“Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves…”— Genesis 11v4 Some churches are bitterly and openly divided, congregations of hostility and suspicion, factions and power plays. These churches often end up splitting, with ugly results. Other churchesContinue reading “Of Towers and Temples: The Flesh, the Spirit, and True Reconciliation in Ephesians 2”
Tag Archives: church
What does it Mean to be ‘Pastoral’?
A brief effort to reclaim an oft-neglected part of a metaphor (with some reflection on the Church of England’s same-sex blessings).
Choosing a Reliable Guide: Bishop Steven Croft or St Paul the Apostle
‘I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord…’— 2 Corinthians 12v1 Last week, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford, published a pamphlet entitled Together in Love and Faith, in which he argued that the time hadContinue reading “Choosing a Reliable Guide: Bishop Steven Croft or St Paul the Apostle”
Weighty Words vs. Gravitational Mass: Balancing Sermon and Sacrament
Should the sermon or the Lord’s Supper be the focal point of the Sunday meeting? Yes.
Another Angle on Self-Control
Self-control is not just about learning not to be controlled by our desires, it is also about learning not to allow ourselves to be controlled by other people.
The Church: Prophet, Priest, King
Just as Christ fulfils the offices of prophet, priest, and kings, so his body, the church continues his prophetic, priestly, and kingly work in the world.
‘Our Earthly Rulers Falter’: A Hymn and a Prayer for this Moment in Evangelicalism
English conservative evangelicalism is in crisis. G. K. Chesterton’s honest, insightful, and hopeful hymn gives us the appropriate words for this moment.
Reading Scripture: The Text, the Event, and the Community
Many say that we have to pay first attention to the original audience and the human author to understand the Scriptures. But who are they, anyway? And does that audience relate to the events that they were reading about in Scripture?
What Kind of Witness?: A Case for Churches Staying Open
Covid-19 has forced some tough decisions. A lot of people say closing churches is a way to show our neighbours we love them. But what else might it say? And what might keeping churches open say?
‘The Beautiful Story’ — Four Points for Consideration
The Church of England’s Evangelical Council released a video of sexuality. What might it have missed?
My Back Pages 