Four Way Faith Part Three - Out: God's Gift of Neighbours. We must follow Jesus’ example with Zacchaeus to accept the hospitality of those who different from ourselves, who others look down upon and speak ill of, even those who cause harm to others. Through accepting the gift of others we break down barriers and our lives, others lives and the kingdom of God benefit. When new people move into the houses, streets and towns around us (even our churches) it can be tempting to complain about change, to reflect on the way things used to be, or the people we used to see. Our challenge as Christian’s is to have the view of seeing the outsiders, the others, our neighbours as gifts, welcoming and accepting the gift they are and the gifts they bring.
God
Our Obligations to Creation
As Christ is revealed in us and so we revealed as the children of God for whom creation awaits with eager longing. As Christians, as followers and believers in Jesus and his Way, filled with God’s Spirit and seeking to glorify the Father we must have a mindset such as that described by Stan Rushworth, thinking about “obligations to serve past, present, and future generations, and the planet herself.” In serving the planet we serve ourselves, our neighbours and our God for all are interconnected.
God’s Gift of Creation
We are gifted with the natural world to enjoy the way it makes us feel and gives us life, to enjoy the fruits and harvest it provides, to receive healing for ourselves, our souls, our bodies, and our minds. Time amongst nature aids renewal for relationships and depth of connection with God, ourselves, our neighbours and our shared world.
Four Way Faith
Have you ever read a much-loved book or watched a favourite film umpteen times, so much so that you know the quotes and look forward to particular moments but then one day you notice something that you have never seen before? One of the most random examples I experienced was watching the film Willy Wonka … Continue reading Four Way Faith
What are the implications of transposing the Gospel narrative from a first century Middle Eastern context to that of twenty-first century Britain?
A dissertation submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Theology in the Faculty of Humanities (Spurgeon's College: 2017) Abstract There is a common call from Christian preachers to imagine Jesus Christ conducting his earthly ministry (as described in the Gospel accounts) in the present day, and within the … Continue reading What are the implications of transposing the Gospel narrative from a first century Middle Eastern context to that of twenty-first century Britain?
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
All Seeing & All Knowing
Like many dads, mine is at times embarrassing*. Whatever it is that is said or done to cause embarrassment might be accidental, it’s just part of parent/child relationship. Other times there is something purposeful to bring about embarrassment, and one thing my dad thinks is funny is to call out “We know what you’re doing!” … Continue reading All Seeing & All Knowing
Blessed Suffering
When it comes to sin and suffering there is a significant amount if debate, even amongst Christians - mostly because we can't actually know for sure and so how we read and understand the Bible determines our line of thinking. There are questions about the so-called original sin - did Adam and Eve bring sin … Continue reading Blessed Suffering
Made in God’s Likeness
There are two accounts in the book of Genesis that describe God’s creation of humanity. Genesis 1:26-31 speaks of God creating people in God’s image to have dominion over the earth whilst Genesis 2:26-31 says that God first created man and subsequently woman to provide companionship as they tend and care for the garden. These … Continue reading Made in God’s Likeness
The Day of Pentecost had Come
As today is Pentecost, I thought it would be appropriate to think about the Holy Spirit. For many years I have had a bicycle that I have been meaning to fix. It started off living in our shed, but as the years passed the space was needed for other things and the bicycle found its … Continue reading The Day of Pentecost had Come
The Broken Church 