Meditation

March 19, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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meditation.jpgMeditation is a spiritual discipline that is generally associated with eastern philosophies and beliefs and which is often shunned by the Christian church but is there a place for meditation in Christian belief?

There are several references to meditation in the Bible, including the following passage which begins the Psalms.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. – Psalm 1 – NLT

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

Yesterday Ross and I discussed the differences between what many would understand by the term meditation and what the Biblical understanding should be.

Meditation can be a useful tool in drawing closer to God and growing in our faith. Ross outlines some very practical ideas of how we can make meditation part of our spiritual journey.

Listen to what Ross had to say on the topic by clicking play on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/SPI180309_1054.mp3]

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What Colour is the Wind?

March 13, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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Laycock.gifIn November 2006, at the age of 69, Graham Laycock passed away while travelling in Thailand.

Graham had lived a remarkable and inspiring life and at the time of his death he had completed the first draft of his autobiography. Editor Chris Walker took that draft, and doing his best to stay faithful to Graham’s own words, completed the book which has now been released under the title What Colour is the Wind?

Losing his sight at an early age was only one of the challenges that Graham faced throughout life. He took on everything life threw at him and came out on top.

He was a man of many passions. He was passionate about educating sighted people about the life of a blind person. He was passionate about his career in physiotherapy. He was passionate about helping others to reach their full potential, whatever their ability or disability. Above all he was passionate about his faith in Jesus Christ. He preached all over the world and loved to share his faith with others.

Graham Laycock was also an accomplished musician. He made playing guitar look easy but his talent was backed up by constant practice. He was inspired to continue developing his musical talent after meeting the legendary Nat King Cole. It was Nat who encouraged him to keep practicing and developing as a musician.

I recently spoke about the book and about Graham’s life with his widow, Peggy Laycock on 98.5 Sonshine FM. You can hear more of Graham’s story by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/SUN031209_1438.mp3]

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Faith of a child

February 18, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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children.jpgIs our belief in God begin at birth or is it something that we pick up from those around us as we grow older?

Are we born without a concept of God? Do we begin our lives as atheists who then need to be convinced that there’s something bigger than us in the cosmos?

Oxford University psychologist, Dr. Olivera Petrovich, a lecturer in psychology of religion, has been studying the development of spirituality in children. She recently conducted cross-cultural studies involving British and Japanese children to see if children from different cultures have a similar understanding on matters of spirituality.

She was surprised to find that results were very similar in Britain and Japan. In general she found that most children have an understanding that there is a creator God at work in our universe. Very interesting results indeed considering that as a culture, Japan discourages speculation into the metaphysical, so most children are not brought up hearing about God or spirituality.

You can read an interview with Olivera Petrovich about her research here.

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

Today we discussed the research and looked at what impact such research should have on us.

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



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Toilet Tales

January 28, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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Richard at Beyond Relevance has a very interesting post on perspectives and toilet seats.

It’s aimed at church leaders but relevant to so many areas of life.



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Finding the magic of Christmas

December 24, 2008
by Rodney Olsen
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nativity.jpgRemember staying awake half the night on Christmas Eve with that feeling of excitement turning your tummy inside out? You just knew that tomorrow was going to be the most exciting day of the year.

Remember that feeling, even if it were just for one day a year, that everything was right with the world?

You thought that Christmas would be like that every year, but something’s changed. The magic’s gone. Some people say that it’s just a day for the kids but you and I know that’s not true. There was something amazing about those early years celebrating Christmas and the good news is that you can experience that again.

If you’re wondering where that special Christmas feeling that you remember from years ago has gone, take time out this Christmas to put something special back into Christmas.

Take time to reconnect with the simple joys of Christmas. Decide now to really engage with those you love. Choose to see the wonder of the day. Choose to be in awe. Look at the magic in the face of a child at this time of year. Choose to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas without the commercial hype.

Why not read the true story of Christmas as found in the Bible. Take time to refocus on relationships and the simple joys of being with those you love without feeling the pressure of having to give more than you can afford.

We can choose to restore the wonder and the magic. We simply need to slow down long enough and to notice the many blessings that we’ve started taking for granted.

I hope that you rediscover the magic of Christmas this year.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Luke 2:8-20



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