By Jon Swales I don’t want to be a Christianwho forgets how to feel -who hides behind answers,quotes verses like shields,and silences sorrow with a song. I don’t want a faithof romanticised abstraction,where resurrection is polishedand the cross is theory.Give me something real-flesh and blood,grief and grace. I want to weepwith eyes wide open.Tears that… Continue reading I don’t want to be a Christian who…
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Fatherlessness & homelessness – by Mark Wood
giselaatje from pixabay It feels like suddenly, everyone is talking about boys and the malign influences they are under. The success of the Netflix drama Adolescence has given the issue global profile and Gareth Southgate’s excellent Dimbleby lecture added to this. The recent Lost Boys report by the Centre for Social Justice highlights the disparity… Continue reading Fatherlessness & homelessness – by Mark Wood
Porn & the Church: if we ignore it, maybe it will go away? – by Martin Kuhrt
'What have I done?' I asked myself. I had organised a conference on porn at my home church in Aylesbury. But a few days before, I began to feel a heavy sense of failure. Bad taste No-one’s going to come. People have told me they don’t like the way it had been advertised. I've been… Continue reading Porn & the Church: if we ignore it, maybe it will go away? – by Martin Kuhrt
Bad apples in rotten barrels – by Stephen Kuhrt
Jimmy Saville and the BBC; Wayne Couzens and Metropolitan Police Force; Paula Vennells and the Post Office. When stories of abuse or corruption emerge the immediate focus is often on those individuals who’ve directly committed the crimes. But in almost every case, what is then examined is how the institution they worked within colluded with… Continue reading Bad apples in rotten barrels – by Stephen Kuhrt
The best rebellion is living joyfully – by Anna Price
Artwork by Sophie Killingley Perish and Fade Some seem to glide through life perhaps without a care in the world, good things happen to them, they ‘just’ fall in love or easily find success. But those who have a need to rebel are not drifting through life easily. Rather, they experience a deep dissatisfaction. They… Continue reading The best rebellion is living joyfully – by Anna Price
Compassion or coercion? Grace, truth & Assisted Suicide – by John Clifton
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com On Sunday, I took a risk. I was preaching to a congregation I didn’t know and I chose to speak on the emotive topic of assisted suicide. With the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill approaching on 29th November, I felt it was vital… Continue reading Compassion or coercion? Grace, truth & Assisted Suicide – by John Clifton
Corruption, lies & the power of truth: ‘Mr Smith goes to Washington’ is a film for our times – by Stephen Kuhrt
Senators Joseph Paine (Claude Raines) & Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart). Click to watch trailer. As Christmas approaches, many will repeat the annual ritual of watching It’s a Wonderful Life. A lesser-known film with an equally powerful and important message is Mr Smith goes to Washington. Produced seven years earlier in 1939, it has the same… Continue reading Corruption, lies & the power of truth: ‘Mr Smith goes to Washington’ is a film for our times – by Stephen Kuhrt
The de-humanising effects of liberalism – by Jenny Sinclair
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Pexels.com Every era is characterised by an animating idea – and in our era it is liberalism. This is the sea we swim in. We don't really see it because it's all around us. Much of its influence has been positive, but it becomes a problem when it goes too… Continue reading The de-humanising effects of liberalism – by Jenny Sinclair
Why Justin Welby must resign – by Stephen Kuhrt
Photo: Flickr The Makin Report, published this week, chronicles the appalling, sadistic and spiritualised abuse carried out by John Smyth and the abject failure of the Church of England to respond adequately to this. John Smyth’s abuse represents pure evil. But just as evil is the vast number of professing Christians who knew about Smyth’s… Continue reading Why Justin Welby must resign – by Stephen Kuhrt
Engaging with the dark; bringing light to Halloween – by Anna Price
On Halloween this year, our church, St Mary Magdalene Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families from our estate, to pass through our annual 'Light on a Dark Night’ event. This has become a hugely popular community gathering point for those out trick or treating, as well as for those trying to perhaps… Continue reading Engaging with the dark; bringing light to Halloween – by Anna Price
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