Hello? Is anyone there?

Well… yeah. It’s been nearly three years since I last graced these pages with an update. Time flies when you’re having fun! A lot’s happened in that time. For one, I’m no longer a Salvation Army officer, and whilst I still love the idea of what the Army was about, I cannot in good conscienceContinue reading “Hello? Is anyone there?”

An update to the General’s response to the Orlando shooting

A few days ago I posted about my disappointment at the way the Salvation Army General talked about the massacre of the patrons of the Pulse nightclub. My disappointment lay in the fact that the General didn’t refer to the fact that the people killed appear to have been targeted because of their sexuality and/or gender. Continue reading “An update to the General’s response to the Orlando shooting”

The Army’s Response to the Orlando Shooting: my thoughts

A lot has been said about the recent shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Amongst all of the opinion pieces and inevitable discussion about gun control in the US, the Salvation Army also made an official statement. It came in the form of a video from our world leader, General André Cox. Here’s aContinue reading “The Army’s Response to the Orlando Shooting: my thoughts”

Called: to the office or officership?

I’ve been following a thread in a Facebook group for Salvation Army officers. The original poster was wondering about the normal working hours for officers. What time do we start in the morning? What time do we knock off? A few officers gave a bit of an idea. Some start early—8:00, 8:30am. Others are responsibleContinue reading “Called: to the office or officership?”

The Jihad of Jesus: a review

A year or two ago I nearly found myself in a spot of bother. There was something of a push amongst certain elements of Australian society to ‘Ban the Burqa’—in other words, to force Muslim women who choose to cover their faces to remove their veils. The rhetoric was mostly about national security and women’sContinue reading “The Jihad of Jesus: a review”

Jesus: Lord, Liar, Lunatic… or just Freaking Awesome? A review

I’ve been listening to the Homebrewed Christianity podcast for some years now. The HBC format is fairly simple, generally consisting of an interview with an author or theologian and discussing their particular brand of theology. The interviews can get fairly technical, but they’re meant to be accessible for anyone who likes discussing ideas. The idea is thatContinue reading “Jesus: Lord, Liar, Lunatic… or just Freaking Awesome? A review”

Horace, a hongi and the Holy Spirit

Today I had a mystical experience. I bumped into my friend Horace (name changed to protect the innocent!) outside our church hall. Horace and a few of his friends like to hide behind the hall and drink sometimes, and he’s always passing through our property. Over the last year or two I’ve come to knowContinue reading “Horace, a hongi and the Holy Spirit”