Covid-19 has impacted us all; there is no question about that. Whether you have suffered with the virus yourself, watched as loved ones suffer and possible die, struggled with the uncertainty and restrictions or been revitalised by the change of pace and space from other people we have all touched. In the early days of … Continue reading Disabled People and the Post-Covid Church: Exiled, Cast Out or Treated with Special Care?
Covid-19
Changing Seasons
Less than two weeks ago the final post in our advent series of guest blogs launched into the blogosphere and subsequently we welcomed in the first day of Christmas, yet it seems much longer. I awoke recently to the radio and heard a discussion about whether the 5th or 6th January marks the 12th Day … Continue reading Changing Seasons
The Church is Dead, Long Live the Church
The church is dead, long live the church! It is possible you have heard the phrase “The king is dead, long live the king.” It is a pronouncement made upon the death of a monarch where the succession of the new monarch is automatic. I suppose at some point we will hear the words “The … Continue reading The Church is Dead, Long Live the Church
For the Bible Tells Me So
The Bible is a collection of books to be wrestled with, studied, explored, enjoyed and loved. The Bible provides stories that help us to understand God and recognise ourselves, to see God at work even in the times when it feels like God is absent. I put my faith in God and I believe the Bible is the written authority on the nature of God. It is on this basis that I seek to understand what the Bible teaches about God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and humanity, about good, evil, creation, salvation, the Church, hope, faith and how I might live my life.
Come and have Breakfast
After Jesus’ resurrection there are surprisingly few stories in scripture telling us what he did, who he met and the witness that he was to the world. Matthew gives a couple paragraphs (Matthew 28), there is some debate about where the Gospel of Mark ends, but even the longest version only provides two or three … Continue reading Come and have Breakfast
Celebration of Doubt
It takes faith to believe in God the Father. It takes faith to believe in a world and universe created by God. It takes faith to believe the words of scripture. It takes faith to believe in the miracles of Jesus. It takes faith to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. It takes faith to trust the promises of Jesus. It takes faith to accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. Doubt is not the enemy of faith, doubt is the honest, vulnerable and fragile place in which our faith is most real.
Sunday’s Coming
To be a Jesus people is to flip the understandings of the world on its head and show a different way. To stand up and speak out for justice, to serve the widows and the orphans. Sunday is Coming and covid-19 will pass, our restrictions will lift and the light at the end of this tunnel will shine bright. We can celebrate the hope we find in Christ. But we are also called to be a people of justice – those who long to bring the hope of Easter Sunday to others. Will we continue to be the same church, unchanged by the unprecedented global events or will we rediscover what it means to live as an Easter People, turning over the tables of injustice and whilst we anticipate the second coming of Christ, pouring ourselves out for the lost, hurting, dying and broken just as Christ has done for us.
Rejoice in the Lord Always
As Christian’s we are able to rejoice, not because we can’t see the world, the problems, the restricts, suffering, and death. Rather our hearts and minds are calmed when we take the time to wake up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes around us, and find the things for which we can say thank you.
God So Loved
Scripture does not say: “For God so love the world that he gave sickness and disease” “For God so love the world that he gave natural disasters” “For God so love the world that he gave pious prophets, apostles and preachers” “For God so love the world that he gave impossible tests and suffering” No, the Bible says: “For God so love the world that he gave his one and only son” (John 3:16)
The Broken Church 