Entries by Jodie McNeill

Will you wear a ‘Jesus Is___’ t-shirt?

During March and April, Anglican Christians throughout Wollongong and beyond will be wearing ‘Jesus is___’ t-shirts and other merchandise. We’re praying that it will get lots of people talking and thinking about the identity of Jesus. You might think that it’s a bit ‘out there’ wearing it, but a really good reason to put it […]

What’s Glorious about Judgement?

When people talk about ‘judgement’, it normally seems to be pretty negative, because a judgement divides people, with winners and losers, and the whole idea of one person judging another just seems downright uncomfortable. Yet in some circumstances, a judgement is a positive and welcome result. If your wellbeing or reputation has been harmed because […]

What’s Needed on Australia Day?

There are legitimate reasons why many people feel they cannot support the celebration of Australia Day on 26 January, the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove. They have to do not only with the devastation experienced by indigenous people following European colonisation – dispossession of lands, mass slaughter, epidemics of […]

Sticks and Stones

Whoever first said “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me” was obviously unaware of modern-day social media. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, there seems to be a keyboard courage that leads people to write things online that they’d be far-less-likely to say face-to-face to their victims. That’s why […]

Praying for our Servos

In this time of national disaster, it’s very important that we pray for the many people who serve us in our emergency services and other associated organisations. To help you pray, here is the prayer I wrote for our Tuesday ‘Bushfire Emergency Prayer Service’: Heavenly Father, we bring before you the many people who lead […]

What’s in your Grab Bag?

One of the smartest things you can do if you’re in a bushfire prone area is to get a ‘grab bag’. In my bag I’ve got our passports, other important documents, and our wedding photos. And when I go to grab that bag, I’ll also get my favourite ukulele, Mandy’s cello, and a few other […]

Is it Time for a Fresh Start?

Whilst New Year’s Day is just the same as any of the other 365 days of the year, there is something cleansing and healing about starting afresh on ‘Day One’. It gives us a chance to try and begin a new, good habit, or maybe try and stop an old, bad habit. As we start […]