"We wake up tomorrow in a Christian nation...will women have the vote tomorrow if we could wave that magic Christian wand?" "No" For Our Daughters is a short film about sexual abuse of women in the US evangelical church and how church culture perpetuated these injustices and covered it up. It contains powerful testimonies of… Continue reading Sex, power & cheap grace: a short film everyone should watch
Category: Ethics & Christian living
“Though this world is broken, we know His justice shall win”
Lee Abbey Camp 2024 banner - created by Sabryanne I am just back from another brilliant week at the Lee Abbey Youth Camp. The camp is all about building a community with 150 others bonded by God's love. We sleep in tents in a field by the sea, eat food cooked over open fires and… Continue reading “Though this world is broken, we know His justice shall win”
The priest, the pay-off & an institution paralysed by fear
Blackburn Cathedral Revolutionary France, 1790s: a mob is rampaging through the streets of Paris, smashing up shops, looting and assaulting people. Trailing fifty yards behind the chaos is an older man struggling to keep up. As he stops and leans on a wall to take a breath, a man asks him ‘My friend, why do… Continue reading The priest, the pay-off & an institution paralysed by fear
Fully Alive: tending to the soul in turbulent times [review]
Fully Alive: tending to the soul in turbulent times by Elizabeth Oldfield (Hodder & Stoughton, 2024) Fully Alive is a fresh, thoughtful and extremely honest attempt to build a bridge between the Christian faith and those outside the church bubble. It had me hooked from the first page. Like all the best books, this book… Continue reading Fully Alive: tending to the soul in turbulent times [review]
Radical faith, remarkable community: the real deal at Bonny Downs
https://youtu.be/UV8_0FfrVrk Over the last few years, it has been a joy to get to know the remarkable Christian community in Bonny Downs in East London. It’s a group of people whose life, work and example has truly inspired me. Their story starts back in 1890s, when Charles Howe, walking through the ‘notoriously rough’ Bonny Downs… Continue reading Radical faith, remarkable community: the real deal at Bonny Downs
‘Let there be Light’: Matt & Beth Redman on Mike Pilavachi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVZkgdt32u8 Matt and Beth Redman worked closely with Mike Pilavachi as the Soul Survivor church and festival grew in size and influence. This week they released a thirty minute film to share their experiences of his abusive behaviour. They speak candidly about the psychological impact of Pilavachi's tendency to bring people into his fold and… Continue reading ‘Let there be Light’: Matt & Beth Redman on Mike Pilavachi
Following Jesus; seeking justice
This week saw the London launch of a new book from the Red Letter Christians UK. Each chapter is a story of how following Jesus has led people into activism for justice. My story recalls the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Below I share two excerpts which connect my role as a volunteer… Continue reading Following Jesus; seeking justice
What story are you living by?
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com Less than two years ago, the BBC broadcasted a documentary about the Post Office scandal but the programme gained little public interest. In contrast, when ITV broadcast a dramatised version, Mr Bates versus the Post Office, it led to widespread public anger. It led to the scandal being widely recognised… Continue reading What story are you living by?
The secularisation of Martin Luther King
Photo by Wilson Rodriguez on Pexels.com Martin Luther King remains a hero to a wide range of people. But alongside the appreciation of his life and work, there is a consistent tendency of commentators to downplay or eliminate the Christian faith that King’s civil right’s activism was rooted in. A Baptist Minister Many people don’t even know that… Continue reading The secularisation of Martin Luther King
Dramatic impact & something bigger than justice
In 1966, the BBC play Cathy Come Home was a key moment in public perceptions about the reality of homelessness. This week, we have seen the ITV drama Mr Bates v The Post Office have a similarly seismic public impact. Its a moving and inspiring 'David v Goliath' story of a group of ordinary people’s… Continue reading Dramatic impact & something bigger than justice
Grace + Truth 