Posts tagged ‘Spirituality’

December 15th, 2011

Christian Carnival 14th December 2011

by Rodney Olsen

christian_carnival_lion.jpgWelcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival. There is some great reading here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy working your way through the list of posts. I’m guessing that many bloggers are busy with preparations for Christmas as there have been very few submissions this week but that should give you the time to read and ponder the very good posts that are listed below.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify.

As always it’s a real honour to be able to present the Christian Carnival.

Please take the time to read through each post … it’s worth it. You might also like to link to this week’s carnival so that your blog readers can enjoy the variety of styles and thought. Another way to spread the word about the Christian Carnival is to click any of the buttons below this post to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Let’s get started!

We can certainly achieve a lot more when we work in unity with others. Ridge Burns is writing about Partnerships over at Ridge’s Blog. “Last Friday night I went to a banquet for InFaith’s Kids for Christ in Dallas, led by Joe and Lindsey Anderson. It was a pretty incredible experience, as kids and supporters of the ministry packed the room, getting together to raise money for Christmas gifts for the urban poor children Joe and Lindsey work with.”

Sarah looks at a thorny theological issue in her post Calling All Theoblogians: Creation and Evolution at This is what Sed said. “There is no dispute that God created or could create in six 24 hour days, but they believe the word ‘day’ in Genesis means ‘a period of time’. They believe the earth is millions of years old, and not thousands which is the claim of Genesis.”

Devotionals

Joe Plemon believes that the key to Moses’ greatness was a financial decision…an amazing one. Check out his post Moses’ Amazing Choice: The Key to His Greatness at Personal Finance By The Book. “Moses, by any standard, was a great man — he was instrumental in liberating an entire nation from slavery. Yet his path toward this success was cluttered with obstacles, the most prominent being the huge wealth at his fingertips by virtue of being an adopted son of the leader of richest nation in the world.”

Do you struggle with waiting? Do you sometimes feel that you need to keep putting hope on hold? Ashley Reid presents The Expectancy of Change: Why it’s Worth the Wait posted at The Real. “We are currently in a season of expectancy. For some of us, we have been struggling day to day to keep a smile on our face, make ends meet or just find joy in this thing called life. For others God has promised us something great, something new, a breakthrough, relief, a blessing or miracle. However, with all of this prophesy and expectation consuming our hearts, it makes us anxious, weary and tired of waiting.”

Narratives

Are we living the lessons we teach others? Lee Beldon presents The Sunshine Lady and a Big God over at Mission Blog. “I have been teaching the Rackerby people about having a big God. It is easy for me to teach about God and to tell others about a big God, but to live it for myself is another thing. You see, in my mind, for God to supply my need for a car is up to my resources; I have to figure it out as how to pay for a car replacement. God can take care of my congregation and supply their needs, but I have to be a good steward and do it myself. ”

I’ll finish with my own post which is designed to give unchurched friends a basic understanding of the Christmas story. I hope you enjoy The Real Meaning of Christmas. “Why do we still celebrate Christmas? Is it still relevant or just a chance for another holiday? Does Christmas hold any real significance for people today? What’s the real meaning behind the 25th of December and why do we make such a fuss about it?”

That’s it for this week.

In light of the lack of submissions this week, if you’re still looking for some great reading you might like to explore some of the links provided on the blogs that have been submitted. Maryann has an excellent list of links to explore here.

If you’re a Christian and you missed out this week, how about choosing something to contribute for next week’s edition? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to spread the word. Feel free to click any of the buttons below to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

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September 13th, 2011

Transcendental Meditation

by Rodney Olsen

Transcendental Meditation or TM started as a Hindu religious practice but came to greater prominence in the western world several decades ago.

These days it seems that many sporting clubs, including those from a variety or football codes, are using TM to ready themselves for games.

Promoters of the practice list a number of benefits to TM but others aren’t so sure that it lives up to all its promises. Being a spiritual practice there is also concern from people of other faiths regarding Transcendental Meditation and while many have reported positive effects it’s worth considering whether the fact that something seems to ‘work’ means that it’s necessarily beneficial.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Last Wednesday we discussed TM. Christian spirituality also promotes meditation but how different is a Biblical view of meditation to TM?

You can hear what Ross had to say about it by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

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September 12th, 2011

Christian Carnival Returns

by Rodney Olsen

christian_carnival_lion.jpgWould you like the opportunity to have your blog promoted? Have you published a post that you’d like read by a wider audience?

I’m having some friends drop in this week. They’ll be visiting from all over the world and you’re invited to join us. The next Christian Carnival is being hosted here at Beyond Belief.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify. You may wish to consider that the readership of the Christian Carnival will be more varied than your usual readership, and you might do better contributing a post with broad appeal.

I’ve already received a number of contributions and I’m looking forward to offering readers of this blog some great links when the carnival is published.

If you’re a Christian and you’ve never contributed before, or if it’s been a while since you have, how about having a look through your posts for this week and choosing something to contribute. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday evening at midnight, Eastern (US) Standard Time. That means it’s midday Wednesday here in Perth, Western Australia.

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July 13th, 2011

Christian Carnival 13th July 2011

by Rodney Olsen

christian_carnival_lion.jpgWelcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival. There is some great reading here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy working your way through the list of posts.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify.

As always it’s a real honour to be able to present such a diverse range of great posts.

Please take the time to read through each post … it’s worth it. You might also like to link to this week’s carnival so that your blog readers can enjoy the variety of styles and thought. Another way to spread the word about the Christian Carnival is to click any of the buttons below this post to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Let’s get started!

To kick things off Carl looks at a hot potato in the church in the post Homosexuality and Discourse Domains over at Theological Pursuit. Carl wisely points out that with all the political heat, we as Christians need to take care how we discuss the issue.

Maryann Spikes has a puzzling post titles A “Twelve Facts” resurrection logic puzzle at Ichthus77.

Joe Plemon writes about A Long Term, High Yield Investment. Guaranteed! at Personal Finance By The Book, saying that there really IS such an investment …one that will pay dividends forever! In fact, Joe says, forever is the key word.

270 years ago, on July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards, who many believe is probably the greatest theologian in “American” history, preached what is probably the best-known sermon in American history. Chris Price presents 270 Years Ago Today at the blog American Church History.

What kind of beliefs/things could a church have/do to resolve 75% of church members problems? Diane R presents The 75% Solution posted at Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet.

loswl introduces his post by saying, “Are you a Christian who has constantly been defeated by lust? Maybe you are a man in his mid twenties like me, and don’t know what to do to overcome lust. Here are few tips I will share with you from my personal experience that helped me to overcome.” Check out his post The Eye is the Lamp of the Body – Part 1 posted at INSPIKS.

Kaleb presents God’s Gifts Have Purpose | W2W Soul over at W2W Soul: Windows to The Woman’s Soul, saying, “As an avid fan of the TV hit the” Golden Girls”, I tend to recall comical anecdotes to everyday situations that were explored on the show. In a Christmas episode, the girls decided to exchange handmade gifts that they personally created for each other.”

Do you ever wish you could go back a few years to an earlier time? Maybe you just need to learn how to keep your youth alive. Jennifer in OR has a few hints that culd help in the post The Miracle and Gift of Brotherhood posted at Diary of 1.

Ever marvelled at that way God goes ahead of us, preparing the way even when we didn’t know we needed one? Then you’ll love reading the post Michelle has written titled a little slow on the uptake? at going into all the earth…, saying, “ah, the journey…”

If you enjoy getting to grips with what the original Biblical writers intended, you’ll probably enjoy the post by Richard H. Anderson as much as I did. Check out The Role of the Hapax in the Gospel of Luke at dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos Theophilos.

Rey Reynoso uses satire to say that we should be applying modern science to the resurrection. Grab your sense of humour and read Spontaneous, Natural, Physical Resurrection at The Bible Archive

Violet N. presents Voluntary praise at Other Food: daily devos, saying, “Praise – our mouths can be the stuff of sacrifice.”

Ridge Burns presents the very thoughtful post Sad at Ridge’s Blog. Let me encurage you to not only read what Ridge has to say but to take it to heart. Your family will thank you.

Chris Brooks presents a review of a helpful Bible study tool with Review: Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts at Homeward Bound.

If you’re a hopeless romatic you can’t go past the post that Chelsea Childress has written titled Knees posted at An Arrow in the Making. And while you might click through for the romance, you’ll want to stick around for the wonderful lessons Chelsea draws out for us.

Finally, Christian Amit presents Joseph: Bible Character Study at Bible Study Exposition Online.

That’s it for this week.

If you’re a Christian and you missed out this week, how about choosing something to contribute for next week’s edition? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to spread the word. Feel free to click any of the buttons below to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

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June 1st, 2011

Why Wicca?

by Rodney Olsen

It’s said to be one of the fastest growing forms of spirituality in the western world. So what’s Wicca all about? What’s the attraction?

Wicca is particularly attracting many young female followers. What is it about Wicca that attracts those who are not interested in what might be understood as more traditional faith expressions?

With a strong emphasis on connection to the earth, is Wicca drawing strength from the growing concern about the health of our planet?

Wicca is a specific Neopagan religion. Its adherents are referred to as Wiccans, though the terms Witches or Crafters are also used. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the “witch cult” and “witchcraft,” and its adherents “the Wica.” From the 1960s onward, the name of the religion was normalised to “Wicca.”

Wicca is typically a duotheistic religion, worshipping a goddess and a god, who are traditionally viewed as the Triple Goddess and Horned God. These two deities are often viewed as being facets of a greater pantheistic godhead, and as manifesting themselves as various polytheistic deities. – Wiki

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Today we looked at Wicca and asked why it continues to grow in popularity. Are there elements of Wiccan spirituality with which we can identify? Are there dangers of which we need to be aware? Could Wicca actually be pointing towards a higher truth?

You can hear our discussion by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

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April 6th, 2011

Christian Carnival 6th April 2011

by Rodney Olsen

christian_carnival_lion.jpgWelcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival. There is some great reading here and I’m sure you’ll enjoy working your way through the list of posts.

The weekly Christian Carnival is an opportunity for Christian blog writers to share their best posts from the previous week. The topic of the post doesn’t necessarily have to focus on Christianity but it must reflect a Christian worldview, and the writer must be Christian to qualify.

As always it’s a real honour to be able to present such a diverse range of great posts.

Please take the time to read through each post … it’s worth it. You might also like to link to this week’s carnival so that your blog readers can enjoy the variety of styles and thought. Another way to spread the word about the Christian Carnival is to click any of the buttons below this post to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

Let’s get started!

Are you maintaining a multi-generational family? Do you struggle with raising your own children while caring for an aging parent? Jennifer has some great faith insights about being Sandwiched in her post at Diary of 1.

Sheepkinz gets serious with a thought provoking post titled Experiencing God’s Consuming Fire! over at INSPIKS.

What does ‘networking’ look like for a Christian? Lahesha Williams presents 5 Valuable Tips to Networking at Career Help For Christians.

Are we living to our highest potential? Has God called us to more? Katrina Kaczmarek takes a look at this topic in The task of a Life! at Love Can Sit Anywhere.

Rob Bell seems to have given bloggers around the world plenty of material for endless posts. Carl’s post, Rob Bell: No Hell?, posted at Theological Pursuit, doesn’t so much rake over the same material that everyone else has as question the way Bell has been treated since the release of his book, Love Wins. Carl’s post is well worth a read.

We’re told that beauty is skin deep, but we still pay it an awful amount of attention and spend a lot of money trying to attain it. Jocelin asks some tough questions in the post Proverbs 31 Woman: Vanity, Is it Worth It? at One Money Design.

If you love to give your brain something to spend some time chewing through, you’ll love Jeremy Pierce’s post Foundationalism and Starting With God posted at Parableman. Jeremey says that D.A. Carson and Tim Keller are resisting a view they’re calling foundationalism. He then goes on to ask whether it’s really foundationalism that they’re aiming to criticize.

Maryann Spikes has written an Open letter to William Lane Craig regarding upcoming debate with Sam Harris which she has posted at Ichthus77.

Do you enjoy discovering new blogs? Bill Grandi posts at Cycleguy’s Spin. It’s a blog I’ve been reading and enjoying for the last couple of months. Check out Bill’s post Burn!!!

Kathryn Lang has some practical advice in the post Determination Gets Things Done at her blog The Peculiar Life.

Ever met people who try to be ‘lone ranger’ Christians? We were never meant to do it on our own. We’re built for community and Ridge Burns has a beautiful post that demonstrates that at Ridge’s Blog. I really hope you’ll take the time to read the post Community.

How would you answer the question, “Do you seriously believe a loving God, the Christian God, the God of the Bible, will send people to Hell?” Rey Reynoso tackles the question and does an admirable job in the post Hell? Yeah at The Bible Archive.

Finally, a post from a blog I’ve been reading for quite some time. Sarah looks at one of my pet annoyances in her post Awesomely Awesome at This is what Sed said.Her post doesn’t qualify as awesome but it is very, very good. Read it and you’ll know what I mean.

That’s it for this week.

If you’re a Christian and you missed out this week, how about choosing something to contribute for next week’s edition? It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece, just a post that outlines your point of view or is designed to get others thinking. Being part of the carnival could be a great way to gain a little extra traffic at your blog.

The easiest way to get involved is to submit your article through the Blog Carnival Submission Form. Otherwise, you can email the submission address.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to spread the word. Feel free to click any of the buttons below to share the carnival on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon or any of the other sites represented.

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