Now writing on Substack

Hey everyone. Not sure if anyone still finds there way to this blog some nearly 10 years since I last wrote. But if so, I'm now writing on substack.

chrisbowditch.substack.com

See you there!

I'm also on Twitter/X if you want to keep in touch

@chrisbowditch

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Sermon Series: Christians at Work and in the Marketplace

Back in May I preached my first ever topical sermon series which happened to be on Christian faith in the secular workplace.

You can listen to them by clicking on the links below.  I hope they might be helpful for you in someway.

A special mention goes to Tim Keller and his great book Every Good Endeavour which was a great help in my preparation.

Week 1: Work as Good and Cursed
Week 2: Priesthood of All Believers
Week 3: Living as Exiles in the City
Week 4: Agents of Justice and Peace
Week 5: Workplace Evangelism

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Hebrews Sermon Series

I've just finished my first ever full blown exegetical sermon series.  I decided to tackle Hebrews over eight weeks.  You can listen to them by clicking on the links below.

I'd love your feedback.  I think they get off to a slow start (first few weeks) but finish well.

It's been wonderful to sit with this book for such a long time.  To put my Hebrews commentaries back on the shelf today felt a bit like saying goodbye to an old friend I won't be seeing for a little while.

Here are the links:

Week 1 - Hebrews 1:1-14
Week 2 - Hebrews 2:1-18
Week 3 - Hebrews 3:1-4:13
Week 4 - Hebrews 4:14-5:10
Week 5 - Hebrews 7:1-8:2
Week 6 - Hebrews 9:11-10:18
Week 7 - Hebrews 10:19-39
Week 8 - Hebrews 11:1-12:3

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Tradition vs Traditionalism

Great quote found in Living Justification by Jonathan Huggins.  The quote comes from Jaroslav Pelikan (how can the quote not be good with a name like that!) and goes like this:

"Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.  Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that is we who have to decide.  Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition."

Not bad I reckon.  What do you think?  I feel that there must be a third option out on the other side of tradition from traditionalism  that is called something like anti-tradition.  Anti-tradition supposes that nothing should ever be done again, that new is the only good thing, that the past holds us back and that we have nothing to learn from it.

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Strong Economy, Strong Communities

Last week I went to the ACL's Strong Economy, Strong Communities breakfast.  Two talks in particular are worth you taking the time to watch.

The first was by Professor Jonathan West. He spoke about how as a community we're so preoccupied by self interest that we can never take the larger view.  His story in this video about how the wine industry in Tassie opposed the expansion of the wine industry is mind boggling!



The second talk of note was that by Professor Ian Harper.  He spoke again about the need for things like trust and fairness as the basic building blocks to a strong community and also a strong economy.



They aren't long talks, but they will be stimulating!  If you want more information about the Tasmanian Election, and who to vote for, head on over to the Tas Votes website.

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Beginning to think about Christians at work

I've got a series coming up at church in April/May where we'll be spending time thinking about how a Christian should work.

I'm currently doing some reading and research and I was struck by this great quote by Dorothy Sayers in Tim Keller's book Every Good Endeavor (which is a truly great endeavor, and a splendid book!).  Anyhow here is the quote:

"The church's approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him to not be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours and to come to church on Sundays.  What the church should be telling him is this: the very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables."

There's something more positive and compelling about the second charge than the first right?

Anyway, much of what I've heard in relation to Christians and work is simply, there is gospel work (working for the church, reading the bible with people, evangelism) and there is other implied, lesser work (i.e. everything else that the majority of the world does). Suffice to say, that's never really cut it for me.  Well this book is giving great voice to a larger view of work, of how it is integral to every person, and how we were created by a working God to work.

I've got more books to read, more thinking to do, but I'm really looking forward to what God will do through this series!  Please pray for me and for our church, that this will not only change our thinking, but it will enable us to be God's people in our places of work.

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Taking 2014 one day at a time

Well 2014 has been going strong now for three whole days.  It's a beautiful time of year. Hot, sunny, the Taste of Tasmania is on, there is hope for what 2014 may bring.

Randomly, because they are on my iPhone, I have been listening to some sermons from Louie Giglio at Passion City Church that he preached on the Lord's prayer sometime in the middle of last year.  I was really struck by a message he preached on 'give us this day our daily bread'.  To cut a long story short, his point was that basically Christians spend to much time focusing on how God will provide from them and help them out yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever.  But actually, there is something in knowing that God's promise is for today.  He promises to come through tomorrow as well, but only when tomorrow becomes today.

Anyway, as tends to happen around new years.  My eyes were firmly focused on my plans to be better this year.  I had even prayed that God would help me to do well this year and to guide me this year.  What a beautiful but subtle thing to be reminded then by listening to those sermons that my prayer, my daily prayer, is God help me today.  Help me to serve you today.  Help me to do enough today. Help me to have all I need today.

There's something kinda cool about setting yearly goals, but then knowing that you only need to worry about today.  I may want to read this many books, or that much of the bible, or be more generous or whatever.  All of those things happen with little steps today.  And I know God can provide all the grace I need today to make a few small steps in the right direction.

This has been a profound reshaping of my thinking.  Perhaps I've not articulated it well.  Please ask me in the comments if you have questions.

On a related but slightly different note, I came across this article about New Years resolutions.  Whilst I didn't love the whole article, this blog post titled kinda hit home at something I think. "New Years Resolution" is a nice way for you to say, "I repent".  There's a great truth to that.  In identifying areas where we want to do better, we are in a sense confessing that over the last year we've been lazy, or lacked self control, or whatever it is for you.  Sure my New Years Resolution of clock 50% on FIFA 14 is not a confession of my lack of PS3 gaming time, but my news years resolution to tick off year one of Tim Chester's bible reading plan is indeed a confession of my need for more constant and deliberate personal bible reading.

So I'm going to take 2014 and all my hopes and dreams and the challenges and exciting things God has for me one day at time, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can get through today, because God is always enough for today.

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