Author: faithrootsdw

Why I’m relaxed about mums and toddlers groups

You’ve probably at some point seen one of those TV shows where they engage one of the most awkward comedic scenes possible, the one where a dad heads into the scary world of “The Toddlers Group.”  There he finds himself like a fish out of water, alternating between being an object of curiosity and of… Continue reading Why I’m relaxed about mums and toddlers groups

Not me

I mentioned the other Sunday when talking about the response of the crowd at Pentecost, that we like to think, with the benefit of hindsight that we would be among the believing faithful. However, I suspect that most of us fear that if we had been there, that we’d actually be among those confused, bewildered… Continue reading Not me

House of Cards and a tragedy of mistaken heroes

Back when I was a student at University, anyone who was interested in politics and saw themselves as having a future in parliament was avidly studying the TV adaption of Michael Dodd’s House of Cards as diligently as they were paying attention to their actual subject. The protagonist in the original House of Cards is… Continue reading House of Cards and a tragedy of mistaken heroes

In his name

Quite a few worship songs talk about “the name of Jesus.”  Classics include:  “There is power in the name of Jesus” “There is a name, who reigns without contention …” “What a wonderful;/beautiful/powerful name it is.” “I speak Jesus” There is a risk with these kinds of song lyrics that they could be perceived superstitiously… Continue reading In his name

Welcoming visitors to church

The primary purpose of a Sunday church service is to enable God’s people to gather together to worship God, hear Scripture, pray, receive teaching and use their gifts to encourage and build one another up.  I say this because in recent years there’s been a bit more debate about what The Church is trying to… Continue reading Welcoming visitors to church

A meal with Jesus

Throughout the Gospels, some of the great encounters with Jesus happen at mealtime.  We are coming to the close of Mark’s Gospel and the last meal in his account is no ordinary supper.  Jesus and his disciples are in Jerusalem for the Passover.  The Passover meal commemorated the night when the people of Israel prepared… Continue reading A meal with Jesus

How did complementarianism end up becoming a boundary marker?

This was a question asked the other day on twitter. It was expressed I believe as a lament as much as a question. There are Christians who stand foursquare with other evangelicals. They believe the Bible to be God’s inspired word, without error. They confess that Jesus died on the cross to bear the penalty… Continue reading How did complementarianism end up becoming a boundary marker?