Life, death and choice, Ann Crawford
The God
who dies: Exploring themes of life and death, Irene Alexander
Primordial
events in theology and science support a life/death ethic,
Martin Rice
Community Transformation, Geoff Waugh
Global Reports: South Pacific
I have edited 20 issues of the Renewal Journal, beginning in 1993. It has been a momentous decade, and I am indeed grateful for all the contributors to the Renewal Journal. They identified and created cutting edge issues.
The Renewal Journal has always been ecumenical or interdenominational in its scope both for writers and readers. Renewal and revival transcend our divisions and transform our relationships. I am grateful.
With this final issue of the Renewal Journal in its present format, I look back in deep gratitude and look forward with bright hope. Past issues have encouraged obedience to biblical imperatives in ministry and mission, in renewal and revival. Future comment, on this web site, may also report on biblical transformation now shaping the church and the world, as in the Mission News articles and photos.
Examples of those changes in the new format for this Renewal Journal website include the current Mission News articles and photographs, the links to Hotspots of Revival with their current reports, and the gems of Inspiration collected from current communications.
So it is fitting that these final articles in the old format of the Renewal Journal examine life and death. Arising from this ending of the former format of the Renewal Journal and built upon that experience, now a new, flexible, electronic version of the Renewal Journal emerges.
The articles in this issue were presented and discussed at the 2003 Contemporary Issues in Ministry conference held at the School of Ministries of Christian Heritage College in Brisbane, Australia. Their titles explain their content. They invite and challenge us to die to the old and rise to the new.
Death is so painful, especially where love is deep and strong. The longer we live, the more we have to live with the pain of that loss of loved ones (parents, spouse, relatives, friends) and the loss of loved things (possessions, vocations, activities) till finally our own death transforms us and unites us in perfect love.
Meanwhile, we live in resurrection life.
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