The Government have recently reported on proposals to further liberalise the rules about marriage in terms of where, when and by whom you can be married. The National Secular Society have come out broadly in support of the proposals. Actually there’s much to like about them (with some quibbles) although we’d have a very different… Continue reading Is it time for the State to get out of marriage?
Posts
Who am I? I’m raised up with Christ (Psalm 8)
The musical Les Miserable starts with a big number focusing on the lead character’s status as a prisoner. He is simply known as a number 24601. This builds into the question “Who am I?” which will be later answered not just with his prison number but with his name “Who am I? I’m Jean Valjean.” … Continue reading Who am I? I’m raised up with Christ (Psalm 8)
Make God your dwelling place
Audio
Why I don’t like using quotes in sermons
I recently saw this little quote on Twitter. I think the general sentiment is true for preachers in that a bigger point is being made. We need to ensure that the voices heard and examples used in church are not limited to narrow group of people within the church. Do we use illustrations about women? … Continue reading Why I don’t like using quotes in sermons
Invisible Divides (Book Review)
One of my personal concerns and a significant reason for why Faithroots exist is the desire to see the church and the Gospel reaching into communities and to people where we simply haven’t been very good at reaching. Here in the West Midlands we’ve seen a lot of church planting and some wonderful stories of… Continue reading Invisible Divides (Book Review)
Why did Jesus heal? (Mark 7:31-37)
Mark 7 closes with another healing. Returning from Tyre and Sidon to Galilee, he is met by a man who is deaf and also unable to speak. It may well be that his muteness is a consequence of his deafness and not hearing speech. The context of the two healing miracles at the end of… Continue reading Why did Jesus heal? (Mark 7:31-37)
Not under compulsion: Is submission voluntary?
One of the key tenants of complementarianism is that submission, especially the wife’s submission to the husband is voluntary. In other words, she is not under compulsion to submit to her husband but rather, she may willingly choose to do so. Primarily when making the point, complementarians are seeking to address two groups of people.… Continue reading Not under compulsion: Is submission voluntary?
Scraps (Mark 7:25-30)
Jesus and the team head out from Galilee to Phoenicia, close to Tyre and Sidon. There a Gentile woman comes and asks him to heal her daughter but Jesus at first appears reluctant, he says that in the family, the children should eat first. She responds by pointing out that even dogs get to wat… Continue reading Scraps (Mark 7:25-30)
Inside out – lessons from the digestive system (Mark 7:14-23)
Perhaps one of the most helpful illustrations I’ve both seen used and used myself in pastoral conversations is this. You take a glass and you fill it with water up to the brim and then set it on a table. Then you hit it so that water spills out. You ask those observing why the… Continue reading Inside out – lessons from the digestive system (Mark 7:14-23)
Don’t hide the Psalms in the summer holidays
We’re about to hit the English summer school holidays and up and down the country, churches will be rediscovering the Psalms – or at least the people who are around and in church will be. There’s a tendency to expect attendance to drop as people head off on holiday, ministers themselves take a break and… Continue reading Don’t hide the Psalms in the summer holidays
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