Category: Uncategorized
-
Statistics and anecdotes and what then?
Well, 40 people have visited this blog or one person has visited 40 times. That is what my monthly report from WordPress tells me. I’m a bit of a sucker for statistics. Apparently new figures from the Church of England suggest that congregations have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. I think Baptists – though…
-
A little more on verbs
I wanted to say a little more about Paul’s verbs in Philippians because it will hopefully lead into more reflections on our actions in this important pre-election year. There are a number of verbs that Paul uses, all, it seems to me, with the aim of helping his first hearers build vibrant and supportive communities.…
-
verbs – most of them difficult
Being a Jesus follower is more about verbs than nouns, more about doing than describing. We’re all familiar with the fact that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks entirely about what we do, how we live and not about what we believe. But I have discovered that Paul is pretty similar. And this…
-
Watching it emerge before our eyes
Over this past year I’ve been editing a book for Red Letter Christians UK on the topic of Jesus and Justice. The journey began at a writers’ workshop in Birmingham at the start of the year where would-be contributors shared their ideas and I offered a framework for what the book could look like. Since…
-
Following in the master’s footsteps
Inspired by Walter Brueggemann and a bill, here I am blogging with intent. The Brueggemann inspiration comes from his new book, Real World Faith, which is a collection of the blogs he has posted at Church Anew. He says, ‘It turns out that blogs are just the right genre for an old man who still…
-
Who would Jesus tax?
A version of this blog appears on the Red Letter Christians blog. With the cost of living crisis engulfing most of us, there is a head of steam building behind questions of who should be taxed and how. Last week the Wealth Tax Commission published its beefy report, earlier this week Tax Justice UK detailed…
-
Frustrations…
The tech giants tell us that their gizmos and apps will make our lives easier, bring us together, broker a better world. Trouble is, everything they do is to maximize their profit and shareholder return. I’m not sure any of them are that interested in world peace and human flourishing. I am, of course, speaking…
-
Blessed are those who walk in kindness
Well, it’s been quite a week! fear and helplessness seem to haunt every conversation. ‘How will we make ends meet?’ ‘How will we survive the winter?’ In Calais, the authorities have cleared informal camps again, and replaced them with landscapes of boulders meaning the camps cannot reform. And the displaced and exiled ask, ‘when will…
-
A fresh start
Well, after years on Blogspot, I have moved to WordPress. I like what I have discovered so far! In the coming weeks, I shall be posting on all the topics that interest me, namely following Jesus, working with refugees and displaced people on both sides of the channel, making sense of the church (if that’s…
A sideways glance 