What ever happened to Sunday evening worship?
It’s now a common occurrence for churches to only have a single service on a Sunday. We spend time dining, socialising and finishing off our chores or even a day out shopping. The evening service is disregarded as we fill our time with other things.
Early or Late? Dating the Gospels
Questions regarding the Gospels’ legitimacy, authorship and date have been debated from when they were first written to now. But does any of this really matter? Does it actually make a difference to us as we read our Bible?
Balthasar Hubmaier: a greater theologian than Calvin?
I recently attended a study week with Josh, my co-writer at Eat Write Sleep. Around a nice, roaring fire in a Country Manor on the Welsh border, he asked an interesting question: ‘Who are your top ten theologians?’ His point being that the vast majority of them were Presbyterians…
Taking time to stop
We live in a society like no other. Our phones are never more than arm’s length away, and every other minute there is some new news, notification, podcast episode—you name it—information is readily at our fingertips. But information overload is not wisdom. We need to take time to stop.
Responding to the US election as Christians
In this episode of our podcast, Michael, Josh and Ryan discuss how as believers we should react to the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.
Rediscovering the wonder in the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper or Communion is an event which the Christian church has been celebrating for the last two thousand years. Yet in so many churches it seems to be rushed or tagged on at the end of a service; or it is a source of contention. We need to rediscover the wonder of the Lord’s Supper, understand why it has been neglected and how we can restore it.
Mind over emotion
Emotions are not really helping us.
We live in an emotion-fuelled world, and it often seems that decisions, from politics to consumer choices are based on how we feel in the moment. It does seem that in many church services there is an over-emphasis on our feelings and emotions. Whether that be the prayers, the preaching, or perhaps more obviously, the songs.
Context, context, context
What are the words you will most likely hear in a history lecture?
‘Context is key’
I have had that ingrained in me ever since I began my history undergraduate some years ago. Yet, ‘Context is key’ is also what we should remember when we open the Word and read Scripture.
The decline of the local church
Our prayer is that people would come into our churches from the local area, saved and unsaved, to add to our numbers. Yet, I’ve been troubled in recent months by the thought that many of us don’t go to churches local to us. Instead, we go to the ones which fit our specification and forget the little faithful congregation next door.
Let’s get rid of excessive evangelism and reform the church
Over the last few decades, I believe that many of us have lost sight of what church is about and are instead gripped and obsessed with modern evangelism techniques in all their shapes and sizes. From seeker sensitivity to the construction of endless cafes, churches up and down the land have neglected the lives of the congregation. This is not healthy.
Learning from the Sardis church
The church of Sardis is a warning to all of our churches as we pursue growth, numbers and a thriving community. In this post, I aim to draw our attention to our hearts, and who we are really serving.
Faith-led research: being a Christian in the Humanities
There aren’t many Christians within Academia. In this episode, Michael and Ryan sit down to discuss how our faith has impacted our work our lives and our research. From Zimbabwe to Colchester, our faith has been the root of everything and we would love to share a bit about it with you. We hope you […]