asadmin I’ll admit it – I’m biased. I studied history for my university degree – I love it. I find it fascinating, and will happily read books on most historical subjects now. I also know that not everyone enjoyed history at school. Memories of rote-learning monarchs, or obsessing over outdated parliamentary laws, or perhaps the very … Read more
In the area of Streatham where we used to live (in south London), there were no pubs. The reason is that, back in the 17th century, the land was owned by a Quaker family and they had attached a covenant to the land, which forbade it. As a covenant, it was permanent – it lasted … Read more
We live in a culture which focuses largely on the now. ‘The past is a foreign country,’ and the future is a crystal ball. Only the present matters. Whilst we inevitably have to live in the here and now, we also lose so much if we get caught up with this attitude. And not just … Read more
Nehemiah finished with prayers of remembering. Let’s enjoy a few more days in the ‘psalms of remembering’: ‘Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing: power and majesty, praise to the King. Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name. I sing for joy at the work … Read more
Every November we have our season of remembrance. It begins with All Saints Day on the 1st – a chance to remember the global church – moves through Bonfire Night and concludes with Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, when we remember the impact of war, and rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace. Remembering is … Read more
We live in a workaholic society. Take the Enlightenment dogma of continuous progress, mix with a subtle blend of the Protestant work ethic, add a sprinkling of consumerist worship at the altar of customer entitlement, shake thoroughly and hey presto! A fabulous modernist cocktail. And, like a cocktail, tasty as it seems at the time, … Read more
Following our reflection yesterday on the need for inner transformation to effect real and deep change, we conclude our week revisiting a passage in John on the same theme: Every so often an innovation comes along which changes the game. The product remains the same, but once this innovation is launched, what was once perfectly … Read more
People can’t obey God. Or at least, not all of the time, or even most of the time. You could say that, ‘People can’t obey God’ is a pretty good summary of the whole Old Testament, certainly its history books. Renewal is only ever temporary, things usually go back to how they were after a … Read more
Strictly speaking, I don’t earn anything at all. I haven’t done for 16 years now. What ministers get paid is called a ‘stipend’ rather than a ‘salary’. It’s easy to forget why this matters. I’ve often caught myself referring to my role in ways that suggest I earn a wage: if someone thanks me, I’ll … Read more
There is something wonderful about worshipping the Lord in a large gathering. I first experienced that powerfully at Easter 1999, when I attended Spring Harvest. Walking into the Big Top for the first evening celebration and realising there were 5,000 people there gave me goosebumps. I had never praised God in such a large crowd, … Read more