Category: Church life

Must there be divisions amongst us?

Following a recent debate, my attention was drawn to an intriguing interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:18-19. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,[e] 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may… Continue reading Must there be divisions amongst us?

What if anything does the Bible have to say about class?

When I recently posted some articles concerning class, the church and the Gospel, I opened up comments for discussion.  Here is one comment that was posted. “What does the scriptures say about the class system that you are talking about? In which “class” would you put say Peter, Paul, Moses etc. What “class” would you… Continue reading What if anything does the Bible have to say about class?

A job interview or a doctor’s waiting room? How should we think about the church

Steve Midgely asks in Evangelicals Now whether our churches are more like “a group of people waiting for a job interview or those waiting in a doctor’s surgery.” He reminds us of Jesus’ statement that:  ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous,… Continue reading A job interview or a doctor’s waiting room? How should we think about the church

It’s that time of year … But what is that time of year?

It’s the start of a new term for many, in fact it’s in effect a new year if you are at school, college or university or parents if children who are (not forgetting teachers, tutors and lecturers). A dominant theme in Christian media and in social media tends to be around helping students to settle… Continue reading It’s that time of year … But what is that time of year?

When the body gets out of  control -autoimmune diseases and the church

Autoimmune diseases happen when the body, seeking to expel hostile cells that create diseases begins to attack its own healthy cells.  These include serious conditions such as rheumatoid Arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis. The other day, I was talking about why some people struggle when the church doesn’t prioritise or get passionate in the same way… Continue reading When the body gets out of  control -autoimmune diseases and the church

The problem with seeker senstive church

The other day I responded to the question about whether or not we should be making it harder or easier for people to join our churches.  I argued that it was both yes and no.  In so doing, I mentioned that the “high bar”/”make it harder” approach had originated really in rection to “seeker sensitive… Continue reading The problem with seeker senstive church

Should we really stop calling the church “a family”?

Tim Suffield writes that we should “stop calling the church a family.”  There seem to be three aspects to his argument. First, he argues that the Bible doesn’t really talk about the church as a family.  Secondly, even where it does use familial language, it isn’t the kind of family that we would think of… Continue reading Should we really stop calling the church “a family”?

The visible church

In Matthew 13:21-30, Jesus tells a parable about a farmer who plants seed, only for an enemy to intentionally plant weeds in among the crop.  The owner’s servants ask permission to go and uproot the weeds but the farmer says no because there is a risk that good crops will be uprooted with bad. This… Continue reading The visible church

Prophecy and the excluded middle

Sometimes’ a football team’s strategy is to hit the ball long, consistently bouncing it between defenders and strikers so that the midfielders become passive observers.  The middle of the pitch is excluded.  There are ways in which we can exclude the middle too. There is a tendency I think for churches to think in terms… Continue reading Prophecy and the excluded middle