Power of prayer: The resignation of England’s former Health Secretary, Sajid Javid from PM Boris Johnson’s cabinet prompted the avalanche of resignations that forced PM Boris Johnson out of office.
Javid revealed that it was a sermon at a prayer breakfast that caused him to think that he should leave the government.
“It might sound a bit strange but I was listening to the sermon by this amazing man, Reverend Les Isaac – you know, he started Street Pastors,” Mr Javid told the BBC.
“I was listening to him talking about the importance of integrity in public life and, just focusing on that, I made up my mind.
“I went straight back to my office and drafted the resignation letter and went to see the prime minister later in the day.”
The wrong movie: Escaping from thinking about leaving his job at Eternity, Obadiah goes to the Baz Luhrmann epic Elvis. But the “leaving the eternity rock” was a repeated motif in the movie. (It was based on young Elvis’ comic book hero Captain Marvel’s quests.) Oh well.
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Looking for good Christian content in the mass media: The New York Times is a good place to look. This will surprise people who dismiss the grey lady as a lefty paper, but there’s great Christian writing there.
Ross Douthat and David brooks are the best-known Christian columnists. In fact David Brooks’ “the Second Mountain” is a book-length account of his conversion.
Oddly enough his “The Road to Character” is available at Koorong, which is written as he begins his journey. But the his Second Mountain contains the whole story of his conversion. Even journos can be saved. The Little Lost bookshop has the Second Mountain in stock.
But an emerging writer on the paper gently espouses a worked-out orthodox Christian viewpoint. She’s worth reading, every time. Tish Harrison Warren happens to be a priest in the Anglican Church of North America., the evangelical break away from the more progressive Episcopal church. Her presence in the NYT belies the idea that progressive Christians are better at media access.
Here’s her recent column on Dorothy Day
Yes, go and get nourishment from two of Obadiah’s heroes in the one place.
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The Big rebuild:
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, (Isaiah 58:12)
This prophecy comes true in Nehemiah’s day but Obadiah would like to apply it to Mark Calder, Anglican Bishop of Bathurst. He’s an excellent rebuilder. He’s appointed 17 people to positions across Western NSW. But he’s still looking for ministers for the 16/28 parishes without clergy.
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Remembered: Obadiah was texting with the entrepreneurial pastor Mark Tronson who founded a wide range of ministries here. The other cheek penned a quick tribute here.
We were quick off the mark and many other tributes will follow. Sports Chaplaincy Australia describes itself as “a living memorial to Mark”.
Their National Director Michael Pailthorpe writes: “In recent months Australia has lost three legends of the game of cricket in Rod Marsh, Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds. Sports and Leisure Ministry (SLM) co-founder Mark Tronson who sadly passed away earlier this week wasn’t renowned for his wicket keeping, leg spin bowling or hard hitting batting and electric fielding but he was for the best part of two decades a pioneering, tireless and largely unheralded servant as the first chaplain to Australian cricket and a driving force of what was then SLM and is now Sports Chaplaincy Australia.”
Vale, Mark.
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Through the Bible: Just as Obadiah breasts the tape of day 365 of a read-the-Bible-in-one-year Plan, his Church is spending several weeks on one chapter, Colossians 1. It’s a helpful reminder, that changing the pace of reading Scripture helps muddle-heads like Obadiah greatly. It can be like reading it for the first time.
Reading the shorter letters in the New Testament rapidly gave Obadiah the message again and again during a turbulent time (let the reader understand) that gentleness is the natural setting for a Christian.
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Masks unmasked: And speaking of my church, more and more people are wearing masks. Obadiah is one of them – it is noticeable that medical people and some older people are the main mask wearer, although we are still a minority. Please consider wearing a mask to church so that vulnerable people will feel safe.