If you were in the Cheltenham area on Saturday then you would have witnessed a downpour of rain which was almost Old Testament in its proportions. The racecourse with its 20,000 campers was almost submerged; Greenbelt became Mud-belt and the stewards and organisers did an amazing job to keep the whole thing going. The rain… Continue reading The joys of a dirty weekend away: Greenbelt 2012
Category: Theology
‘There is nothing we can do to make God love us more & nothing we can do to make God love us less’
At the Spirituality discussion group at the centre for homeless people that the West London Mission runs in Marylebone, I led a reflection on Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son from Luke 15. To help us we used Rembrandt's famous painting The Return of the Prodigal Son which I took off my office wall and leaned… Continue reading ‘There is nothing we can do to make God love us more & nothing we can do to make God love us less’
How ‘Surprised by Hope’ changed my whole outlook on life & death – by Mari Williams
What is the Christian hope? What does the Bible say about life after death? What are the implications for life before death? Tom Wright tackles these and other questions in his seminal book Surprised by Hope. It’s dense but engaging, rooted in Scripture, and it’s changing the way I think, pray and act. I won’t… Continue reading How ‘Surprised by Hope’ changed my whole outlook on life & death – by Mari Williams
The Church has forfeited the right to have a say on gay marriage
For as long as I can remember the church in the UK has treated people who are gay horrifically. We have denied, we have judged, we have excluded, we have hurt, we have silenced. The vicious aggression of the recent banned bus ads doesn't represent the approach of all Christians, but the church as a whole… Continue reading The Church has forfeited the right to have a say on gay marriage
Sex, chocolates and a lie in for Easter…or is Christianity worth getting out of bed for?
The vicar of All Saints Church in Hove, Father Phil Ritchie, hit the headlines The Daily Mail and The Sun this weekend when he made these comments to his local paper: ‘The problem with the church is that we stay inside our building and occasionally come out and say “Why don’t you come to our church,… Continue reading Sex, chocolates and a lie in for Easter…or is Christianity worth getting out of bed for?
I agree with The Sun: John Sentamu should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
Photo by u00c7iu011fdem Bilgin on Pexels.com Currently I go to a Baptist Church and work for the Methodists, so perhaps I should not comment on who should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. But this morning, whilst waiting for my son to have his hair cut, I read The Sun’s editorial titled ‘Honest John’. It outlined… Continue reading I agree with The Sun: John Sentamu should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury
The way of Jesus: comforting the disturbed & disturbing the comfortable
Photo by SevenStorm JUHASZIMRUS on Pexels.com The Occupy LSX camp outside St Paul's Cathedral has meant that that the church's relationship with causes of political and economic justice has been front page news in recent months in an unprecedented way. It has lead to a politicised renewal of the phrase What Would Jesus Do? This… Continue reading The way of Jesus: comforting the disturbed & disturbing the comfortable
An atheist’s encounter with Rob Bell – by Ronnie Stockton
I have considered myself an atheist all my adult life. But earlier this year I accepted an invitation to an event hosted by Greenbelt at Westminster Central Methodist Hall where the US pastor Rob Bell was speaking. Before going to hear him, I researched a little bit on Google and Youtube. I found his style… Continue reading An atheist’s encounter with Rob Bell – by Ronnie Stockton
When Two Become One (tribalism in the church part 2)
Despite the continuing power of the theological tribalism within the Church (see When Two Tribes Go to War) something exciting is happening which is subverting and challenging these divisions. In my work alongside a wide range of different Christian traditions, I am conscious every week of a growing synthesis that is emerging which is not confined by the tribal… Continue reading When Two Become One (tribalism in the church part 2)
When Two Tribes Go To War
Over the last 10 years, through both my work with homeless people and in community development, I have worked with a wide range of different churches and with Christians who hold very different theological perspectives. Despite some encouraging signs around Christian unity, there remains a significant tribalism at work in the Church between conservative and liberal emphases. We… Continue reading When Two Tribes Go To War
Grace + Truth 