It must be some 40 or 50 years since the “Power of Positive Thinking” was published, writes Rev Sydney Maitland, and since then there has been a veritable flood of books and courses on self-improvement, positive thinking/being/ action and so on. “Spirituality” has become an exercise in self-improvement, and essentially inward-looking. Advertising has developed themes…
Articles by Rev Sydney Maitland, appearing in our monthly magazine and commenting on life at All Saints and in the world at large.
Commentary: Media and the truth
I never actually read any of his work, writes Rev Sydney Maitland, but the tenet of one of Marshall McLuhan’s works was summarized in the slogan “The medium is the message”. I believe that in saying this, McLuhan was pointing to the effects of the mass media in informing us. In so doing, they not…
Commentary: A model of equality
“We want a fairer society.” Don’t we all: but what do we mean? A society in which all people are wholly the same? Where male and female roles are fully interchangeable? Maybe, writes Rev Sydney Maitland, but in our hearts we may wonder if this is really credible, even if there are photo-opps and enthusiastic…
Commentary: An end to bitterness
In a few weeks we will have the result of the referendum ~ and we will have to live with the result, writes Rev Sydney Maitland. That is what a democracy is, and perhaps the proof of our democratic credentials will be on how graciously we can receive the result, regardless of whether it is…
Commentary: Where are our highest loyalties?
July 2014
Commentary: The fruit of the Spirit
June 2014
Commentary: Child euthanasia in Belgium and the logic of our times
March 2014.
Commentary: When Jesus says ‘Abide in me’, he means it
February 2014
Commentary: Beware of looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place
November 2013
Commentary: Part of our mission is to recognise when things do not go as we had hoped, and then …
October 2013.
Commentary: We need to pray earnestly for our political leaders
September 2013.
Commentary: We should say what we mean and only make promises that we will keep
July 2013.
Commentary
June 2013.
Commentary: We all want growth, but just what do we mean?
May 2013.
Commentary: Our society is largely estranged from the knowledge of Jesus Christ
April 2013.
Commentary: Just how far do we really belong to one another?
March 2013.
Commentary: God must have the first claim on our hearts, thinking and lives
February 2013.
Commentary: Why does God not do something about global chaos?
December 2012.
Commentary: Can you really have ‘a little religion’?
November 2012.
Commentary: We should never endorse what we know to be plainly wrong
October 2012.
Commentary: It is very easy for the church to reproduce what it sees in the world and not what it sees in the scriptures
September 2012.
Commentary: Non-deities which take precedence over the Lord whom we worship
July 2012.
Commentary: ‘Progress’ is a doubtful proposition
June 2012.
Commentary: Allow the Holy Spirit to send us on our journey
May 2012.
Commentary: To put any aspect of life ahead of my Christian faith is to undermine that faith
April 2012.
Commentary: The more individuals who accept salvation, the more our communities will also be redeemed
March 2012.
Commentary: We may be called upon by God to help the very people who have made us hostile
February 2012.
Commentary: We will need to be open to God’s leading at all times
December 2011.
Commentary: The architecture of All Saints tells us something of how we are called
November 2011.
Commentary: Obeying the command to exercise the gift of healing
October 2011.