asadmin Immature fruit can taste a little sharp. That’s true in gardening – it’s also true in the spiritual life. We’re all called to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit: but often in young believers those qualities which eventually prove to be wonderful assets for the kingdom can be a little, well, prickly. Take Joshua, for … Read more
Today we begin a new series looking at the major Old Testament book of Joshua. It’s a story of faith, of courage, of leadership, but also of a real human being, who has spent decades as Moses’ understudy and is awed by the responsibility. Joshua’s story begins a lot further back than most of us … Read more
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 Memories of rote-learning monarchs, or obsessing over outdated parliamentary laws, or perhaps the very … Read more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