Do you remember when the then Prime Minister, Theresa May, was asked what the naughtiest thing was that she’d ever done? Struggling to think of anything particularly heinous, she gave the since much mocked answer that she had once skipped through a field of wheat. Well, here we find Jesus and his disciples in trouble… Continue reading Picnic (Mark 2:23-28)
Author: faithrootsdw
How do we deal with the Cost of Living Crisis? Wrong answers only please.
There’s a trend on social media where someone asks a question and then invites people to give only wrong answers. The aim is to get the silliest response possible. It looked this week as though Conservative Government Minister Rachel Maclean thought she had been invited to participate in such a challenge. Maclean has managed to… Continue reading How do we deal with the Cost of Living Crisis? Wrong answers only please.
A wedding or a funeral? (Mark 2:18-22)
Back in October, we had the great joy of seeing my niece get married. We are now looking forward to my nephew’s wedding in about two weeks’ time. We’re looking forward to smiles, applause, laughter, music and dancing. There’ll also be plenty to eat. A Wedding is a celebration, a feast. Jesus draws on the… Continue reading A wedding or a funeral? (Mark 2:18-22)
Why I believe women should pursue degrees in theological AND pastoral studies
The other day, a Christian woman announced on twitter that she’d completed her BA in pastoral ministry. This drew the following response from a US Theology professor. There has been an ensuing debate around the rights and wrongs of women studying at seminary particularly in a complementarian context. Complementarians understand that men and women are… Continue reading Why I believe women should pursue degrees in theological AND pastoral studies
Who needs a doctor? (Mark 2:13-17)
We now begin to see why sharp divisions were growing between Jesus and the Pharisees. There was a clear line drawn between “us and them”. That line was between those who were considered to be faithful or at least trying to be faithful to YHWH by keeping Torah, by seeking to be pure, clean, hol… Continue reading Who needs a doctor? (Mark 2:13-17)
Revelation through the lens of the Ukraine invasion
I’ve argued before that when we read Revelation it is applicable to our present situation, not because we attempt to read a detailed chronology of the last days with timings but because we best understand Revelation as offering God’s explanation of the whole of history from the perspective of the end. This means that we… Continue reading Revelation through the lens of the Ukraine invasion
Does God allow lies sometimes?
I remember an ethics lecturer arguing that it could be okay to lie in particular circumstances. The obvious ethical dilemma is the situation that people hiding Jews in the Second World War might have faced. Do they tell the truth when questioned and risk the lives of those in their care? Or do they tell… Continue reading Does God allow lies sometimes?
Authority to forgive (Mark 2:1-12)
Jesus is drawing a lot of attention. We saw in Mark 1 that he had urged the healed leper not to go out and about telling people about him but he does, as presumably do others that are healed. This starts to cause challenges for Jesus, restricting his movement. An example is seen here when… Continue reading Authority to forgive (Mark 2:1-12)
How much do the politics of Eurovision really count?
So, for the first time in many years, the UK were serious contenders in the Eurovision song contest. For much of the might, Great Britain were in fact the front runners, only to be pipped by Ukraine at the very last minute from the final popular vote. No more “nul points” – we nearly did… Continue reading How much do the politics of Eurovision really count?
The transforming kingdom (Mark 1:16-2:13-17)
We now begin to see what it means for Jesus to preach about the Kingdom and call people to repentance with a series of examples. It means calling people to follow him and leave behind other priorities (1:16-20 and 2:13-17) It means calling evil spirits out of people. Captives are set free (1:21-28) It means… Continue reading The transforming kingdom (Mark 1:16-2:13-17)
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