The beauty of slavery

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. How can it be good news to be a slave? What is the blessing of belonging to someone else? The best answer I’ve heard comes from The Heidelberg Catechism. Well worth a “Google” for your encouragement. It was written in 1563. It’s a set of questions and answers designed to help people learn the great truths of the Christian faith. If I just remembered the first one my experience...

Reflecting on Robin Williams

This Summer the news leaves me not knowing what to do – wanting to stop reading and hide from it all, wanting to despair, wanting to get on a plane to Iraq, or Israel, or Gaza or Liberia, as if that would help. But this week we’ve also had to deal with the tragic news of Robin Williams’ suicide. Like so many other people, I grew up watching Williams.  I laughed, I cried, I thought about life, through Good Will Hunting, and Dead Poet’s Society, and Good Morning Vietnam.  His creative work was wonderful.  His energy was astonishing. I can’t say anything about...

Why not sin this Summer?

It’s Summertime, you’re here and there with holidays, your mates from church are not around, other people are around, you’re not reading your bible as much so God seems far away, so … why not take your foot off the gas in the Christian life?  Why not have a break from living wholeheartedly for God?  Why not sin? When I’m tempted to sin, in the heat of the battle, it really helps me to have – at the forefront of my mind – some compelling reasons not to go down that road. The Bible gives us so many.  But here’s...

Head Bangers, Blackshirts, and Human Rights without God …

There’s a plaque on Dock Street in the East End of London that commemorates “the Battle of Cable Street”: “The people of East London rallied to Cable Street on the 4th October 1936 and forced back the march of the fascist Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts through the streets of the East End.  They Shall Not Pass.” Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists had organised a march through East London dressed in uniforms like Hitler’s Nazis, through the streets of the Jewish community.  You can only imagine the fear that was beginning to creep into Jewish homes in London. But...

How much are you worth?

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. This isn’t a suggestion on what to ask new church members when the coffers are running low, but rather the primary area of disagreement between me and the BBC reporter who interviewed me yesterday. I enjoyed meeting Graham Satchell. I think his piece on the BBC Breakfast programme that looked at what we believe about the different roles of men and women at All Saints was very fair. What he didn’t include was the question I asked him...

I want to be an addict… or do I?

1 Corinthians 16:15 You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Yes ministry is hard, but I have not yet sought solace in illegal substances. Yes we’d love to have a bit more money to spend on gospel work at All Saints, but I’m not going down the same road as “Breaking Bad”! I want to be addicted to service. My Explore Bible study notes in 1 Corinthians  told me that the King James Version translates 1 Corinthians 16:15 “…that they have addicted themselves to...

What do I look like?

James 1:23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  One thing about going into print is that people remember what you wrote. They even quote it back at you. This is a problem when, like me, you are very good at advising other people and very bad at advising yourself. So I was going for a jog with Adam (I no longer call it a run because the pace has slowed...

Can you say the “D” word? (Or be more like Harry Potter!)

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 My dad is dying in hospital. There you go. I said it. Which is something that the medical staff find very hard to do. So, last week, when it looked like he only had a few minutes to live, a young doctor ushered me into a side room to let me know how serious things were. But all she could manage to he say was the end was near (which it transpired it wasn’t). The next up the medical food chain, the registrar, said later that we were...

Christ or Kung Fu Panda?

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” This is my new “2 ways 2 live” tract for Christian contentment. I am a great fan of Kung Fu Panda (1 & 2). I weep tears of uncontrollable hysteria watching Po wobble his way through his adventures. Sadly the area where we are most alike is not in my mastery of the art of Kung Fu, but rather in the skills of comfort eating. Like Po, when I feel...

Easter 4 – Easter and the Searching Question

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep…” John 21:17 (ESV) Easter 4 – Easter and the Searching Question What might make you disgruntled or discontented about the role God has given you and the place He has put you to glorify Him? • A colleague who is more talented, and gets the promotions you long...