I suspect that most people don’t associate the word “joy” with the word “Presbyterian”. Presbyterians have a bit of a reputation for being a little wooden, very focussed on good theology, but not perhaps so full of joy. Yet it is the right word to describe many aspects of ministering in a Presbyterian church government …
After a while, we get used to things. Think about the last time you moved house or bought a car. When you first had these things, it was all exciting and new. You noticed new aspects of them regularly. You found yourself thanking God for these great gifts. Yet, after a while, you got used …
For most of us, being part of a local church is the key place we experience the Christian community. As it should be! It is with the people that we see regularly and we know well that we live out what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We learn to bear with one …
In our culture, if you make a mistake, you’re out. One wrong tweet can mean that people boycott your books. One thoughtless soundbite in a press conference and you might not be up for re-election. It does not take much for the online mob to call for your blood. For a society which likes to …
When the Bible describes the local church, it often uses the language of family or body. We are the household of God, brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a body with many parts, where every part is important (such as in 1 Cor 12 and Eph 4:15-16). These word pictures communicate our connection to …
All of us have different experiences of church. We can get frustrated with other people or tired from our service. We can feel as if no-one speaks to us or overwhelmed that there are too many people to speak to. We can notice all the problems with our local church on some days and rejoice …
Everyone I speak to at the moment tells me that they are busy. And it’s true; for many of us, December is a crazily busy time of year. There are work deadlines to meet. If you have children at school, you will have concerts to go to, graduation ceremonies, and end of year excursions. There …
We so easily slip into comparing ourselves with others. We notice the cars others drive and draw conclusions about them based on the suburb they live in or the occupation they work in. Magazines work on the principle that we would all like to live like the rich and famous, lazing about on yachts rather …
Hezekiah found himself in the middle of a siege in 2 Kings 19. The mighty Assyrian army was outside the walls and were demanding he surrender. In his distress, he sought the word of the Lord from the prophet Isaiah. The response he received was positive; the Assyrians would leave, and Jerusalem would be saved. …
Every family falls into patterns of doing things. It can be something minor, like placing the cups in the cupboard upside down when you have washed and dried them. Or it might be something major, like a pattern of responding to disagreements with anger or resentment with little forgiveness or grace. Some families value sport …