Photo Tina Nord on Pexels.com When I was in my twenties, I lived in Kings Cross in London and was a member of a local church. There, I got to know a man who was a former crack addict. We'll call him Ian. He was doing his best to put his life back together and… Continue reading The need for grace and truth: the complexity of compassion #1
Author: Jon Kuhrt
Jon Kuhrt has worked with people affected by homelessness for over 30 years. He is a former government adviser on how faith groups address rough sleeping and is now CEO of Hope into Action. He lives with his wife in Streatham, south London and they have 3 children. He likes football....but loves cricket.
Steve Chalke speaking at WLM’s Annual Meeting
Regular readers of R&R will know that I often post articles which relate to my work at West London Mission. We are part of the Methodist Church and run a wide range of social and community projects for people affected by homelessness, poverty and trauma. Activism and controversy One of the 'big characters' from WLM's… Continue reading Steve Chalke speaking at WLM’s Annual Meeting
Royal wedding sermon: stop the internal church critique & use the opportunity
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com At my church on Sunday afternoons, I lead a youth group which mainly consists of children whose families don't go to church. Most of them are boys aged between 12-14 and many know me from a football club that I have run for many years. Types of love This… Continue reading Royal wedding sermon: stop the internal church critique & use the opportunity
Rev. Curry’s sermon summed up why I am a Christian
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com There has been an incredible reaction to Bishop Michael Curry's sermon at the Royal Wedding today. Both the content and the manner of his talk broke the formality which so easily straight-jackets Anglican services and especially any religious events involving the Royalty. There was power, authority and a bold… Continue reading Rev. Curry’s sermon summed up why I am a Christian
The nonsense surrounding weddings undermine marriage
Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com A royal wedding is simply the über example of the extravagance, hype and nonsense that has overtaken the contemporary concept of getting married. This culture is fuelled by an industry dedicated to ramping up costs. It knows how much money people are willing to waste for ‘the perfect… Continue reading The nonsense surrounding weddings undermine marriage
The Only Way Is Ethics: ‘Christian Today’ has to drop dodgy adverts
Over the last few years the website Christian Today has grown in prominence in the UK. It carries a wide range of religious news and commentary and high profile Christian leaders, like Krish Kandiah and Youthscape's Martin Saunders, regularly write on the site. Ruth Mawhinney, a former Editor, is now Head of Media for Justin Welby,… Continue reading The Only Way Is Ethics: ‘Christian Today’ has to drop dodgy adverts
What are the best ways of helping people?
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com Every Tuesday at WLM's centre for homeless people at Seymour Place in central London, we have a Spirituality Discussion Group for our homeless clients. Even though membership of the group changes frequently, the group decides themselves the topics it wants to discuss. Its one the highlights of my job… Continue reading What are the best ways of helping people?
Crisis of faith in social action: keeping Christian distinctiveness
A huge number charities have been started by committed Christians. One example is my former employer, the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint. It was started in the late 1960s by the Rev Kenneth Leech in St Anne's Church in Soho. But by the time I worked there in the 1990s, Centrepoint had virtually no connection with the… Continue reading Crisis of faith in social action: keeping Christian distinctiveness
Why Westminster Abbey is the wrong venue to remember Martin Luther King
Photo by Samuel Sweet on Pexels.com On April 4th, I attended two events which marked the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King. The first was a packed, lunchtime service at Westminster Abbey, just over the road from Parliament. The second was a rare viewing of the 1970 documentary King: a filmed Record...Montgomery… Continue reading Why Westminster Abbey is the wrong venue to remember Martin Luther King
Cheating cricketers and the message of Easter
Photo by Manoj Poosam on Pexels.com I’ll never forget my first match for my University Cricket Club. I was 19 and nervously excited. I had played a lot of league cricket down south but now I was playing alongside teammates from the northern leagues. They were a tougher breed. In the changing room before the… Continue reading Cheating cricketers and the message of Easter
Grace + Truth 