Remembering, commemorating and romanticising the Reformation
Five hundred years ago a big event happened in Europe that changed the course of history forever. Five hundred years ago this month, a monk nailed 95 theses to a door, a move which would shake the foundations of the European world and indeed the global world forevermore. Five hundred years ago, was the beginning […]
Five hundred years of the Reformation: recommended reading material
October is upon us and this month we are celebrating 500 years of the Reformation, but beyond some random hot-headed monk banging a bit of paper on a church-door and a few fights, what else happened? It is my aim in this post to list a number of short books on the Reformation and Reformation […]
LGBT+ and Christianity: have we got it wrong?
This is a massive subject and not one that I approach lightly, but rather, literally, in fear and trepidation, with a profound sense of its difficulty and sensitivity. It is an issue that needs to be considered by all Christians. We need to clearly define the biblical position. It cannot be handled without touching on […]
Seven things CUs need to learn
As the next academic year starts, Christian Unions up and down the country re-start. CUs are great; a place for students to come together in fellowship, to pray and evangelise in their campus. I was fortunate in having such a welcoming CU when I went to University, and it probably played a role in leading […]
Youthful wisdom
So you have probably seen this title and maybe freaked out a little. Here we go again, the youth thinking they know it all. Hopefully by reading on, you will find that I think nothing of the sort, however, I also don’t think we are plain dumb either. Youth Arise! Let’s consider the Methodist revival […]
How should Christians respond to terrorism?
In the wake of recent horrific terrorist attacks (which are now almost a daily occurrence) in Barcelona, Finland, Russia, London and many other places, there are many different reactions. Some people are inclined to panic; others put on a show of resilience, resolve and unity; and some angrily attack back, verbally or otherwise. But how should […]
18th Century Methodism: an introduction to the social movement
Christians who look back to the 18th century usually focus on the spiritual revival that took place, often termed the ‘Great Awakening’. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, what can tend to be left-out and forgotten is the enormous social impact the movement had on society. Methodism was a movement that grew out of a […]
Is Creationism a red herring?
“I think” wrote Charles Darwin on his iconic first sketch of the tree of life. He went on to express his thoughts when urged to write them as a book, On the Origin of Species, and took his thoughts to their logical conclusion in The Descent of Man. The nation had been primed to receive […]
Fear and faith: some thoughts on the General Election
I think we can all agree elections and election campaigning are extremely divisive. Many worry about the outcome of the election. Meanwhile the politicians sling insults at each other, sharing untruthful and misleading memes and videos to try and win more support. They declaim the other side as evil and wrong, ‘we are the only […]
God in our hobbies: writing worship
I love sitting down with my guitar and coming up with a song. Granted, I am not a great singer or a great musician, in fact, I’m probably one of the worst around. Nonetheless, to spend time with God and giving praise to him, there is nothing I’d rather do. The Bible says to ‘make […]
Discerning God’s will: when decisions need to be made…
Before you read the rest of this, let me just tell you a bit about myself. I am a final year student studying to be teacher. I have approximately 5 weeks left before I have finished uni for good (not that I am counting of course!) I currently do not have a job lined up […]
The importance of reading and meditating on your Bible every day
I remember a little ditty I learnt as a youngster, to the tune of London’s Burning: Read your Bible, read your Bible read it daily, read it daily. It’s a lamp; it’s a lamp, and a light to your pathway. The words are simple but they are so true. It’s based on Psalm 119:105, which […]