Today’s passage comes as something of a shock. Over the last few chapters, the Israelites have conquered the land in what seems like a whirlwind series of successful encounters. You may be thinking that this all took a matter of a year or two, maybe even a few months. And yet, here at the beginning … Read more
Chapters 10-12 of Joshua, in whirlwind fashion from 10:28 onwards, detail the Israelites’ successful conquest of much of the land. It’s a hard read, so today’s passage is illustrative, and I’ve chosen it in part because it allows us to keep looking for those ‘echoes of grace’ tucked away in the narrative of battles and … Read more
I love a good disguise. I’m hopeless at wearing them myself – being well over 6ft tall, it’s hard to convince anyone that you aren’t who you are. But the world of fiction and entertainment is full of great disguises: I enjoyed reading the Arsene Lupin novels a few years ago, and pretty much every … Read more
Today’s passage is one of the reasons why most people – even Christians – don’t read much of the Old Testament. It’s also why I thought long and hard about whether to look at Joshua for our Daily Inspirations. Where’s the feel-good factor here, the nugget of encouragement?! It’s tempting to settle for enjoying the … Read more
In 2021 the late Queen Elizabeth memorably declined an award: she was nominated to be ‘Oldie of the Year’ by the magazine of that name, but wrote in reply that she felt she didn’t meet the criteria and hoped ‘someone more worthy’ would be given it instead. It is a remarkable display of humility to … Read more
Our week began with Rahab. It’s fitting that it ends with Rahab, too – as she is indeed spared, along with all her family. Her courage and faith were rewarded, not just with life, but with a place in God’s people: ‘she lives among the Israelites to this day’ (v25). As we reflected yesterday, this … Read more
The story of the fall of Jericho is one of those iconic Old Testament stories. Packed with drama, and involving a mighty miracle, it’s been a staple of Sunday Schools for generations…. but many of us reading it as adults may feel somewhat more ambivalent. The children’s version is a rip-roaring tale of derring-do; the … Read more
Back in London where we used to live, the area next to us – called Furzedown – had no pubs in it. This was a surprise, since it was a relatively affluent area with a large number of houses: plenty of people in other words, who would gladly have used a local place to meet … Read more
In both of our churchyards you’ll find War Memorials. These were erected after the Great War as our communities – like thousands around the country – tried to come to terms with the horror of what had happened. 27 men lost their lives from two small villages in four years. I learned recently that stonemasons … Read more
Once, when asked how he made decisions about church life and leadership, a well-known Christian leader replied: ‘I look to see what God is already doing and then try to follow that.’ If you’re anything like me, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the literal meaning of the word ‘follower’: it automatically implies the … Read more