Here’s another article dug up from the old Faithroots sight which I think is particularly poignant for now. I’ve seen memes about the many pressures on pastors at the moment and they are true. Church leaders have faced their own personal battle stories in coronavirus. Then there are the challenges of responding to the events… Continue reading Leaders set the tone
Category: Church life
Church health check (Revelation 2-3)
Last time, we talked about the pressures that we face which might discourage and even overwhelm us. We saw that the churches, John was writing to were under intense pressure too. They were the minority in a cruel, Godless empire. They faced opposition and persecution. We will see some of that this week. However, you… Continue reading Church health check (Revelation 2-3)
Pride, Prejudice and Privilege in The Church
Yesterday, we talked about pride, prejudice and privilege in society. Today, I want to think more about it in the context of the church. One church that particularly struggled with division, rivalry and pride was the church at Corinth. Right at the start of 1 Corinthians, Paul has to rebuke the church because of this. … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice and Privilege in The Church
Private Prayer in a place of Public Worship is an oxymoron
The UK Government has said that it aims to see places of public worship opening from the 4th July at the earliest. That’s promising. However, before you get too excited, check the detail. Comments from those involved in consultations suggest that we will not be opening for public worship, rather church buildings will be allowed… Continue reading Private Prayer in a place of Public Worship is an oxymoron
Leaky – can we lose the Holy Spirit? (Sealed with Spirit 6)
Some illustrations of being filled with the Spirit liken the experience to a bottle full of water or a tyre full of air. In this video we look at the problems with these analogies and consider a better way of thinking about what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
Discrimination, diversity and the church
Here’s the second part of our discussion about diversity and discrimination. Today we focused more on what this looks like in the church. People who came to the UK from around the Commonwealth had often served in the forces during the war and were also asked to come to help rebuild industry. They then often… Continue reading Discrimination, diversity and the church
“Do not judge…”
“Who are we to judge?” It’s one of those argument ending killer phrases isn’t it? Usually the phrase is then followed up by two other phrases. “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”[1] “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”[2] The deployment of these phrases are designed to… Continue reading “Do not judge…”
Diversity and Discrimination
Here is today’s Afternoon Tea. We have started a conversation about race and diversity and hope to continue, hopefully with guests. Today we talked about Implicit bias. Prejudice can arise as much out of assumptions about our own superiority and experience as normal as it does out of hostility to others That in some cases… Continue reading Diversity and Discrimination
The risk
Yesterday on Afternoon Tea, we followed up on the previous day’s discussion about fear by talking about risk. A lot of fear is in response to genuine risks. We had already seen that life can never be risk free. So how does knowing about and managing risks help us to face life? Here are the… Continue reading The risk
What I want for my enemies (reflections on Psalm 110 part 1)
How do we respond when people falsely accuse us, slander and gossip about us behind our backs, isolate us and attack our characters? Psalm 109, helps us to give voice to the way that this makes us feel. There is the desperate cry for justice. David utters these words against his tormenters Appoint a wicked… Continue reading What I want for my enemies (reflections on Psalm 110 part 1)
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