Author: Dr Stuart Lange
by Rev, Dr, Stuart Lange. Easter is an excellent time to prayerfully read again the powerful New Testament narratives(1) of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, to share them with others, and for preachers to preach them. In these pivotal divine and human events, we see some core aspects of Christian faith, and the heart of the Good News: how God has offered humanity grace, forgiveness, life, transformation, and hope, and the future new heaven and earth. JESUS’ SUFFERING AND DEATHPrecisely who was it who went to the Cross Jesus of Nazareth was not just a uniquely good and compassionate person,…
OPINION; The Reverend Dr Stuart Lange The ultimate source of every human life is God. Every human being is loved by God, and precious in his sight In the sixth commandment, God tells us not to kill. In the New Zealand Parliament, however, a majority of MPs in the last Parliament decided it was okay to destroy an unborn baby (if the mother asks for that) and okay to kill terminally ill people (if the ill person asks for that). Those women seeking abortion may feel they have no option, or may be under great pressure, or may be in…
What is oneness in Christ? Opinion: Dr Stuart Laing. The oneness of all believers in Christ is a spiritual reality, which God in his grace has already given us: if we belong by faith to Christ, we believers are one in Christ, sharing the same Spirit, same salvation, same call to follow Christ, and same future glory. As Augustine said, if we belong to the Head, we are part of the same Body. But how much we cherish and nurture that oneness is something that depends in part on us: we are urged to be “eager to maintain the unity of the…
OPINION: Dr Stuart Laing It’s a timely question, because this is an election year, and in the next while all parties will be choosing and ranking candidates. We all have the privilege of voting, and who is in Parliament does help shape our country – for good or for ill. Regardless of where MPs may sit in the political spectrum, and whether or not they are Christians, we need MPs who are discerning, honest, and respectful, who are not driven by extreme ideologies or vested interests, who are fair-minded and reasonable, who will help protect the environment, who have a…