A narrative is emerging from some quarters of the church that measures to deal with the pandemic represent state and societal hubris, a humanistic confidence in our ability to defeat death. If this was the case, then we would be dealing with idolatry. Of course, as Christians we should not be surprised to see evidence… Continue reading Why attempting to control COVID is not an idolatrous attempt to conquer death
Author: faithrootsdw
Truth must not be a casualty of our engagement in the debate about Coronavirus
I was taught many years ago that when debating someone that I should be able to present my opponents’ argument in a way that they would recognise and be able to own as their own point of view. Indeed, they should be able to say “You’ve put it better than I could myself.” From there,… Continue reading Truth must not be a casualty of our engagement in the debate about Coronavirus
Authority and Authoritarian
I’ve responded recently to Christian leaders complaining about authoritarian leadership by observing that there are plenty of people out there who are willing to complain that church leaders are authoritarian. What provokes this tends to be when Christian leaders give a clear exposition of Scripture with application that requires God’s people to respond to obligations… Continue reading Authority and Authoritarian
The danger with playing the media game
Earlier this week, we were asked to sign a letter to the Government written by other church leaders. The letter expressed support for appropriate measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed concern about the way some measures might be affecting the most needy and vulnerable, explained why churches play an essential role in our community… Continue reading The danger with playing the media game
Forgiven (Matthew 9:1-13)
It’s one of the most wonderful words you can hear isn’t it? You’ve well and truly messed up this time. You’ve allowed something to catch fire in the microwave and whilst attending to that, you’ve allowed the sink upstairs to overflow so that water has rained through the ceiling into your front room. Then in… Continue reading Forgiven (Matthew 9:1-13)
Getting through the next six months – some practicalities
In an earlier article I talked about how we respond to the frustration and disappointment of having at least another six months of lockdown measures. I focused on the big picture from Scripture, our hope in the Gospel and in Christ’s return. Here, I want to talk through some more detailed and practical application for… Continue reading Getting through the next six months – some practicalities
Recreating the home group and restoring the prayer meeting
Discussing with a few people the demise of the prayer meeting the other day, I was struck by a thought. The problem is with our home groups. One of the main reasons that you won’t seem many people at traditional prayer meetings is that they have been replaced by Home Groups. The problem is that… Continue reading Recreating the home group and restoring the prayer meeting
No, troops are not being deployed on the streets
A lot of media attention and Christian commentary too this week was on speculation about the Government putting troops on the streets to deal with people who don’t comply with COVID-19. I came across some of the speculation in reaction to a letter that some church leaders have written to the government urging them not… Continue reading No, troops are not being deployed on the streets
Demons
Last Sunday, I preached on Jesus casting out demons. I highlighted three points in reference to this. Demon possession is possible today though I suspect rarer than in Jesus’ day Christians cannot be demon possessed because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit The demon exorcisms in the Gospel help us to understand the wider… Continue reading Demons
No the church did not roll over during COVID
There’s an insinuation going around in some circles at the moment that because churches closed down buildings and started to meet online during the COVID-19 lockdowns and are currently conforming with face mask and social distancing rules that this makes us wet cowards. The narrative is that COVID regulations are some kind of authoritarian attack… Continue reading No the church did not roll over during COVID
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