Transformed in, through and for Christ
Tim Chester
Hands up who wants to live for Christ? I see a lot of raised hands.
The natural instinct of a Christian is to want to be transformed so we become like Christ and serve Him. It’s as if a new destination has been punched into our inner Satnav. Instead of plotting a course towards wealth or comfort or career, we’re now heading towards Christ and His kingdom. We want to be transformed. But how?
5 ways to enjoy Jesus more
Tim Chester
Christianity is all about Jesus. That’s not the most controversial statement! And yet Jesus can seem strangely absent from our lives.
We celebrate His character. We talk about His work. We’re grateful for His love. But Jesus Himself can feel far away, and His work can feel as if it belongs in the distant past.
Learning from the Puritans: life as pilgrimage
Tim Chester
We have much to learn from the spirituality of the 17th-century Puritan movement. One perhaps surprising example of this is their emphasis on pilgrimage.
In the Old Testament, Jerusalem was seen as a place of pilgrimage. The annual feasts encouraged worshippers to journey to Jerusalem. The Psalms of Ascent testify to the significance of this journey. But with the coming of Jesus the nature of pilgrimage changes. Jesus himself is the temple (John 2:18-22), so we come to Him rather than journeying to a physical location (1 Peter 2:4-5). Nevertheless, in the medieval world, pilgrimage became a major feature of spirituality and a major money-spinner if you could establish yourself as a holy destination. Pilgrimage was a physical act that required physical movement. For some it was an act that earned merit before God. Others journeyed to sacred relics or sites since these were thought to have inherent power. It was a chance to pray to a saint at his or her shrine for a miracle or for time off purgatory.
