And bluntly. (And yes, I was challenged.)

Man Up, Campus Christians—Your Timidity Feeds the PC Beast

I thought of how 1 Corinthians 16:13 uses the gendered term “Act like men” with the denotation of ‘be courageous’. And it appears to be addressed to all the Christians in Corinth, not just the blokes!

Making disciples of Jesus

Running from the Law? Facing our day in court: Some good writing from David Ould, who ministers in a socio-economically tough area of south-western Sydney. His experience of supporting a bloke at court led to some really worthwhile reflections on appearing before the judgment seat of Christ.

Friend to the first convict colonists of Australia: In the UK, The Telegraph published a sympathetic appreciation of the first gospel minister in Australia, Rev Richard Johnson. His presence as chaplain on the First Fleet of convicts and soldiers arriving in NSW in 1788 was secured by men like John Newton and William Wilberforce.

Not new, as far as I know, but I first time I’d seen this from Ed Shaw over at Living Out…
Q. How can you live life without sex?
(A. Many people do and have a really worthwhile time!)

Here’s a few key sentences (but read the whole thing!):

Sometimes the implication is almost that I’m not quite human because I have yet to experience such a basic human right and experience as sexual intercourse…
Christopher Ash asks: “When did we last see a successful movie which portrayed a contented bachelor or spinster?”
For it is hard to see how the Bible could be any more positive about the celibate life. Its central character, Jesus Christ, was single and yet is held up as the only perfect human being ever to have lived…
We also need to remind ourselves that our sexualities can be valued by self-control as much as by sexual intercourse. Love is not just communicated by the sex one has had, but by the sex one hasn’t had.

Image of the week

There’s a flow of encouraging snapshots of good stuff being said from The Gospel Coalition’s current conference. Here’s the one that most struck me…

 “If you have any strength left in your church, give it to the nations!” –John Piper