Following Joel Barder's recent article on Zionism and racism,"'Zionism is racism' falls short – here's why", this article by Rory McClure, pastor of Parkside Evangelical Church, part of the FIEC, further explores some of the related theological issues.
The continuing conflicts in the Middle East present Christians with difficult questions. How should we respond to the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians? Should Christians have a particular sympathy for Israel because of its place in Biblical history? Does God's covenant with Abraham give the modern State of Israel a special claim upon our support? How should the teaching of Jesus shape our attitudes towards these conflicts? These are theological and moral questions that deserve careful thought in the light of Scripture.
Autumn brings an annual cycle of events with which we are all very familiar.
There are bonfires, fireworks, pumpkins and discussions about how Christians should best handle halloween... And, on or around October 18th, there is quite often a discussion about whether famed evangelical pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones ("MLJ") was right, on that day in 1966, to call for evangelicals to leave "mixed denominations" such as the Church of England.
It started with an invitation to lead some sessions for the church youth group on what it means to believe and belong.
The youth group met each Sunday evening for pizza and chips, followed by a study. At the end of the series some of the young people asked if we could continue doing some teaching and going deeper into God’s Word. Over time this expanded into all all age gathering: we introduced sung worship and regular communion, we had the privilege of baptising people and that gathering became a place where the homeless, single parents, prostitutes and asylum seekers encountered Jesus.
Over the summer I was on holiday with my family in Switzerland. We enjoyed a number of long hikes in the mountains. The idea of walking is a common, if not the predominant, metaphor for the Christian life in the New Testament.
It has its roots in the pilgrimage journeys of the Israelites in the Old Testament, whether through the wilderness to the Promised Land or up to Jerusalem to celebrate the festivals in the presence of God in the temple in Jerusalem.
Producers of this year’s The Celebrity Traitors are seemingly obsessed with death.
Look, I get it, the rules of the game literally involve "murdering" players; the premise in itself is deathly to begin with. But is it just me, or have they really ramped up the deadly themes in this new series?
The religion and society think tank Theos has just published the results of their research into current attitudes towards Christianity and Britishness in the UK.
Their conclusions are complex, and reveal that both the UK population, and Christians in the UK, are deeply divided on the relationship between Christianity and Britishness.
The Christian think tank Theos has published a new report on Christian nationalism in the UK. It is both timely and sobering.
Following a survey of 1,765 UK adults, the report identifies five distinct groups and summarises their attitudes towards British national identity and Christianity. Perhaps the most striking finding is that among the group who most closely associate Christianity with British identity, the majority do not attend church weekly. This "Identity Integrationist" group included 81% who identified as Christian, but only 13% attend church weekly.
Last Sunday, Manchester City produced an emphatic 3–0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Haaland, Doku and Cherki scored the goals. Whatever the controversy surrounding their club, City's players demonstrated their quality. It was outstanding football.
But brilliant football and financial integrity are two different things.
In December 1527, the German reformer Martin Luther wrote to a colleague referring to himself in the third person: “We are all in good health except for Luther himself, who is physically well, but outwardly the whole world and inwardly the devil and all his angels are making him suffer.”
Sometime between 1527 and 1528, he wrote his most famous hymn: A Mighty Fortress isour God. Based on Psalm 46, it has become known to many as the “battle hymn” of the Reformation. You may even sing it on Reformation Sunday (25 October)! But Luther didn’t write it for the strong and able soldiers of the church – no, it first appeared in 1529 in a hymn book under the title: A Hymn of Comfort.
Andy Burnham's proposals for a National Care Service have brought social care back into the national conversation.
The aim of these proposals is that people receive the care they need regardless of their ability to pay, with closer integration between health services, social care and local communities.
In his recent article for en, Seth Lewis discussed how Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit to work miracles during His earthly ministry, rather than simply using His divine power.
At times Seth's descriptions of Christ seemed hard to navigate. I appreciate the challenge here of writing while remaining within a word limit, but it might help us to think of some of the risks with any "compression". So, here's an attempt to decompress things and capture some of the nuance of Christology which I believe will enhance the point that we need to be completely dependent on God.
In his recent article, Pastor Ollie Land surmises that the majority of churches now only have one Sunday service.
Most liberal churches either never had an evening service or have given it up long ago, but today some evangelical churches have given up evening worship and others are considering doing so. I well remember being on holiday in a part of the country that we don’t know well and on the Sunday evening, my family and I looked in vain for an evening service to attend.
The Bible has many ways to describe a Christian. One of the most dramatic descriptions of a Christian, however, is found in Romans 6v13, where Paul tells us that a Christian is someone who has been “brought from death to life”.
He is not highlighting a possibility but declaring a fact, an accomplished, once for all, unrepeatable and undeniable fact. If you are a Christian, you have been “brought from death to life”. You may not feel you have, but if you are a Christian you have!
First, Khaled Kabub. Born in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, to Muslim parents, Khaled was the son of a bus driver. After studying at Tel Aviv University, he went on to receive a Master’s degree in law through Tel Aviv University and the University of California. Today, as a Muslim citizen of Israel, he serves as a justice on the Supreme Court of Israel.
Media tropes assail us constantly. New catchphrases turn up in what we read and hear that we soon find ourselves using, more or less heedlessly.
Catchphrases like “white privilege”, “rewilding”, “nonbinary”, “Islamophobic” ... We may begin a bit puzzled, but before long they are part of our everyday lexicon. We neither question their origin, nor reflect on their integrity.
A startling thought crossed my mind after seeing the front pages of two newspapers within minutes of each other: Can Britain be saved from what seems its inevitable demise as a great nation?
Miraculous testimony
A little while ago I was sent an advance copy of the August edition of New Life, a popular evangelistic tabloid. Their page one headline, "Gunpoint miracle", featured the miraculous story of British missionary Duncan Dyason, who survived three attempts on his life in Guatemala City. Years earlier, as a Blackpool youngster with little obvious hope for the future, he had seriously considered suicide but called on God in prayer – just in case He was there!
TheTelegraph recently published a comment piece which argued that chronic illness and neurodivergence have become a "lifestyle trend" among young women, especially on social media.
Poppy Coburn, the editor who wrote the piece, also said that those talking about disability on social media were just “sickfluencers”, adding to the "social contagion" of disability in young women.
That was a big speech. Big in terms of rhetoric. Big in terms of delivery. Big in terms of diagnosis. This was Andy Burnham speaking to the Labour Party faithful a few days ago and setting a direction of travel for the party and the government.
In so far as he spoke to voters outside the hall, it was a pitch to left-leaning ones to "come on board" with Labour.
What does it mean to make a difference to people’s lives? To have "an impact"?
We know that deep discipleship, journeying alongside someone, teaching and pastoring, changes lives. But we also serve a God who transformed lives with a word, a touch, a moment.
Most of us can tell people how many people were at our service on Sunday. We are usually less certain of how many people live in the housing estate beside us, what languages they speak, or how far someone in the next town would need to travel to find an evangelical church.
We know a lot about ourselves as Christians, but our neighbours can remain something of a mystery! I wonder how that affects how we view mission as Christians?
Comment
Middle East conflict: Whose side should Christians be on?
Following Joel Barder's recent article on Zionism and racism, "'Zionism is racism' falls short – here's why", this article by Rory McClure, pastor of Parkside Evangelical Church, part of the FIEC, further explores some of the related theological issues.
The continuing conflicts in the Middle East present Christians with difficult questions. How should we respond to the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians? Should Christians have a particular sympathy for Israel because of its place in Biblical history? Does God's covenant with Abraham give the modern State of Israel a special claim upon our support? How should the teaching of Jesus shape our attitudes towards these conflicts? These are theological and moral questions that deserve careful thought in the light of Scripture.
MLJ, the CofE, evangelicals, you - and me
Autumn brings an annual cycle of events with which we are all very familiar.
There are bonfires, fireworks, pumpkins and discussions about how Christians should best handle halloween... And, on or around October 18th, there is quite often a discussion about whether famed evangelical pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones ("MLJ") was right, on that day in 1966, to call for evangelicals to leave "mixed denominations" such as the Church of England.
Two Sunday services? Not necessarily
It started with an invitation to lead some sessions for the church youth group on what it means to believe and belong.
The youth group met each Sunday evening for pizza and chips, followed by a study. At the end of the series some of the young people asked if we could continue doing some teaching and going deeper into God’s Word. Over time this expanded into all all age gathering: we introduced sung worship and regular communion, we had the privilege of baptising people and that gathering became a place where the homeless, single parents, prostitutes and asylum seekers encountered Jesus.
Are your expectations about the Christian life right?
Over the summer I was on holiday with my family in Switzerland. We enjoyed a number of long hikes in the mountains. The idea of walking is a common, if not the predominant, metaphor for the Christian life in the New Testament.
It has its roots in the pilgrimage journeys of the Israelites in the Old Testament, whether through the wilderness to the Promised Land or up to Jerusalem to celebrate the festivals in the presence of God in the temple in Jerusalem.
Celebrity Traitors 2026: The deathliest series yet?
Producers of this year’s The Celebrity Traitors are seemingly obsessed with death.
Look, I get it, the rules of the game literally involve "murdering" players; the premise in itself is deathly to begin with. But is it just me, or have they really ramped up the deadly themes in this new series?
Do you have to be Christian to be British?
The religion and society think tank Theos has just published the results of their research into current attitudes towards Christianity and Britishness in the UK.
Their conclusions are complex, and reveal that both the UK population, and Christians in the UK, are deeply divided on the relationship between Christianity and Britishness.
Christian nationalism: Our allegiance must be to Jesus first
The Christian think tank Theos has published a new report on Christian nationalism in the UK. It is both timely and sobering.
Following a survey of 1,765 UK adults, the report identifies five distinct groups and summarises their attitudes towards British national identity and Christianity. Perhaps the most striking finding is that among the group who most closely associate Christianity with British identity, the majority do not attend church weekly. This "Identity Integrationist" group included 81% who identified as Christian, but only 13% attend church weekly.
Manchester City: Would we care if it was our club?
Last Sunday, Manchester City produced an emphatic 3–0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. Haaland, Doku and Cherki scored the goals. Whatever the controversy surrounding their club, City's players demonstrated their quality. It was outstanding football.
But brilliant football and financial integrity are two different things.
What hymns should you choose this Sunday?
In December 1527, the German reformer
Martin Luther wrote to a colleague referring
to himself in the third person: “We are all
in good health except for Luther himself,
who is physically well, but outwardly the
whole world and inwardly the devil and all
his angels are making him suffer.”
Sometime between 1527 and 1528, he wrote his most famous hymn: A Mighty Fortress is our God. Based on Psalm 46, it has become known to many as the “battle hymn” of the Reformation. You may even sing it on Reformation Sunday (25 October)! But Luther didn’t write it for the strong and able soldiers of the church – no, it first appeared in 1529 in a hymn book under the title: A Hymn of Comfort.
What kind of social care do we want to build, Andy Burnham?
Andy Burnham's proposals for a National Care Service have brought social care back into the national conversation.
The aim of these proposals is that people receive the care they need regardless of their ability to pay, with closer integration between health services, social care and local communities.
Did Jesus depend on the Spirit? Let's look deeper
In his recent article for en, Seth Lewis discussed how Jesus depended on the Holy Spirit to work miracles during His earthly ministry, rather than simply using His divine power.
At times Seth's descriptions of Christ seemed hard to navigate. I appreciate the challenge here of writing while remaining within a word limit, but it might help us to think of some of the risks with any "compression". So, here's an attempt to decompress things and capture some of the nuance of Christology which I believe will enhance the point that we need to be completely dependent on God.
Why I believe Sunday evening services are important
In his recent article, Pastor Ollie Land surmises that the majority of churches now only have one Sunday service.
Most liberal churches either never had an evening service or have given it up long ago, but today some evangelical churches have given up evening worship and others are considering doing so. I well remember being on holiday in a part of the country that we don’t know well and on the Sunday evening, my family and I looked in vain for an evening service to attend.
Christian, be what you are!
The Bible has many ways to describe a Christian. One of the most dramatic descriptions of a Christian, however, is found in Romans 6v13, where Paul tells us that a Christian is someone who has been “brought from death to life”.
He is not highlighting a possibility but declaring a fact, an accomplished, once for all, unrepeatable and undeniable fact. If you are a Christian, you have been “brought from death to life”. You may not feel you have, but if you are a Christian you have!
'Zionism is racism' falls short – here's why
I would like to introduce you to three people.
First, Khaled Kabub. Born in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, to Muslim parents, Khaled was the son of a bus driver. After studying at Tel Aviv University, he went on to receive a Master’s degree in law through Tel Aviv University and the University of California. Today, as a Muslim citizen of Israel, he serves as a justice on the Supreme Court of Israel.
How media language is reshaping your mind
Media tropes assail us constantly. New catchphrases turn up in what we read and hear that we soon find ourselves using, more or less heedlessly.
Catchphrases like “white privilege”, “rewilding”, “nonbinary”, “Islamophobic” ... We may begin a bit puzzled, but before long they are part of our everyday lexicon. We neither question their origin, nor reflect on their integrity.
Today's Britain: How can it be saved?
A startling thought crossed my mind after seeing the front pages of two newspapers within minutes of each other: Can Britain be saved from what seems its inevitable demise as a great nation?
Miraculous testimony
A little while ago I was sent an advance copy of the August edition of New Life, a popular evangelistic tabloid. Their page one headline, "Gunpoint miracle", featured the miraculous story of British missionary Duncan Dyason, who survived three attempts on his life in Guatemala City. Years earlier, as a Blackpool youngster with little obvious hope for the future, he had seriously considered suicide but called on God in prayer – just in case He was there!
'Sickfluencers'? The truth about chronic illness on social media
The Telegraph recently published a comment piece which argued that chronic illness and neurodivergence have become a "lifestyle trend" among young women, especially on social media.
Poppy Coburn, the editor who wrote the piece, also said that those talking about disability on social media were just “sickfluencers”, adding to the "social contagion" of disability in young women.
Burnham’s big vision – but what about family and church?
That was a big speech. Big in terms of rhetoric. Big in terms of delivery. Big in terms of diagnosis. This was Andy Burnham speaking to the Labour Party faithful a few days ago and setting a direction of travel for the party and the government.
In so far as he spoke to voters outside the hall, it was a pitch to left-leaning ones to "come on board" with Labour.
Mr T: Giving God the glory
What does it mean to make a difference to people’s lives? To have "an impact"?
We know that deep discipleship, journeying alongside someone, teaching and pastoring, changes lives. But we also serve a God who transformed lives with a word, a touch, a moment.
It's crucial to know the places we are called to reach
Most of us can tell people how many people were at our service on Sunday. We are usually less certain of how many people live in the housing estate beside us, what languages they speak, or how far someone in the next town would need to travel to find an evangelical church.
We know a lot about ourselves as Christians, but our neighbours can remain something of a mystery! I wonder how that affects how we view mission as Christians?