Jesus and his disciples are passing through Galilee. Along the way, he reminds them again that he is to suffer and to die. Their minds however are on other things. When they get to Capernaum, Jesus asks them what they’ve been discussing. There’s an awkward silence. You see, the disciples had been debating or arguing… Continue reading The Way of the Cross (Mark 9:30-37)
Tag: power
In his name (Mark 9:38-41)
The disciples see someone who has been out and about working miracles, specifically they are casting out demons and it seems with good results. It seems that this guy had at some point heard about Jesus, maybe witnessed him in action and maybe he had even encountered Christ’s healing power himself. Whatever had happened, it… Continue reading In his name (Mark 9:38-41)
God in parts
Today, I’m continuing our mini-series about idolatry. One way in which we commit idolatry is that we look to other things in order to find satisfaction and meaning. We make gods out of physical objects such as wood and stone or we make gods out of ideals and needs such as approval, comfort, security and… Continue reading God in parts
How we treat others – a lesson from The Magician’s Nephew
Prompted by a friend, I’ve started re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia. The one volume edition we have starts not with the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe but with its prequel “The Magician’s Nephew”, the story of how Narnia all began. The story is of a boy Digory and his friend Polly, tricked into using… Continue reading How we treat others – a lesson from The Magician’s Nephew
Money, power and worship
I thought I’d follow up a little further on the question of VIP worship experiences. There’s been some helpful further conversation on the topic including this article from Steve Kneale. Steve comments: “Some have objected to the existence of a tour at all. How can we be using Christian music – especially of the kind… Continue reading Money, power and worship
From the shadows
The Roys Report is a podcast run by Julie Roys with a particular focus on bringing abusive behaviour in the church into the light. Julie is doing an important job but even still she has a responsibility to get things right. I was among a few people who questioned her reporting of the Jonathan Fletcher… Continue reading From the shadows
Why I believe that NDAs have no place in church relationships
Yesterday, Steve Kneale led with an article looking at Non-Disclosure Agreements in christian organisations. The basis of his article was a report in the Times about a Tearfund employee acting as a whistle blower. Now, my gut reaction was that when someone heads off to talk to The Times and The Times leads with an… Continue reading Why I believe that NDAs have no place in church relationships
Pride, Prejudice and Privilege in The Church
Yesterday, we talked about pride, prejudice and privilege in society. Today, I want to think more about it in the context of the church. One church that particularly struggled with division, rivalry and pride was the church at Corinth. Right at the start of 1 Corinthians, Paul has to rebuke the church because of this. … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice and Privilege in The Church
So should we talk about money in church?
There are all sorts of reasons why, as a pastor of a church in urban Britain I feel uncomfortable talking about money and particularly about giving. These include It’s just not the done thing in polite circles! To an English man, talking about money is like talking about politics and religion. I can’t avoid one… Continue reading So should we talk about money in church?
Faithroots 