When we get to this point in the Lord’s Prayer, we are reminded of two stories Jesus told. I have mentioned the first one a few times. It is the story of the unforgiving servant. The other one is about a young man, who demands his inheritance and heads off to a far country where… Continue reading Forgive us our debts
Author: faithrootsdw
#ChurchToo – Pastoring the accused
What are our responsibilities towards someone who has been accused of abuse or bullying within the church? It is important to remember at this stage that being accused and being found guilty are not the same things. So, our first responsibility both to the accused and the accuser is to seek truth and justice. Secondly,… Continue reading #ChurchToo – Pastoring the accused
Give us this day our daily bread
The next part of the Lord’s prayer is a request that God will provide for us. It is a reminder that all good things come from God alone and that he is the one who provides for us and protects us. At a practical level, this is a prayer that God will oversee conditions around… Continue reading Give us this day our daily bread
How do we handle #ChurchToo allegations? Supporting the victim
It is perhaps helpful when thinking about how we would handle a complaint from an adult about abuse within the church to remember that we have some starting points. Much of what we should do is covered in the policies we tend to have for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. I think the key things… Continue reading How do we handle #ChurchToo allegations? Supporting the victim
Losing Sleep and a hill to die on
The other day I talked about the issues we choose to lose sleep about and not feeling compelled to lose sleep about everything that others are passionate about. Well, I’ve just started reading a book by Gavin Ortlund called “Choosing which hill to die on.” The imagery is about defending your position in battle and… Continue reading Losing Sleep and a hill to die on
Why I still think #EatOutToHelpOut is wrong … but what it might achieve
I have been arguing since it was announced that Rishi Sunak’s “Eat out to help out” scheme was a bad idea economically. You see, the assumption seems to be that the measure will encourage people to start eating out in restaurants again. The problem is that the thing that has stopped people eating out over… Continue reading Why I still think #EatOutToHelpOut is wrong … but what it might achieve
Thy kingdom come
When Jesus started preaching, he announced the nearness of God’s kingdom. This kingdom is not about a specific geographical area, rather it is about God’s sovereign rule and reign over his creation. We link “Your kingdom come” to “your will be done” because the two go closely together. A prayer for God’s kingdom to come… Continue reading Thy kingdom come
Don’t lose sleep over it
Apparently I’m cold and unfair! What has provoked this? The answer is that I choose not to lose sleep over the challenges that the private school sector face as a result of COVD-19. The Economist has written an article explaining that schools have been hit financially and the ongoing crisis is likely to lead to… Continue reading Don’t lose sleep over it
May your name be holy
When something is holy, then it is set apart, distinct, special. We as God’s people are described as holy, we are holy because God has declared is to be set apart, called to be his people and forgiven our sin through Christ’s death on the Cross. We are meant to be distinct in our lives… Continue reading May your name be holy
We won’t beat COVID-19 if we don’t understand the problem
This is a fascinating report from the BBC on Coronavirus on my home city, Bradford. I had already seen some reports of smaller towns and villages which are included within the metropolitan district complaining that they had been included in measures because the local authority did not want to make distinctions within its boundaries. Meanwhile… Continue reading We won’t beat COVID-19 if we don’t understand the problem
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