Some believe the Church should have nothing to do with Halloween. They see as a rather horrible celebration of evil which is a bad influence on children. Others believe that the Church needs to chill out and realise how daft it is to put a downer on a bit of harmless fun. The ironic thing… Continue reading Getting the most out of Halloween – by Stephen Kuhrt
‘Endurance inspired by hope’: strong roots for social action
A few years ago an atheist friend of mine who worked for a homelessness charity said to me: ‘My motives are purer than yours. I do this work simply to help people, you do it so you can get into heaven.’ I did my best to explain that while I am motivated by my faith, I have… Continue reading ‘Endurance inspired by hope’: strong roots for social action
‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The empowerment of Bartimaeus
In Mark’s account of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, two of his disciples, the brothers James and John, approach him with a request. Jesus says: 'What do you want me to do for you?' It turns out their request is do with securing their own prestige and status. This then triggers a wider argument among… Continue reading ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The empowerment of Bartimaeus
Faith which puts Hope into Action
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZSKiqr0iPk&t=48s I am excited to share that I have a new job. In January, I will be joining Hope into Action as their new Chief Executive. I have loved my work over the last 4 years, advising on how churches and faith groups respond to homelessness in the government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative. This period has seen… Continue reading Faith which puts Hope into Action
Listening to the ‘others’ we talk about
This is a response to Martin Kuhrt’s article Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on Hi Martin, We don’t know each other but I subscribe to Grace + Truth and I read your recent article. I also do the same job as you in a different part of the country. I found your… Continue reading Listening to the ‘others’ we talk about
The ecclesiastical doughnut: why the C of E is ungovernable
Last week saw yet another Church of England report into safeguarding and institutional failings in the handling of abuse allegations. Almost 400 new cases involving actions by clergy, officials and volunteers against children and vulnerable adults were uncovered. In a foreword to the report, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, wrote of… Continue reading The ecclesiastical doughnut: why the C of E is ungovernable
The worst prepared youth work ever
I was at church last Sunday. As is normal after about 20 minutes, the children and young people left for their groups. About 5 minutes later, one of the young people came and tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Jon, we are all waiting for you.’ My heart sank with a rush of panic.… Continue reading The worst prepared youth work ever
Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on – by Martin Kuhrt
Photo by Andreea Ch on Pexels.com When I was a student in the 1980s, one of my left-wing, feminist friends said that the Prime Minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher, ‘was not really a woman’. At the time, I laughed it off. But I thought about it again this week when the Labour MP Rupa… Continue reading Dividing body, soul & spirit: Gnostic heresies live on – by Martin Kuhrt
Rigorous religion or sloppy spirituality?
In his book Faith, Hope and Carnage, singer Nick Cave shares some fascinating insights into how faith has influenced him and his music. He says: “The word spirituality is a little too amorphous for my taste. It can mean almost anything, whereas the word ‘religious’ is just more specific, perhaps even more conservative, has a… Continue reading Rigorous religion or sloppy spirituality?
‘Service in life; hope in death’: Welby’s counter-cultural message
I can understand the feelings of those who struggled with aspects of yesterday’s funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. However much respect and gratitude there is towards the Queen, the fusion of militarism, opulence and imperial power alongside Christian worship should create dissonance and provoke questions. The medium cannot be separated from the message. It’s a struggle… Continue reading ‘Service in life; hope in death’: Welby’s counter-cultural message
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