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Speaking to the Soul, with Niki Vasilakis
Article by Wendy Rush. Niki Vasilakis is regarded as one of the most exciting violinists to have emerged from Australia in recent years. In the lead up to her appearance at a LifeWell conference she spoke to RISE about music, faith and restoration. Niki grew up in a very safe, loving Christian environment, with a strong and real faith and relationship with God from a very young age. In her teenage years and young adult life she experienced many things that challenged her faith and admits there were a lot of different influences on her. ...
read moreLooking ‘at’ our Lenses: Consumerism
By Scott Berry, pastor and music journalist Have you ever noticed that if you wear sunglasses long enough you forget you have them on, and sometimes even ask the embarrassing question “has anyone seen my sunglasses?” We are even less aware of the cultural lenses that always colour our vision of the world. The most all-pervading cultural lens that affects us in the Western world is that of consumerism. Wikipedia, the (dubious) source of all kinds of knowledge suggests “Consumerism is the equation of personal happiness with consumption and the...
read more‘My Choices’ gives peace of mind to people at the end of life
Article supplied. It’s not easy to talk about dying. Which is why many of us never really have that conversation, adding to the stress and anxiety experienced by individuals and their families when the time approaches. But the launch of Baptist Care SA’s ‘My Choices: An A-Z of personal choices and practical preparations to facilitate end of life support’, has made it a little bit easier to make your wishes known. Authored by Vicky Legge and Anne Van Loon from Baptist Care SA’s Church Support Team, “My Choices” is based on an idea conceived by...
read moreMasterChef now savours the Sweet Life
RISE editor Wendy Rush met 2011 MasterChef winner Kate Bracks at a City Bible Forum event in Adelaide where Kate shared something of her faith, her passion for food and her Australian reality television experience. Everyone with a television has heard of MasterChef and if we are all honest we have watched an episode or two, maybe more, since 2009 when it began airing on Australian TV. The show has been a major success with those aspiring to be chefs, those who just want to be really good cooks and those, like me, who are neither but are very...
read moreFearless evangelism in a post-Christian world
Article supplied. Australia has a distinctly Christian heritage, but today, mention Jesus in a Queensland school and you could find yourself in hot water. The latest Census data shows a steady decline in the number of people professing a Christian faith and in an increasingly pluralistic society, it’s no wonder Christians are fearful about fulfilling the Great Commission. Helen Devenish is a Street Evangelist in Hobart, reaching dozens of locals every week with the gospel message, simply by starting conversations in her local coffee shop,...
read moreDeep Leadership
Article by Dr Nick Hawkes. Multi-award winning author Nick Hawkes introduces his latest book ‘Deep Leadership’, available through CBMC International (SA). A survey by Deloittes of 3,300 organisations from 106 countries has identified “leadership” to be the most pressing issue of our time. Global companies have rated it as their number one concern for three years in a row. It seems that little progress is being made in what has become a perennial challenge. In business, politics, education and the church, the cry is the same:...
read moreA Renewed Humanity, Renewing the World
Article by Joanna Hubbard. What does a renewed humanity or world look like? One of the beautiful images of renewal I see in scripture is in Psalm 85 “Heaven and earth coming together in a rich and fruitful embrace: grace and truth will meet at last, justice and peace will kiss each other; truth will spring up from the earth, and justice look down from heaven.” Here we see creation and created renewed and thriving and good. It speaks of life flourishing in very botanical terms; fruitful and springing up. It speaks of repaired and renewed...
read moreCross-cultural friendship sparks new hope
The visas and tickets to Australia had arrived. Years before, Alireza and Shannaz had lost their family, their friends, their country and their much-loved careers when they were forced to flee Iran. Since then, they had been living in an unstable limbo in Turkey. But now they held the tickets to a new life in their hands. “Ah!” cried Ali. “It is finished!” But of course it wasn’t. For the third time they had to learn a new language. They were often lost and confused, and grief for their lost loved ones was an ache that never left. “For a...
read moreHe’s being your Mum
By Deborah Robertson. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4) I can’t remember exactly where I was last week when I realised that “that” feeling had gone. “That” feeling would overwhelm me especially when I was having a wonderful time with my son. “That” feeling was profound sorrow. I think we were at the kitchen table… It was at the same kitchen table about eight years before that I couldn’t take it anymore. It was breakfast and my son was enjoying his cereal when I looked across at him and was overwhelmed...
read moreCan you see eternity?
By Wendy Rush. I saw eternity and you weren’t there and I wept I couldn’t bear the thought of living my forever without you Your smile, your laughter, your joy Would have been my joy always. I saw your life, your struggles, your heartache And I longed to reach out, to hold you and ease your pain To heal your broken heart And put your life back together. I saw what could be your future A life of purpose, of indescribable joy and hope A special, unique, important path laid out before you If you would choose it. I saw a deep...
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