Our Man of Steel is not going to be happy. Anyone know where a full transcript of the speech can be found?

I am currently reading Reflections in Glass by Peter Carnley, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Australia (see a review here). I haven’t read any of his books before and so far I am enjoying it. This quote has been resonating with me this weekend:

Even an interest in identifying and talking about religious […]

The man of steel has launched a preemptive strike on churches who insist on meddling in politics:

I think church leaders should speak out on moral issues but there is a problem with that justification being actively translated into sounding very partisan,” Mr Howard said in an interview while in Tasmania last week.
“I don’t deny […]

So, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld launches a defence of indefinitely detaining people (yes, I unashamedly use the word people) at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. What is his reasons for detaining people without charge and without access to lawyers?
Simple, for the Bush Administration the ends justify the means. Rumsfeld says it is all ok because they are […]

Still digesting the women in leadership essay - this is a good bit too:
The post-modern Church looks for small group experiences, for mission projects close at home, for leadership that dresses in casual clothes and knows how to build teams rather than committees. The second-reformation churches are less inclined to send dollars to a […]

The ‘coming out of the closet’ thread is still bubbling away.. over 100 comments now. This is an interesting essay on the topic by Linda McKinnish Bridges, Professor of New Testament and Greek, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Richmond, Virginia.
I thought this bit was particularly good:
The “Lydia Phase” in the New Testament: From […]

There is a boldness in Ward’s vision that intrigues and fascinates me. I find myself wanting to run with this creative view of the church’s future. Yet, I find he wants to correct the pendulum swing too much. Solid church has had an overemphasis on the Sunday morning gathering. Yet, that does not mean that […]

The idea that people can participate in the network of liquid church and be insulated from church politics is very attractive. This is not one size fits all, but an attempt to provide choice and customisation at every level of the church experience. Smaller solid church experiences (emerging church included!) are often quite intimidating for […]

I like the way Ward’s vision is big enough to encompass the diversity of faith expressions. Solid church has a tendency to emphasise a particular style of worship at the cost of being welcoming and encouraging of the diversity of the ways people connect with God and each other. This one-size fits all mentality needs […]

In his desire to critique solid church I believe that Ward focuses on the gathering component of solid church too much. Solid church has always had elements of the fluidity that Ward desires. In fact, there are many gatherings associated with solid church which I and others would continue to see as valuable. Networks […]