October 2011
2 posts
sadly
the preacher wasn’t telling the truth / every day, countless people ask God to help them / most of them don’t receive help …
one day isn't enough
realistically …
August 2011
1 post
July 2011
5 posts
Odd feeling
On the train back to Edinburgh / we’re both tired / Glasgow was sunny / looks like it is raining in Edinburgh …
Or
What if churches actually cared about struggling families within their congregations …
“GLOBALLY, *98%* of Christians are neither *envisioned* nor *equipped* for...”
– Mark Greene, Executive Director, The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
May 2011
3 posts
deFeated
As of right now - if you were to ask me if I can do my job - I would have to answer: no …
darkness
There are days when normal blogging is inadvisable. Dark days. Hopeless days. But days when, nevertheless, the imperative is to keep going. To fill the unforgiving minute, etc …
Church
My son, given the choice, doesn’t go to church (he’s 11). On Easter Sunday, he wasn’t given a choice – we (the family) were all in church. But usually, one parent stays at home with Matthew, while the other attends church with our daughter. And increasingly, the one who stays at home is myself, and the one who worships is my wife. I have to say that my son’s choice seems to me to be reasonable. If...
April 2011
1 post
“Oh God, you asked for my hands, that I might use them
for your purpose; I gave...”
– Luís Samacumbi / Evangelical Congregational Church / Angola
March 2011
1 post
So
Why does Job keep on loving God?
February 2011
14 posts
am I a sinner
yes …
Does God love me
mayBe / probably not / (sometimes?) …
God helped me to find my (spare) ‘phone - he must be around - somewhere …
Alone
Someone with friends probably doesn’t think too hard about whether (or not) God is present. But someone who has experienced deep, horrifying loneliness (and can’t resolve his loneliness because he cannot communicate with other human beings (except superficially)) wants desperately for God to be present. But that person has already known the absence of God.
It’s a difficult thing...
Message to Jesus
I worry about to-morrow, because too many people want me to do things for them. I’m happy not to worry about it (indeed, I have drunk enough wine to stop me worrying), but to-morrow will come, and these people will be wanting their problems solved, and YOU WON’T BE THERE …
Romans
A few weeks ago, in oxFam, I bought a copy of The Street Bible. I was quite pleased - it was a first edition (I think) of what is now called Word on the Street (by Rob Lacey). It’s a paraphrase of the bible, with an up-to-date feel (references to email, the world wide web, modern language, etc). I’m reading through Paul’s Letter to the Romans (or Romans / Paul to JLM Rome...
Aspie Christian
Christians love one another (or so I’m told). Christians forgive their enemies (again, so I’m told).
I’m tired, lonely, hungry (and a Christian) …
Honesty
Jesus is the Son of God - there, I’ve said it (see 1 John 4:15) …
rouTine
A sausage roll for breakfast may be unhealthy, but at least it was something to look forward to …
“And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”
– Matthew 6:13 (NRSV)
“When things conspire against you, reach out to the one who never leaves you or...”
– wordLive
twitturgies:
God’s commands distilled: Love God Love Others. Small enough words to write on a stamp: a big enough vision to heal our world
“Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and...”
– Luke 8:18 (ESV)
July 2009
1 post
“But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also...”
– John 11:37 (ESV)
June 2009
2 posts
“God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to...”
– Ps 68:6, NRSV
“Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.”
– Psalm 10:12, ESV
March 2009
1 post
1 Cor 1:27 (ESV)
Ah, but the people who have translated the bible and made it available to us have reckoned themselves to be authors, and therefore we must observe copyright, and not re-publish more than 10% of what they have written, and so it is better that I do not reproduce what was written …
My understanding is that God prefers weak people to strong people - but then he leaves the weak people to fend...
February 2009
11 posts
1 Cor 1:26 (ESV)
‘consider your calling’ - immediately makes me think of those with a calling to ministry, but Paul is, surely, merely reminding the Corinthians of their being called into the fellowship of people who believe in Jesus Christ. And pointing out that they could not by any stretch of the imagination be thought of as the elite …
1 Cor 1:20-25 (ESV)
Wisdom vs folly (or intelligence vs stupidity) - but upside down, because Paul seems to be saying that God’s folly trumps people’s wisdom. However, I don’t think that this means that it is appropriate for Christians to be pushing a scientific viewpoint which to the scientists is unscientific. Let’s say that it’s pretty silly nowadays to propound a creationist view of...
1 John 3:11 (NIV)
Reading out of context - is this the way forward?
1 Cor 1:18,19 (ESV)
The reference is to Isaiah 29:14, but what does it leave us with?
1 Cor 1:10-17 (ESV)
People …
1 Cor 1:11 (GNB)
“quite plainly” - in contrast, we know that there was a serious disagreement which resulted in people leaving our previous church, but no-one will tell us the substance of the disagreement …
1 Cor 1:10 (NET)
To be honest, agreeing together isn’t a characteristic of the Christian church as a whole, but it can happen on a small scale …
1 Cor 1:4-9 (NIV)
Positive, encouraging … (but are we in for a criticism sandwich?) …
1 Cor 1:3 (ESV)
Grace, peace - big words. And, again, the Lord Jesus Christ …
1 Cor 1:2 (ESV)
Jesus, named twice: Christ Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ …
1 Cor 1:1 (ESV)
Four characters: Paul, God, Christ Jesus, and Sosthenes …
June 2008
1 post
A fresh start
Looking out at the world; somewhat desperate because the time and effort required to do everything that I am expected to do far exceeds the time and effort available …
May 2008
2 posts
April 2008
2 posts
February 2008
7 posts
