We now arrive at one of those big hitter chapters in Isaiah, one of the best-known parts of Scripture and the bit that Jesus takes and makes his manifesto at the outset of his ministry. Having seen how Isaiah has built up to focus on the Servant as the one who ushers in God’s reign,… Continue reading The Lord’s favour
Tag: Jubilee
Should the church care about social justice?
This is one of those issues that seem to split the evangelical world down the middle. On the one hand, you can find many church websites, supported by blogs and books arguing that we should be passionate about “social justice”. On the other hand, there are plenty of books, blogs and twitter threads arguing that… Continue reading Should the church care about social justice?
Why were there leftovers at the feeding of the 5000?
We know the answer don’t we? It’s obvious. Ny providing an abundance, Jesus was demonstrating his ability to provide all that his people needed. The Twelve baskets meant that each disciple had something to take away. More than that, they symbolised the 12 tribes, so that we saw Christ’s abundant provision for his people. However,… Continue reading Why were there leftovers at the feeding of the 5000?
What should the Chancellor do about recession?
Today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is making a special announcement about his fiscal plans. We are not allowed to call it an emergency budget though. He does so, primarily to give a bit more detail about how the Government are going to help with the energy crisis. This is part two following on from… Continue reading What should the Chancellor do about recession?
The Cost of Living Crisis – it’s time to act
There’s been frequent talk of and demand for emergency budgets through the year as the cost-of-living crisis has worsened. Earlier I argued that we shouldn’t be panicked into doing what this or that politician or former prime minister demanded and that rushing to hold an emergency budget wasn’t the right response. Because the main driver… Continue reading The Cost of Living Crisis – it’s time to act
The Cost of Living Crisis and the Jubilee answer
Today, the energy watchdog for the UK confirmed that the price-cap on fuel bills will rise by 80% in October with average household bills set to go up from £1,971 to £3549. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been writing frequently about the Cost of Living Crisis. This is a crisis that is already… Continue reading The Cost of Living Crisis and the Jubilee answer
Is the national Anthem a prayer and should we sing it in church?
Before we leave behind some of the questions that have arisen out of the Jubilee weekend, I’d like to talk about one more thing. One suggestion made has been that we could at least sing the National Anthem in our church services because it is a prayer. In fact, I’ve seen it argued that this… Continue reading Is the national Anthem a prayer and should we sing it in church?
A tale of two countries – A Jubilee celebration for all?
Apparently, something big has been happening in Britain over the past few days. Read certain papers (The Telegraph, the tabloids) or watch the BBC and you’ll pick up on it. The UK are celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with street parties and pageants, festooning their houses and neighbourhoods with bunting and Union Jack flags. Those… Continue reading A tale of two countries – A Jubilee celebration for all?
Make it a real Jubilee – cancel the debt
Here’s some information about debt in the UK. The average debt in the UK was over £1.7 billion at the end of November 2021. The average total debt per household in 2021 was £63,112. Unsecured debt from personal loans was estimated at £208 billion in 2019. As stated in UK personal debt statistics, 63% of UK… Continue reading Make it a real Jubilee – cancel the debt
Why I won’t be celebrating Jubilee Sunday (if I can help it)
Yesterday, I began to talk about celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. As promised, here’s why I don’t intend to make a big thing of the so called Jubilee Sunday. The first thing to say is that my position doesn’t arise out of some passionate republicanism although my sympathies lie increasingly that way. I’m inclined to… Continue reading Why I won’t be celebrating Jubilee Sunday (if I can help it)