Category: pastoral-care

If it feels like excommunication, you are probably doing it wrong

At the start of the Coronavirus lockdown when we began discussing what we should do as churches, one of the main areas of debate was about whether or not we could and should still share the Lord’s Supper (communion). All sorts of reasons were given on both sides of the debate. As you know, I… Continue reading If it feels like excommunication, you are probably doing it wrong

Learning the wrong lessons: virtual church and remote pastoring

What happens to church during lockdown?  There are essentially * answers to that question Option 1: Physical gathering never mattered much, the spiritual was always what mattered and therefore virtual online church is great. It is at least the equal if not better than physical gathering in buildings. Option 2: It is impossible to physically… Continue reading Learning the wrong lessons: virtual church and remote pastoring

Assurance and Security – Can I be sure I am saved and can I lose my salvation?

In today’s “Afternoon Tea” session we were talking about assurance. We had a couple of questions about salvation. “Can I know that I am genuinely saved?” and “Is it possible to lose your salvation.” When we are talking about these questions we tend to use two terms. Assurance is about knowing for certain that I… Continue reading Assurance and Security – Can I be sure I am saved and can I lose my salvation?

Rest: Sabbaths, cycles, recessions and plagues

I remember listening to a lecturer at University argue that you could track world economic activity against 50 year cycles. Each cycle would include a period of growth and a period of decline.  He argued that in fact there was little that government intervention could do to change the overall direction of things. In his… Continue reading Rest: Sabbaths, cycles, recessions and plagues

Have we lost the Holy Spirit?

Matthew Mason has set out the provocative suggestion that conservative evangelicals in the Church of England have neither a functional doctrine of the Holy Spirit nor a meaningful experience of the Holy Spirit and that has led to a number of deficiencies in their churches. I intend to interact with his proposition over a number… Continue reading Have we lost the Holy Spirit?

How Long ?

Do you find yourself asking “Why hasn’t God stopped the pandemic yet?” How would you respond to someone asking that question? In John 11, we read that Jesus gets word that his friend Lazarus is ill in Bethany.  Yet, Jesus decides not to go immediately to him.  Later, Jesus says to his disciples that they… Continue reading How Long ?

My biggest enemy is …

A preacher advertises Sunday’s service with the announcement that he will reveal his biggest enemy during the sermon. He is going to reveal who has been his worst thorn in the flesh, his most difficult opponent. Come Sunday and the church is packed. Everyone is there to see who the enemy is and they’ve all… Continue reading My biggest enemy is …

Forgiveness

During the Coronavirus lock down, Sarah and I have been running a facebook Live event called Afternoon Tea each day. We’ve covered all sorts of big topics including bullying, suffering and forgiveness. In this article I want to jot down some of the thoughts we shared this afternoon. This isn’t a structured article – more… Continue reading Forgiveness

Pastoring in a pandemic

One of the most read, most quoted, most promoted books amongst Christian leaders is “The Reformed Pastor” by Richard Baxter.   Baxter was a minister who served in Kidderminster at the time of the English Civil War.  The book describes his methods in seeking to care spiritually for his parish. It is also one of the… Continue reading Pastoring in a pandemic