What theme could more appropriate on November 5th than religious tolerance? After all it is the night when we remember the failure of Catholic activists to blow up Parliament and kill the King. An event we have celebrated for over 400 years by gleefully burning effigies of the most celebrated conspirator, Guy Fawkes, who was… Continue reading Conviction and tolerance…in an age of bigotry
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.
Halloween: a time to confront our real fears (of young people)
Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev on Pexels.com We spent last week on holiday so we were out of London for Halloween for the first time in years. We were in a quiet village but we received a warning about what to expect from one of the locals: "You should expect to be busy, all the kids… Continue reading Halloween: a time to confront our real fears (of young people)
Homelessness: how the Church still offers hospitality and hope
Two major events happening in November show why the Church continues has such an important role in addressing homelessness. Firstly, on November 8th there is the Annual Service of Commemoration for homeless people who have died in the past year which is held every year at St Martins-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. This is always a… Continue reading Homelessness: how the Church still offers hospitality and hope
The best thing I did last summer – Lee Abbey Camp 2012
It was a great summer: the Jubilee, the London Olympics and my 40th birthday. The weather was not great but our family holiday in Costa Del Kent coincided with the hottest week of the year and my birthday picnic was only slightly dampened by a torrential downpour… But for me, the best week of the year… Continue reading The best thing I did last summer – Lee Abbey Camp 2012
Left behind: Why the Christian Socialist Movement needs a new name
I remember someone saying to me years ago that Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) had three main problems. Firstly, it wasn’t Christian. Secondly, it wasn’t Socialist. And thirdly, it definitely wasn’t a Movement. And five years ago CSM was struggling. The average age of the membership was the on the rise, numbers were in decline, finances… Continue reading Left behind: Why the Christian Socialist Movement needs a new name
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas [review]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and Pastor, who was killed in a Nazi concentration camp, is undoubtedly a Christian hero. But in a Church plagued by theological tribalism, the legacy of such heroes can become a sharply contested. Different tribes claim the legacy of such heroes as their own as lives are analysed and attributes… Continue reading Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas [review]
‘The Lion’s World: A journey into the heart of Narnia’ by Rowan Williams [Review]
The Narnia books had a very significant role in shaping my Christian faith. I read them as a young teenager and then around the time I decided to be a Christian at 16, I re-read them. No books, before or since, have given me the experience of entering another world like these did. Yet it… Continue reading ‘The Lion’s World: A journey into the heart of Narnia’ by Rowan Williams [Review]
Speak the truth about staffing problems
This is an expanded version of a previous R&R post Why churches manage people badly which was published in The Church Times last week: Managing people decently is an essential part of Christian work - not a bureaucratic luxury, argues Jon Kuhrt Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com The organisational dysfunction exposed by the Archbishop… Continue reading Speak the truth about staffing problems
Three days to stop the bookies’ take-over of our high streets
One of the most depressing sights in many communities is the huge number of betting shops that seem to spring up everywhere. In the poorest communities, shops are closing, businesses are struggling...but the numbers of bookies is ever on the rise. A key factor in this development is that planning law means that local councils don't… Continue reading Three days to stop the bookies’ take-over of our high streets
Are Christian festivals the new denominations?
I got an email the other day from a good friend who I have not seen for a while asking me about my summer. He is not a Christian but he knows a lot of people who are, and he asked me a question that got me thinking: "So what's your poison: new wine, greenbelt, spring harvest?… Continue reading Are Christian festivals the new denominations?
Grace + Truth 