Category: Opinion

Are we learning the right lessons?

Controversial head teacher Katherine Birbalsingh has been making waves again.  This time by writing about how staff at her school start work at 7am, with a Senior Leadership Team meeting scheduled in for first thing. A lot of people have reacted angrily to this and there have been a lot of comments about the implications… Continue reading Are we learning the right lessons?

If the Bible doesn’t speak with one voice -then our “Biblical scholars” are not experts

One of the greatest hypocrisies of liberal theological scholarship is that on the one hand the erstwhile theologians set themselves up as experts on Biblical studies. They then range across Scripture, Old Testament and new, universally recognised letters from Paul and those disputed, history, prophecy and wisdom.  They claim to be able to comment on… Continue reading If the Bible doesn’t speak with one voice -then our “Biblical scholars” are not experts

Is God giving us a second chance? And will we take it?

In the 1950s and 60s, the UK invited people from around what is now the Commonwealth to come to Britain to help the post war rebuilding effort.  Many came from the Caribbean.  Their experience however upon arrival was of intense prejudice and rejection.  Guest houses put up signs saying “no dogs and no blacks”.  Sadly,… Continue reading Is God giving us a second chance? And will we take it?

Longevity is not the same as faithfulness (and why grace matters)

A friend of mine frequently points out the nonsense of saying that something has “stood the test of time”.  It’s not really a test that tells you anything more than that the specific thing has been around for a long time. As Christians, we rightly value faithfulness and this does mean that believers, leaders and… Continue reading Longevity is not the same as faithfulness (and why grace matters)

Don’t expect the Convention/Festival to compete with your local church

A certain prominent Christian leader used to finish the big festival every year with a speech to the gathered throngs of young people.  He’d acknowledge that they’d had a great week, that the music had been terrific, the teaching fantastic and that many of them had received a particularly powerful experience of the Holy Spirit. … Continue reading Don’t expect the Convention/Festival to compete with your local church

Are Alpha and Christianity Explored partisan?

Christian Today reports that an amendment to a Synod motion on faith and prisons was defeated this week. The original motion celebrated the part faith has played in the rehabilitation of prisoners. The amendment from Matt Beer commended, “the effectiveness of courses such as Alpha and Christianity Explored in helping prisoners and detainees come to… Continue reading Are Alpha and Christianity Explored partisan?

The Archbishop, The Prayer and The Father

Over the weekend, the papers reported that the Archbishop of York was questioning the words of the Lord’s Prayer as “problematic.”  The Guardian wrote “The archbishop of York has suggested that opening words of the Lord’s Prayer, recited by Christians all over the world for 2,000 years, may be “problematic” because of their patriarchal association.”[1]… Continue reading The Archbishop, The Prayer and The Father

Russia Today

Last night Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner (a Russian, private military organisation) announced that he had 25,000 combatants ready to march on Moscow. He claimed that this was not a coup but “a march for justice”, that his target was the heads of the Russian military. He denounced both strategy and tactics in terms… Continue reading Russia Today

Does God care particularly about special places?

The other day, I wrote about the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer. One of the things I picked up was that there were claims of a special experience of God’s presence at the site.  One of the questions that has come back in discussion is whether or not God does show concern for specific places… Continue reading Does God care particularly about special places?