A thoughtful and encouraging article reminding us that wherever we are in our journey of faith, the Church family is where we meet with our gracious God. "The hardest thing for struggling Christians to recognize is that church is exactly the community they need. So often, they feel it isn’t. Church, they tell themselves, is […]
Category: Mental Health
As registered mental nurse, Professor John Swinton, noted how worship practices stimulated dementia patients. Fascinated by this, his interest in understanding more about dementia grew. In his work as a chaplain some big questions and thoughts arose. "What does it mean to know God when you have forgotten who God is?" "He or she is […]
It is important to recognise that life will bring us times of lament. We can stand with others through such experiences in a world where emotions are often felt but not easily expressed. "Avoiding lament contributes to a culture that doesn’t know what to do with grief, pain, and loss—all painful realities that will be […]
Presenter and author Sheridan Voysey speaks of longing and disappointment, but suggests that may be part of a reorientation of our plans. ""There’s a wonderful proverb: Hope deferred makes the heart sick. And gosh, we now know that when that hope is deferred and deferred and deferred, and another month and another month and another […]
The authors note the changes that the global pandemic has brought to the workplace, and observe that hybrid working environments have created challenges for employee culture, career paths, mentoring and general wellbeing. From their research they bring useful pointers to help orientate organizations to new demographics and workplace relationships. "How should leaders relate to, and […]
A helpful article with clear explanations and practical suggestions to address an issue which affects many. "The emotions of sympathy, empathy and compassion play an important role in developing a compassionate work culture, by helping us pay attention, in professionally appropriate ways, to the suffering of our students, patients, clients, colleagues, managers and leaders." https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-create-a-compassionate-workplace-culture-and-help-workers-recover-from-burnout-190489 […]
An encouraging discussion unfolds in this short podcast which helps to reframe the way in which we might view work and its place in our life. "There’s some magic that turns the work you do every day for a paycheck into something more, something that you actually enjoy, but how do you spark that magic? […]
An honest but encouraging and helpful discussion about the challenges of ministry work and relationships with others... Image: Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash
At the age of 22 Alex Gaffikin worked for 2 years in Antarctica as a meteorologist. In this discussion she reveals how she faced the loneliness of relentless darkness, and in the process learnt to lean on God, who meets us wherever we are. "“I had really started to doubt everything,” she recalls. “I was […]
Anne Lim reports on the presentation of senior clinical psychologist Gavin Brown, at a recent online mental health summit. "Brown was one of a panel of church leaders, mental health practitioners, lived-experience advisers, and theologians who led over 100 participants from across the country in a conversation about how churches can respond to Australia’s mental […]
Faith, Hope and Carnage – Nick Cave and Seán O’Hagan. Text Publishing, 2022 Deakin University's Personal Chair, Literary Studies, Lyn McCredden, reviews this recent acclaimed publication , stating... "Whether you adore or despise Nick Cave, this book offers you a great deal. Far more than the stereotypes of the gothic expatriate, or the drug-loving, post-punk, underground […]
Simon Smart reflects on the ever growing issue of loneliness. A recent Telstra and YouGov report reveals that 40% of Australians experience isolation. The pandemic certainly brought this to our attention, although it is not a new phenomenon, despite our increasing technological connectivity. It is a concern that loneliness can reduce a person's lifespan by […]
