I recently saw a social media post from a well-known disabled person. He’d been out for a meal with friends, one of whom was also disabled. They’d sat outside the restaurant for their meal - possibly because that was more accessible for them.
One of the restaurant workers came out and asked them to leave. They’d done nothing wrong; they were just a group of friends enjoying each other's company.
The untidiness of life - the mess, chaos, accident or whatever label we choose to describe the lack of order which leads to pain - naturally inclines some to conclude that the universe is cold, heartless and random.
Christians believe in the God who is a maximally alive Person, full of goodness, love and power. But suffering gives rise to various questions for believers... Can I really trust God? Is God angry with me? Does God love me? Is God really good? Is God able to stop this? If the universe and life are not random, how can I understand the purpose behind it?
Summer would not have been summer without a good deal of reading (as well as cricket, which you must admit hasn’t been bad this season).
I have recently been enjoying a good deal of C. S. Lewis, devouring the third part of his Space Trilogy, entitled That Hideous Strength, as well as his three lectures published as The Abolition of Man. Both works, written near the end of the Second World War, depict a world threatened by dystopian totalitarianism. I was drawn to these works after reading John Lennox’s outstanding 2084 and the AI Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence Informs Our Future – a book I have strongly urged our congregation to read, in which Lewis is cited very frequently.
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day — a global reminder that every life matters, and that those in despair deserve to be given hope, help and care.
And yet, in just two days' time, Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords. This Private Members’ bill would legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales. What message does this send to suicidal people? One day we say, “Don’t give up,” and the next we consider legislation to allow the NHS to give people drugs to help them end their lives.
Every September, more than two million young people start their university adventure. It’s a season of fresh freedom, big questions, and new identities being shaped.
Spiritual openness is greater than you might think: 30 per cent of students say they’ve never been personally told the story of Jesus, 45 per cent would like to hear it, and 34 per cent say “maybe later." [1]
As parliament returns from summer recess, Prime Minister Starmer has shuffled his top team in the hopes it can provide greater strategic support and clarity.
There’s no doubt Labour is bruised from its first year of government. Despite a whopping great majority, it has been forced into multiple U-turns and faces the inexorable rise of Nigel Farage and the Reform party, plus it is badly behind in the opinion polls.
There are 3.9 million Muslims in England and Wales – 6.5% of the population, up from 4.9% in 2011. The Pew Research Centre suggests this could reach between 12.7% and 17.2% in 2050, depending on migration.
As the Muslim population grows, so do political consequences. One councillor elected this year in Lancashire has called for “segregated areas, segregated gyms” to avoid “free mixing” in public. The new political party being formed by Jeremy Corbyn is likely to attract large numbers of Muslims because of Gaza.
The founder of the International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying has recently written on what he calls a new and different approach in the case for assisted dying. [1]
He says: “I believe that a type of freedom we can call freedom over death – that is, a freedom in which we shape the timing and circumstances of how we die – should be central to this conversation.”
Moses was African. Jesus was Asian. Cornelius (and possibly Luke) was European.
The ancient church throughout the Scriptures lived where these three continents converged and combatted one another. The Bible often refers to the mixing and mingling of nations from these three continents – and addresses the temptations and trials, the pain and prosperity that was generated by the conflict and the commerce.
I want to share a story with you that emphasises the importance of understanding Jesus’ Jewish context when speaking to your Jewish friends about Him.
I recently met with an elderly Jewish woman whose daughter was being baptised and she wanted to understand why. “How could she?” she asked me as I sat down. “How could she give up on her identity like that? I could never do that!”
The role and place of religion in the education system in Northern Ireland is currently under scrutiny in light of a case currently being considered by the UK Supreme Court – the case of JR87.
The case centres on a child who attended a primary school in Northern Ireland with a Christian ethos. When the child in question started repeating a prayer at home before eating, one that she had learnt at school, and began asking questions about God and religion, her parents voiced their concerns to the school, namely that the education that their daughter was receiving did not conform with their own religious or philosophical convictions.
Consider this quotation: “If we are overcome by laziness and negligence and let ourselves be taken up with wicked behaviour and silly conversations, or if we get involved in worldly concerns and unnecessary preoccupations, the result will be as if a kind of weed had sprung up, which will impose harmful labour on our heart.”
Wicked behaviour and silly conversations? I wrote beside it, TikTok. Or YouTube Shorts, which is my particular failing. Worldly concerns and unnecessary preoccupations, yes, that’s it exactly. And the writer has diagnosed exactly what it does to me: harmful labour on my heart, making it so much harder to concentrate on – well, anything, let alone uplifting and godly things.
When our children were young, we would occasionally give in to pressure and take them to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. If you’ve never experienced this delight, it’s a portion of highly processed child-pleasing food, in a cheerful-looking box, which includes a freebie plastic toy.
The burgers, of course, are gone in minutes; and in my experience, the toys last very little longer. Not just because they’re rubbish, but because the children know that they’re rubbish. I don’t remember any of my children ever caring about a Happy Meal toy longer than the duration of the car ride home. If something is given away for free, everyone – even a child – knows that it’s worthless.
The woman was horrified… “You wouldn’t dare do that”. She was a member in the church and had just been told by the pastor that she was likely to be disciplined for her continual sinful behaviour, unless she repented. What had she done? Adultery? Theft? Abuse? No – she was a persistent gossip, continually slandering people within and beyond the congregation.
It’s not often you hear of that – and yet the Bible speaks strongly about the sin of gossip. “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” (Prov.26 v20 NIV) “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbour: I am the Lord” (Lev.19v16 ESV). “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it” (James 4v11NIV).
What do I mean by that? Well, we have AI apps and websites as personal assistants at our fingertips online; medical advancements where premature babies 21 weeks old can survive; and the ability to attend an online business meeting while still in our slippers!
There is a great danger lurking in many evangelical churches, yet the danger is so subtle that many cannot see what has crept in.
At first glance, we may not notice the issues amongst the churches; on paper, we have everything correct – we’ve got our statements on human sexuality, gender, the role of women, the fundamentals of the Faith, and even the gospel. Perhaps we even subscribe to one of the historic confessions.
Please note: This article contains references to abuse.
The dismaying - and predictable - revelation in the saga surrounding Chris Brain of Sheffield's Nine O'Clock Service, is that it could have been avoided. His theological education supervisor insisted that he was not fit for ministry and should not be ordained.
I am in my (very) early seventies. I have just written a book about following Jesus in your fifties and sixties. “A bit late,” you say. Sure. But it is the book I wish someone had given me 20 years ago.
In most of the world and much of human history, these decades are the close of life. But in rich western societies with good diet and healthcare, they are—for many—an “in between” stage, between the vigour of middle age and the frailty of our older years. I think of it as “the afternoon of life”.
Comment
Disability: What do you see?
I recently saw a social media post from a well-known disabled person. He’d been out for a meal with friends, one of whom was also disabled. They’d sat outside the restaurant for their meal - possibly because that was more accessible for them.
One of the restaurant workers came out and asked them to leave. They’d done nothing wrong; they were just a group of friends enjoying each other's company.
The comforting doctrine of the necessity of affliction
The untidiness of life - the mess, chaos, accident or whatever label we choose to describe the lack of order which leads to pain - naturally inclines some to conclude that the universe is cold, heartless and random.
Christians believe in the God who is a maximally alive Person, full of goodness, love and power. But suffering gives rise to various questions for believers... Can I really trust God? Is God angry with me? Does God love me? Is God really good? Is God able to stop this? If the universe and life are not random, how can I understand the purpose behind it?
From slow growth to scattering seeds
I have been a Christian for many years, but if I’m honest, my growth has often felt slow.
I have always longed to be closer to God and to share my faith more openly, yet it has never come naturally.
Narnia's lessons for knowing and enjoying God
Summer would not have been summer without a good deal of reading (as well as cricket, which you must admit hasn’t been bad this season).
I have recently been enjoying a good deal of C. S. Lewis, devouring the third part of his Space Trilogy, entitled That Hideous Strength, as well as his three lectures published as The Abolition of Man. Both works, written near the end of the Second World War, depict a world threatened by dystopian totalitarianism. I was drawn to these works after reading John Lennox’s outstanding 2084 and the AI Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence Informs Our Future – a book I have strongly urged our congregation to read, in which Lewis is cited very frequently.
Suicide prevention or suicide promotion?
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day — a global reminder that every life matters, and that those in despair deserve to be given hope, help and care.
And yet, in just two days' time, Kim Leadbeater’s assisted suicide bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords. This Private Members’ bill would legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales. What message does this send to suicidal people? One day we say, “Don’t give up,” and the next we consider legislation to allow the NHS to give people drugs to help them end their lives.
Is the 'quiet revival' getting louder?
Every September, more than two million young people start their university adventure. It’s a season of fresh freedom, big questions, and new identities being shaped.
Spiritual openness is greater than you might think: 30 per cent of students say they’ve never been personally told the story of Jesus, 45 per cent would like to hear it, and 34 per cent say “maybe later." [1]
Can we do better on immigration?
As parliament returns from summer recess, Prime Minister Starmer has shuffled his top team in the hopes it can provide greater strategic support and clarity.
There’s no doubt Labour is bruised from its first year of government. Despite a whopping great majority, it has been forced into multiple U-turns and faces the inexorable rise of Nigel Farage and the Reform party, plus it is badly behind in the opinion polls.
Political Islam
There are 3.9 million Muslims in England and Wales – 6.5% of the population, up from 4.9% in 2011. The Pew Research Centre suggests this could reach between 12.7% and 17.2% in 2050, depending on migration.
As the Muslim population grows, so do political consequences. One councillor elected this year in Lancashire has called for “segregated areas, segregated gyms” to avoid “free mixing” in public. The new political party being formed by Jeremy Corbyn is likely to attract large numbers of Muslims because of Gaza.
Euthanasia debate: Autonomy at all costs?
The founder of the International Association for the Philosophy of Death and Dying has recently written on what he calls a new and different approach in the case for assisted dying. [1]
He says: “I believe that a type of freedom we can call freedom over death – that is, a freedom in which we shape the timing and circumstances of how we die – should be central to this conversation.”
Re-inventing journalism by way of its spiritual roots
The “northern muckraker” - as he was known - W.T. Stead, should be a household name in a time of sexual and media mayhem.
Stead was the youngest editor to be appointed in the country when in 1871, he resolved to turn his paper, the Northern Echo, into a pulpit.
Living in a world that is mixing and shaking
Moses was African. Jesus was Asian. Cornelius (and possibly Luke) was European.
The ancient church throughout the Scriptures lived where these three continents converged and combatted one another. The Bible often refers to the mixing and mingling of nations from these three continents – and addresses the temptations and trials, the pain and prosperity that was generated by the conflict and the commerce.
Wait... Jesus was Jewish?
I want to share a story with you that emphasises the importance of understanding Jesus’ Jewish context when speaking to your Jewish friends about Him.
I recently met with an elderly Jewish woman whose daughter was being baptised and she wanted to understand why. “How could she?” she asked me as I sat down. “How could she give up on her identity like that? I could never do that!”
The case of JR87: Faith in education?
The role and place of religion in the education system in Northern Ireland is currently under scrutiny in light of a case currently being considered by the UK Supreme Court – the case of JR87.
The case centres on a child who attended a primary school in Northern Ireland with a Christian ethos. When the child in question started repeating a prayer at home before eating, one that she had learnt at school, and began asking questions about God and religion, her parents voiced their concerns to the school, namely that the education that their daughter was receiving did not conform with their own religious or philosophical convictions.
The problem of distraction
Consider this quotation: “If we are overcome by laziness and negligence and let ourselves be taken up with wicked behaviour and silly conversations, or if we get involved in worldly concerns and unnecessary preoccupations, the result will be as if a kind of weed had sprung up, which will impose harmful labour on our heart.”
Wicked behaviour and silly conversations? I wrote beside it, TikTok. Or YouTube Shorts, which is my particular failing. Worldly concerns and unnecessary preoccupations, yes, that’s it exactly. And the writer has diagnosed exactly what it does to me: harmful labour on my heart, making it so much harder to concentrate on – well, anything, let alone uplifting and godly things.
Happy Meal sacraments?
When our children were young, we would occasionally give in to pressure and take them to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. If you’ve never experienced this delight, it’s a portion of highly processed child-pleasing food, in a cheerful-looking box, which includes a freebie plastic toy.
The burgers, of course, are gone in minutes; and in my experience, the toys last very little longer. Not just because they’re rubbish, but because the children know that they’re rubbish. I don’t remember any of my children ever caring about a Happy Meal toy longer than the duration of the car ride home. If something is given away for free, everyone – even a child – knows that it’s worthless.
Gossip is no longer just local – it’s global
The woman was horrified… “You wouldn’t dare do that”. She was a member in the church and had just been told by the pastor that she was likely to be disciplined for her continual sinful behaviour, unless she repented. What had she done? Adultery? Theft? Abuse? No – she was a persistent gossip, continually slandering people within and beyond the congregation.
It’s not often you hear of that – and yet the Bible speaks strongly about the sin of gossip. “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.” (Prov.26 v20 NIV) “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbour: I am the Lord” (Lev.19v16 ESV). “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it” (James 4v11NIV).
Evangelism in an age of distraction
Isn’t it an interesting time to be alive?
What do I mean by that? Well, we have AI apps and websites as personal assistants at our fingertips online; medical advancements where premature babies 21 weeks old can survive; and the ability to attend an online business meeting while still in our slippers!
Has your church 'lost' the gospel?
There is a great danger lurking in many evangelical churches, yet the danger is so subtle that many cannot see what has crept in.
At first glance, we may not notice the issues amongst the churches; on paper, we have everything correct – we’ve got our statements on human sexuality, gender, the role of women, the fundamentals of the Faith, and even the gospel. Perhaps we even subscribe to one of the historic confessions.
The cost of ignoring leadership concerns
Please note: This article contains references to abuse.
The dismaying - and predictable - revelation in the saga surrounding Chris Brain of Sheffield's Nine O'Clock Service, is that it could have been avoided. His theological education supervisor insisted that he was not fit for ministry and should not be ordained.
Christopher Ash: how can we age well?
I am in my (very) early seventies. I have just written a book about following Jesus in your fifties and sixties. “A bit late,” you say. Sure. But it is the book I wish someone had given me 20 years ago.
In most of the world and much of human history, these decades are the close of life. But in rich western societies with good diet and healthcare, they are—for many—an “in between” stage, between the vigour of middle age and the frailty of our older years. I think of it as “the afternoon of life”.