Yesterday I had an incredible day that I will never forget. I was at Wembley stadium watching my team Crystal Palace win the FA Cup, the first major trophy the Eagles have ever won in their 120-year history. We have been to an FA Cup final twice before, in 1990 and 2016, and both times… Continue reading Glad All Over & rising up on wings like Eagles!
The Anti-Greed Gospel
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Review of The Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward; Malcolm Foley (BraznosPress, 2024) On a flight to New York last year, I watched Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon. It is a… Continue reading The Anti-Greed Gospel
‘The Satanic Panic’ and other conspiracies…
January 1986. I was thirteen years old and had decided to ask a girl out for the first time on a proper date. I had met her at a youth group I went to on Friday nights. Its important to appreciate what a nerve-wracking experience it was to ask someone out in the pre-mobile phone… Continue reading ‘The Satanic Panic’ and other conspiracies…
The kindness of strangers
On Friday night my wife and I had a great evening out with a few beers and a meal with old friends from my university. We got the bus home but after we had got off at our stop, I realised that I did not have my phone with me. I knew immediately what I… Continue reading The kindness of strangers
‘Do not settle for a desktop theology’
Photo by Stanislav Kondratiev on Pexels.com Across the spectrum of Christian culture, one characteristic is shared by almost all traditions: the church uses a lot of words. Church services are jam-packed with songs, hymns, bible readings, sermons, liturgy and prayers. Religion and theology produce untold books, podcasts and blogs (like the one you are reading). And… Continue reading ‘Do not settle for a desktop theology’
‘What it’s got to do with you?’: noisy phones on public transport
A few years ago, I was on the top deck of London bus on my way to work and saw a school boy sitting across from me, furiously graffitiing the back of the seat in front of him. Without thinking too much, I instinctively said: ‘Don’t do that’ He glared back a look of venomous… Continue reading ‘What it’s got to do with you?’: noisy phones on public transport
Pope Francis: ‘We are tired of systems that produce poor people’
The death of Pope Francis today has created an incredible wave of sadness and appreciation for his life and ministry. Since becoming Pope in March 2013, Jorge Bergoglio's generosity, simplicity and passion for social justice has inspired those both inside and outside the Church. But as Paul Vallely's superb biography, Pope Francis: Untying the Knots shows, Bergoglio's journey to becoming… Continue reading Pope Francis: ‘We are tired of systems that produce poor people’
The Hope of Easter: my journey from darkness to light – by Emma Heath
For many Easter is a family time, the relief of a long weekend with good food, friends to catch up with and the excitement of the celebrations of Easter Sunday. Yet for many, especially those gripped in addiction, Easter often feels lonely and just another day of pain, where the longing for community, relationships and… Continue reading The Hope of Easter: my journey from darkness to light – by Emma Heath
Humble confidence
Photo by Isaac Taylor on Pexels.com In Luke's account of the last supper, just after Jesus has shared the bread and wine, an argument about their comparative status breaks out among the disciples: “A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.” In response, Jesus says: “The kings… Continue reading Humble confidence
Divine hope, dusty religion
Photo by David Besh on Pexels.com Everyone reading this will have some good reason to be disillusioned with the church. I know so many people of my generation who have given up on church. Some have deconstructed their theological beliefs, others have become ground down by conflict or disappointment. Many continue to 'believe' in theory… Continue reading Divine hope, dusty religion
Grace + Truth 