Last year we were attending a major event and I decided to buy an ice cream from one of the vendors. As soon as I licked it, I knew something wasn’t right. It wasn’t outright disgusting yet but the milk was on the turn. I suspect that even if just about edible, it would not… Continue reading Sour ice cream
Tag: shame
Adoption: What God says about you
When King Saul and his sons died in battle, one of the few survivors from the family was a little boy called Mephibosheth. As his family fled, he was dropped, irreparably damaging his legs so that he was unable to walk.[1] Later King David expressed the desire to show kindness to relatives of Jonathan, Saul’s… Continue reading Adoption: What God says about you
The blame game
How do you respond when you are caught in sin? Are you able to own up quickly, even before you are caught? Or do you seek to deny the sin and even to blame others? Read Genesis 3:9-13 God calls out to the man “Where are you?” The man’s response is not exactly straight. In… Continue reading The blame game
Shameless
Genesis 2:25 says Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. The point of nakedness is that it is now associated with embarrassment and vulnerability. The point about shame is that it is something which causes us to hide, either ourselves of the thing that causes shame. In the Garden of Eden,… Continue reading Shameless
The shame myth
There’s a little myth that has gained currency over the last 30 years to the point where it is generally held as unchallengeable truth. The theory goes like this: Western cultures are all about guilt and retribution, Eastern cultures are all about honour and shame. Reformed/Evangelical Theology has paid too much attention to the former… Continue reading The shame myth
If I can just get close enough (Mark 5:21-43)
Perhaps one of the most moving accounts in the Gospels is the story of the woman who had suffered for many years with an illness that caused frequent discharge of blood. It’s wrapped around by the healing of Jairus’ daughter. This helps us to see a few things. First, we see Jesus’ willingness to be… Continue reading If I can just get close enough (Mark 5:21-43)
Is it burnout?
I’ve seen a few articles talking about burnout among those in church leadership over the past few weeks. These seem to be particularly in response to the experience of leaders through the COVID-19 pandemic which has in many ways amplified many of the challenges of Gospel ministry. One helpful contribution to the discussion was this… Continue reading Is it burnout?
Christmas Eve
You know how they say that a picture is worth a thousand words? This is that picture. Eve who with her husband brought death into the world became the mother of life. She was brought under the crushing curse of sin and death but her descendent the promised seed crushed the serpent’s head. Here in… Continue reading Christmas Eve
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
A last meal with Jesus
#TheDailyDose John 21 The problem of incompleteness A couple of things we’ve picked up on Jesus deals with sin and guilt -I sort of get that and the objective guilt bit is easy enough but the shame less easy –how do I get on with things when people are still mocking or disowning me. Okay… Continue reading A last meal with Jesus
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