One of the most discomforting of Scriptural statistics is that when the Lord Jesus speaks to the churches in Revelation 2-3 five of the seven have something of which they need to repent. It is a helpful caution for us against the complacency that says we must be OK. It is a reminder as to […]
This is probably one of those posts that will have people reaching for the imaginary “Dislike” button on Facebook. And I know how you feel. When I am sitting in the congregation on a Sunday evening it is tempting to want to sit back, listen and not feel I have to contribute very much. On […]
A few weeks ago I spent some time with a good friend. I suspect I am not always the easiest character to read but my friend has an unnerving ability to discern my thoughts accurately: to spot when I am finding an issue difficult even when I don’t say anything. At times that can be […]
Sometimes friends ask me what I have been reading recently. Often my mind goes blank- I know I have been reading books but I can’t for the life of me remember what they were about. So I’m hoping that writing up lessons that I have picked up from my reading will at least be of […]
As part of our church weekend we considered Jesus’ command: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38) I don’t think ‘workers’ is limited to those who get their employment from Christian activities. Nevertheless, it is the […]
I came away encouraged from our recent church weekend. As ever, I was struck by people’s willingness to work hard and serve (special mention to Jenny, Hannah and the team who did the children’s work, to Steve and Jane and the team who oversaw the catering, to Samantha, our resident ‘Parkinson’ and to Long Crendon […]
Over the last few years I have enjoyed reading “The Week”- a weekly magazine that pulls together the best articles from around the world that have been published in the last seven days. A few weeks ago this article, originally published in the Guardian, caught my attention. Stephen Gough, known as the Naked Rambler, has […]
The last two posts have been an attempt to give a biblical basis for my contention that the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. In this last post I want to offer some pastoral reflections. Right at the outset I said that this was an issue where those with differing positions needed to respect each other. […]
In my first post I argued that the key question to be answered is this: How is the Sabbath fulfilled in Christ? This is the main issue- because the whole of the law is fulfilled in Him. I intend to address that question in this post before I turn to some practical and pastoral reflections […]
Those who know me well will appreciate that I don’t relish controversy. So, if I’m honest, my heart sank as I started to prepare my sermon on Isaiah 56 a couple of week ago. I was eager to talk about the inclusion of the foreigner and the eunuch in the people of God but I […]