It’s two years today since mum went home to be with Jesus. Recently I attended a course where we were asked to talk about the messages that our parents had passed on to us through our upbringing. This might have been things they said but also things thy did and the values they lived when… Continue reading Learning from mum
Author: faithrootsdw
Pastoring the Grieving – Give them context
I noticed that this Sunday, a few churches made assisted dying and the Christian response their sermon topic. I couldn’t help think that it was a little bit late for this. Yes, the Bill has still got further stages to go but the wheels are already serving motion. More than that though, now is too… Continue reading Pastoring the Grieving – Give them context
Where the lost things go
Jesus tells three parables about lost things in Luke 15. First he describes a sheep lost out in the darkness, away from the rest of the flock. The shepherd leaves 99 behind to go and find the one that is missing. This has famously been portrayed as an act of recklessness. Why doesn’t he settle… Continue reading Where the lost things go
The constitutional mess that the assisted dying bill is creating
This is not my primary reason for opposing Kim Leadbeater”s horrific bill. However, it is worth noting that there are relevant issues to consider in terms of how the bill is being brought forward.. First of all, there are human rights issues. These include that arbitrary distinctions are made between those suffering from terminal illness… Continue reading The constitutional mess that the assisted dying bill is creating
Abortion and assisted dying … The link
One of my concerns yesterday was that the arguments in the House of Commons were about pragmatics. There was no serious attempt to debate the principle of assisted dying. I get the impression that many MPs, even those who disagree with assisted dying in principle have accepted that it is going to come in at… Continue reading Abortion and assisted dying … The link
What the carols mean. Advent Series
A few years back, we ran an Advent sermon series looking at the meaning of different carols at my then church. During the pandemic, I expanded this into a series of talks looking at a range of carols and advent hymns, both traditional and modern. You can listen to the talks here:
Pity as the enemy of compassion
The UK Parliament has just voted for a second reading of the bill to introduced assisted dying. I want to step back and reflect on the debate that was held in the House of Commons. I tuned in to the early stages of the debate and heard several of the speeches. What struck me was… Continue reading Pity as the enemy of compassion
1 Corinthians 7 and strawmen (Andrew Bartlett’s response)
This is a guest post. As promised, here is the first of Andrew Bartlett’s responses to my critique and engagement with his book. I will respond in a further article to his comments here. I don’t intend there to be a lenthy back and forth on each topic but there are some things worth picking… Continue reading 1 Corinthians 7 and strawmen (Andrew Bartlett’s response)
Both opponents and proponents of assisted dying need to be open about faith presuppositions
The other day, I responded to Lord Falconer’s complaint that some MPs were bringing their faith into the debate on assisted dying. Today, Esther Rantzen has argued that opponents of assisted dying need to be open about their faith reasons. Well as it happens, I agree with her (kind of). You see, I’ve persistently argued… Continue reading Both opponents and proponents of assisted dying need to be open about faith presuppositions
1 Corinthians 7, marriage, sex, mutual submission and the complementarian/egalitarian debate
In his book, Men and Women in Christ, Andrew Bartlett begins his Biblical assessment with 1 Corinthians 7. He goes there before addressing the classic texts in the debate (Ephesians 5, 1 Timothy 2, 1 Corinthians 11 & 14 etc). He comments: “By far the longest and most detailed piece of writing in the New… Continue reading 1 Corinthians 7, marriage, sex, mutual submission and the complementarian/egalitarian debate
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