We are now reaching the culmination of the Gospel. Jesus is about to be betrayed and handed over to death. The leaders are hesitant, not wanting to cause a disturbance during the festival, and yet the focus on Passover is exactly the time when God has planned these events to come to pass (14:1-2) It… Continue reading Betrayed, Denied, Accused (Mark 14)
Tag: Atonement
Life after life
I’ve just finished watching the 4 part drama series “Life after life” adapted from Kate Atkinson’s 2013 novel. I found the premise fascinating but Sarah reckons the book isn’t all it’s made out to be, so this seemed like the easier way of getting a better feel for the story. The story focuses on the… Continue reading Life after life
In Christ alone
Every so often I pick up on a complaint/objection to Stuart Townend’s hymn “In Christ alone.” Here is one such example. There are people who would be happy, they say, to sing the hymn but are deeply distressed by the line “Til on that Cross, as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied.” Now,… Continue reading In Christ alone
“Crushed” (Expository Worship a worked example)
I mentioned in the last post about a song that we had started to sing at Bearwood Chapel a few years back. The song is called “Jesus Thank you (The Mystery of the Cross).” In the first verse, you have the line “You the perfect Holy One crushed your Son.” Some people have expressed discomfort… Continue reading “Crushed” (Expository Worship a worked example)
When atonement is absent
I find Ian McEwan’s novel “Atonement” particularly bleak. It’s the story of a girl who witnesses a crime, Bryony sees her cousin Lola being assaulted and raped. She is convinced the assailant is the family gardener, Robbie and so he is falsely accused, arrested and convicted. Her error combined with her self-importance is the cause… Continue reading When atonement is absent
In the Darkest Hour (1 Peter 3:8-22)
“In the darkest hour, when I cannot breatheFear is on my chest, the weight of the world on meEverything is crashing down, everything I had knownWhen I wonder if I’m all alone” These are the opening lines of Lauren Daigle’s song “Remember.” What do we do when we face “the darkest hours” of our lives?… Continue reading In the Darkest Hour (1 Peter 3:8-22)
Could aliens exist and would it matter if they did?
Another one of those questions put out on twitter. I suspect that what has provoked the question is that the possible existence of extra-Terrestrials and UFOs has been in the news recently due to reports that the Pentagon takes their existence seriously and treats reported sightings from military personnel as credible. Now, I remain sceptical.… Continue reading Could aliens exist and would it matter if they did?
Fall and Judgement
Failure and Rebellion In Genesis 1 and 2 God had been the primary actor and it was his voice that was heard consistently. God spoke in order to bring things into being and events to pass. Towards the end of Genesis 2, man is drawn more towards the centre of the stage so that he… Continue reading Fall and Judgement
Live your new life (Colossians 2:6-15)
What have you got up to this week? Who has: Visited a pub or café for an outdoor drink and meal? Been to the barbers/hairdressers? Done a bit of non-essential shopping? Stayed away overnight somewhere? Gone to the zoo? These are things that would have seemed commonplace and normal back in 2019 and yet we… Continue reading Live your new life (Colossians 2:6-15)
choosing our saviours
The Jewish leaders have sent Jesus on to Pilate for judgement and sentencing. They’ve decided that Jesus deserves to die but they have two problems. First of all, they don’t actually have the authority to execute and secondly, they haven’t got a clue as to what they should execute him for. They’ve tried to find… Continue reading choosing our saviours
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