Set Apart In Christ

I'd just like to take the opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has participated in some way, shape or form on this blog throughout 2011. To those who've provided guest posts, people who've commented, those who've shared it with others through Facebook and Twitter, to everyone who's signed up to this site or just read anonymously... a HUGE thank you to you all!

I wanted to let you know of the upcoming Booth College Summer Seminar  happening in January, 2012. Seminars will take place in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The special guest at this years Seminar is Dr Ken Collins . He will be speaking on The Practical Theology of John Wesley. More information, including online registration, is available at the Booth College website . You can also purchase some of Ken Collins books on John Wesley through the Booth College Bookstore . I hope to see you there.

The ongoing influence of John and Charles Wesley is unquestioned, and exponentially growing. Their contribution to the Christian church is well attested and we should be grateful for these two men of God. But whenever we speak of John and Charles we must keep in the back of our minds someone else, for as the old saying goes, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” Well, behind these two great men is undoubtedly one of the greatest women of Christian history, their mother, Susanna Wesley. Much has been written about Susanna, as a mother of 19 (not all of whom survived childhood), the wife of a minister who was skilled in many things, but distinctly lacking aptitude in others, she was left at times as the sole carer of her children. What is significant, though, is the way in which she sought to treat her children as her own ministry responsibility.

At the recent Australian Labor Party conference held in Sydney a change of party policy  was introduced to allow Federal members a “conscience vote” if an amendment to the Marriage Act is brought before Parliament to change the definition of marriage to include same-sex relationships. To be honest, I think the change is inevitable. The wave of change is swelling towards the shore and no amount of standing ankle deep screaming at the ocean to “cease and desist” is going to avoid same-sex marriage being legalised in this country. It’s now a matter of when, not if. I have to say, I’m not a “doomsday” Christian on this. I don’t think it’s going to cause society to crumble in a heap of moral decay. I don’t think it will tear at the very fabric of society, nor do I think that it will weaken the institution of marriage.