‘I Am The Good Shepherd’ Dave Andrews The people in the Middle East often refer to their leaders as ‘shepherds’ because, unlike Western shepherds, who go behind the sheep and drive them where they are supposed to go, Middle Eastern shepherds are supposed to go ahead of the sheep and lead the way to green pastures and still waters. However, […]

Dave Andrews The third thing I could see clearly when I took the plank of self-righteousness out of my eye was: 3. Jesus is already with people – ‘Christians’ and ‘non-Christians’ – whether people know it or not.  Paul says: ‘For by (Christ) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, […]

Dave Andrews The second thing I could see clearly when I took the plank of self-righteousness out of my eye was: 2. The Spirit is already at work bringing order out of chaos and leading people into the truth in every situation we find ourselves in. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can […]

Dave Andrews The first thing I could see clearly when I took the plank of self-righteousness out of my eye was:  1. All men and women are made in the image of God and have the law of God written on their hearts. ‘God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God […]

Dave Andrews I never wanted to exterminate anyone – I wanted to convert everyone. I was taught apologetics by Francis Schaeffer. He encouraged me to believe that Christianity had a monopoly on revelation from God, and as such, our religion had a franchise on what he called the absolute ‘true truth’. That being so, I […]

Dave Andrews I used to teach a course on Christian community work at a Theological College near here. At the start of the course, I always got students to draw a picture of their ideal community. Not surprisingly many of the Christian students drew a picture of a Christian community with a church with a […]

Dave Andrews Having critiqued the way Dominion Theology advocates people of faith seek control over society, I was asked what way do I suggest people of faith engage society. I believe people of faith in the Abrahamic tradition are specifically called to be ‘a blessing to all nations.’ (Gen.22:18) In the ‘Beatitudes’ Jesus of Nazareth […]

Dave Andrews In the light of the rise of Dominion Theology in the US, Christians would do well to reflect on concept of “dominion” in the teachings of Jesus.The French Christian philosopher theologian Jacques Ellul declares: “I believe that the biblical teaching is clear. It always contests … dominion.”1. The concept of “dominion” involves “conquest”, […]

Dave Andrews I define spirituality as the experience and expression of compassion for the Other. I define religion as the ideation of that experience and institutionalisation of that expression which simultaneously affirms and negates the spirit of compassion for the Other.  Religious eldering, at its worst, encourages subordination of the self to concepts and practices […]

Dave Andrews Let me tell you how I engage the church as an amateur elder rather than a professional cleric. Most clergy I know are aware that, though I am a Christian anarchist, opposed to ordination because I consider it as elitist – and detrimentally exclusive of the laity – I am supportive of clergy […]

Dave Andrews When my older daughter had her daughter, I became keenly aware of the significance of moving from being a father to being a grandfather. I was aware of the same joy of welcoming our granddaughter, Lila, into our family, as there was when we welcomed our daughter, Evonne (now known as Ruby,) into […]

Dave Andrews Thankfully Ange and I both had mothers and fathers who were traditional model elders in their respective traditional religious communities. ‘Anthropologist Joan Halifax says elders in traditional societies show us the developmental possibilities of old age. These mature individuals, who have distilled wisdom from experience, have become innocent, clear-seeing, and compassionate.’   ‘Elders […]