'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
Category: Social commentary
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
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
Sowing the seeds of strife
"A troublemaker plants seeds of strife" Proverbs 16:28 "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are… Continue reading Sowing the seeds of strife
Navigating narratives: from the ‘Brat Pack’ to today’s misinformation
The 'Brat Pack’ were a group of young American actors who defined the cinema of my early teenage years. It was a play on the 1950s/60s group of Hollywood actors and entertainers known as ‘the Rat Pack’. Films like The Outsiders, St Elmo’s Fire and The Breakfast Club portrayed the struggles of young people in… Continue reading Navigating narratives: from the ‘Brat Pack’ to today’s misinformation
Being a ‘public Christian’
Photo by Kaique Rocha on Pexels.com When it comes to matters of faith in public life, we are living in fascinating times. 15-20 years ago the militant ‘New Atheism’ of Richard Dawkins was on the rise and it seemed everyone was reading The God Delusion. But the mood-music has changed. Dawkins himself recently described himself… Continue reading Being a ‘public Christian’
Wealth, fear & nimbyism: my Tunbridge Wells winter #1
In the mid-1990s I worked in a large hostel in Hackney, East London for 140 homeless men and women. But the organisation I worked for had an opportunity for someone to be seconded for 5 months to a Housing Association in Kent who needed a manager to establish a new winter shelter for rough sleepers.… Continue reading Wealth, fear & nimbyism: my Tunbridge Wells winter #1
Expensive litter: the e-bike corporate fly-dump
The fly-dumping of unwanted rubbish is a big problem in my neighbourhood. The entrances to the park behind our house are a favourite place for people to leave mattresses, old toys and other waste. Added to this are the cowboy builders who leave construction debris, as well as those who are paid to dispose of… Continue reading Expensive litter: the e-bike corporate fly-dump
A modern Ecclesiastes: Matthew Perry & the Big Terrible reality of addiction
Matthew Perry’s memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is a poignant and moving book which is rendered tragic by the author’s death last year aged just 54. Matthew Perry had just about everything most men could dream of. He had ‘the best job in the world’ starring in the world's most popular TV… Continue reading A modern Ecclesiastes: Matthew Perry & the Big Terrible reality of addiction
Why ‘New Atheism’ grew old
Ten years ago, when I worked at the West London Mission, I invited an atheist sociologist to speak at our Annual Conference. His name was Carwyn Gravell and in a beautifully lyrical Welsh accent, he introduced himself: "I am an atheist, but I am not of the Richard Dawkins kind. I am not at the… Continue reading Why ‘New Atheism’ grew old
Grace + Truth 