This week’s podcast Here are the notes: Introduction 1 Chronicles 1-9 covers the whole of world history and specifically the history of God’s people up until the end of King Saul’s life. It does this by recording the family trees of key people with occasional, pithy commentary. It would be helpful as we reach the… Continue reading 1 Chronicles and the big picture background to the story
Posts
How might we talk about sex? – A Biblical Theology of Marriage and Relationships
In recent posts, I talked about where evangelicals have gone wrong in attempting to talk about sex, particularly in attempts to create a theology of sex. My argument was that talking pastorally about sex and relationships requires a Biblical Theology not of sexual intercourse itself, anatomised from its proper context but of marriage. In this… Continue reading How might we talk about sex? – A Biblical Theology of Marriage and Relationships
Adding workers to your team -who to look for
I was reflecting further on the conversation from the other day about staff wages, in particular Youth workers and wondered if there was a little bit more to say here, not so much about the salaries themselves but about what they may be saying about other issues in terms of recruitment. The point was crystalised… Continue reading Adding workers to your team -who to look for
If Jesus is the bridegroom then …
It’s never really struck me before but perhaps one of the most overlooked examples of Jesus claim to God is found in Mark 2:18-22. This little passage is tucked away in between two examples that we usually pick up on as examples of his divine authority. The first is when Jesus heals and forgives the… Continue reading If Jesus is the bridegroom then …
Do I really think it’s okay to underpay people and undervalue them?
Well, my article about pay and what we can afford got some kick back! So I thought it was worth just responding to a couple of charges against the article and what some people took it to suggest (I hope they weren’t directed at me personally). The first pushback was that I was doubling down… Continue reading Do I really think it’s okay to underpay people and undervalue them?
Can we talk about sex? Is a theology of sex possible?
I’ve recently engaged significantly with Josh Butler’s new book “Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything”, culminating with this review. The title of Butler’s book suggests that it wasn’t aimed so much at being a pastoral book on relationships -though some pastoral… Continue reading Can we talk about sex? Is a theology of sex possible?
What can we offer?
I’ve just been participating in a conversation about what churches pay, specifically what they are currently offering Youth Workers/Ministers. The conversation was started by an observation that a lot of jobs are being advertised at around £23k. Incidentally, a quick check on both the Evangelicals Now boards and Premier’s suggests that there are some churches… Continue reading What can we offer?
May 11th … We remember
It’s now 38 years since the Bradford Fire Disaster. It was the end of the season, Bradford City had been promoted from the old Division 3 (today’s League 1) as champions (no play-offs to fall back on in those days) and received the trophy that day in front of a packed Valley Parade. Triumph turned… Continue reading May 11th … We remember
Jesus through the son lens
The other day, I wrote about how a Muslim asked me to read the Gospels through what he called “the prophet lens”. He thought this would make better sense than a Christian hermeneutic. I was happy to do this because the Bible points to Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. So the prophet lens will… Continue reading Jesus through the son lens
Perpetual Virginity – Making theology unnecessarily complicated
Roman Catholics place a strong emphasis on Mary as worthy of homage and devotion. They refer to her as The Virgin Mary, believing that she was a perpetual virgin. This goes beyond the idea of a virgin conception or virgin birth to a permanent, celibate life. I want to have a look at this in… Continue reading Perpetual Virginity – Making theology unnecessarily complicated
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