It is easy to notice the things that are wrong in our lives and our society. Wherever you live, I am sure you could legitimately complain about all kinds of things. The government has likely made some decision that contradicts Christian beliefs. Your friends and family members have probably been thoughtless or difficult in some …
Most of us have many good intentions. We really do intend to clean the house, or get around to fixing that problem, or to start that exercise programme. We mean to do it, but it never seems to get done. This is not a new problem. People have always been like this. We see this …
In 2 Kings 11, there was a leadership vacuum in Judah. King Ahaziah had been killed by Jehu when visiting the northern kingdom of Israel. The queen mother took her opportunity to take power for herself. Athaliah, a daughter of King Ahab, systematically killed all of her family members that she considered a threat. She …
We know that God continues to work in His world, but if we’re honest, we’d like to see Him do so more spectacularly. It would be great to see more of the miracles of Elijah’s time perhaps, or the signs and wonders of the apostles. We’d love to see whole cities change their economies because …
I am a pastor of a Presbyterian church. Every church tradition has its strengths and its weaknesses. The tradition I serve in values careful theology, reverent worship, and simple church services, all things that are very important. Yet I also know that Presbyterians are not known for their vibrancy and passion! We are known for …
When the movie Jaws was released in 1975, the tagline was “you’ll never go in the water again”. And it seems that the movie succeeded for many people. The reality of sharks being near swimming beaches did change the behaviour of many. There are those who cannot go for a swim at the beach without …
Christians love to use the words ‘grace’ and ‘faith’. You would be hard pressed to listen to a Christian sermon or sing a Christian song without mention of one of these words. But what do they mean? Can you come up with a short and simple definition of each one? Sometimes we assume we know …
Have you ever read the descriptions of Old Testament sacrifices and found them very odd? After all, most of us don’t have much experience of sacrifices, never having even seen one. They seem like some kind of relic of an ancient past completely disconnected from our present-day world. In fact, they seem barbaric and bloody …
Whenever something terrible happens, the common narrative put forward by the news organisations is that someone evil is to blame. We then get a profile of the ‘monster’ in question. We are supposed to cheer when that person gets justice, either in the form of a tragic death or a severe jail sentence. This perspective …
As I write this blog post (in late December), I am feeling tired. Not that kind of tiredness that comes after one hard day’s work, but the kind that builds up over time. This tiredness is the result of many months of high-level work. You know the feeling; I am sure many of you can …