Preparing Easter services from John’s gospel this year I’ve been struck by Jesus' promise, during his extended last supper discussion, not to leave the disciples as orphans and how it encapsulates the gospel. Lives which had wondered away from God have been called back and invited to follow Jesus. And now Jesus promises not to... Continue Reading →
Baptist Pensions
I hesitate to blog about pensions, since I’m no expert, but several people have visited this blog having searched for ‘BU pensions’ so here is my personal take on the subject. 1. It is sad that we have to change the pension scheme but there is no reasonable alternative. Some of the changes are because... Continue Reading →
5 P’s of #leadership
A blog post caught my eye earlier this week where Rob Petrini suggested the two things a Christian leader needed to remember were process and perception. I’d not come across this before but it got me thinking; and so here are my 5 key elements of church leadership (leaving the question of the relation of ministry... Continue Reading →
Baptist bloggers banquet?
The Catholic Church is holding a special meeting between bloggers and the Pontifical Councils for Culture and Social Communications in Rome on 2nd May. It appears the Catholic Church is anxious to engage with new media practitioners, to listen to the experiences of those involved and gain a greater understanding of the blogging community. A... Continue Reading →
It’s a generational thing
Over the last month I’ve listened to more members of the church here preaching than usual and I’ve been struck by the variety and how they preach differently to me. Some of this is down to character, the impact of ministerial formation and the fact that I preach on average once a week. But I... Continue Reading →
Liturgy in worship
The church here mostly uses contemporary songs in worship but I often include some bits of liturgy, such as creeds and confessions, in leading services. It seems to me that liturgy has several benefits. By using a limited range on a regular basis you help the congregation to become familiar with things which can positively... Continue Reading →
Death of ministerial training?
An article is it time to write the Eulogy?: The future of Seminary Education caught my eye (HT Steve Harmon who blogs at Ecclesial Theology). My impression is that the situation in the US is different to the UK but the question of what we expect from our Theological colleges is nevertheless worth asking. Not... Continue Reading →
Rob Bell review – the twitter version
For those who haven't the time to read the book or the reviews: #robbell #lovewins Asks good Qs avoids detailed As. Universalist? No Theol heav&hell? Poor: sin,wrath? Claim most believe hell wins? wrong
Review: Rob Bell, Love wins
Never having read any of Rob Bell’s previous books I wasn’t sure what to expect; the vitriol poured in his direction suggested it wasn’t going to be good. My overall impression is that there isn’t anything in the book which is fundamentally objectionable or not said by someone else before; so why all the fuss?... Continue Reading →
Love, hatred and religious narrowmindedness
My understanding of Islam is not what it ought to be, my knowledge of Pakistan is deficient because it is entirely based on the British media. However Veena Malik's appearance on Pakistan's TV appears to show a feisty, passionate and courageous woman taking on the forces of conservative Islam. Which given recent events in that... Continue Reading →
Distinct Reflections 