Author: faithrootsdw

The nurses strike or Matt Hancock on I’m a Celebrity? When you don’t have to choose between two ethical issues

I saw this tweet the other day. It’s a classical example of poor reasoning and poor ethical thinking.  We sometimes refer to this as “Whataboutery.”  A person expresses an opinion on a moral issue.  They are then told that they should not be expressing views about that issue because issue x is far more egregious.… Continue reading The nurses strike or Matt Hancock on I’m a Celebrity? When you don’t have to choose between two ethical issues

God’s Big Story – an introduction to Biblical Theology

This week’s podcast was all about God’s people dwelling in God’s place or presence.  You can listen to the podcast: We were looking at Biblical Theology.  If Systematic Theology is about taking the whole teaching of Scripture, synthesising and systematising it into specific teaching topics or doctrines, then summarising them, Biblical Theology is about tracing… Continue reading God’s Big Story – an introduction to Biblical Theology

“This is my body” … what exactly do we eat at communion?

I want to return to something we looked at a bit earlier this week.  What was it that Jesus said at the last supper and what does this mean for when we take communion today? Mark 14:22-25 reports: 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave… Continue reading “This is my body” … what exactly do we eat at communion?

What does your pastor need to know?

Every so often I see comments about what pastors and church leaders need to have studied, to know and be reading now. At one end of the spectrum is the view that “all we need is the Bible” and we don’t need to make it complicated.  At the other end of the spectrum is the… Continue reading What does your pastor need to know?

What was Jesus guilty of?

When talking about Jesus’ trial, we often emphasise the kangaroo nature of the court that met at night and the inability of his accusers to agree as they brought their false accusations. However, there was an accusation that stuck and was actually true.  Jesus was executed for a very specific thing and that charge was… Continue reading What was Jesus guilty of?

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