Labels and beliefs

The blogosphere (or at least the Christian bit of it) has lit up this week in response to Steve Chalke's latest pronouncement, this time on his view that the Bible contains mistakes and that sometimes when God is recorded as speaking, he in fact was being misheard.

This blog ends up with the serious matter of Steve Chalke and what the Bible actually is, but begins with the considerable hilarity around the office as several of us have taken an online test to see whether our actual beliefs match up to the policies of any particular political party.The results have been interesting.

• Someone who self identified as Liberal Democrat discovered that she was more in tune with Labour's policies than her chosen party
• Someone who self identified as being more Labour found that his actual take on policies chimed more with the Lib Dem's and Conservatives (cue hilarity and mockery all round).
• And those who self identified as Conservative found they were much more aligned with UKIP on a wide range of policies than they were with the Tory party.

This is not the end…

Shock. Fear. Anger. Denial. Devastation. Panic. Emptiness.

Powerful words. Strong emotions. But that can be what happens when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness. That moment when we learn a cancer or degenerative disease has passed the point of no return has to be one of the scariest moments any human can experience.

We know mortality will catch up with us one day. Unless Jesus returns within the next few decades, there is no getting away from the fact we will die. But most of us want to assume that day is a long time in the future. When the doctor gives us – or someone we love – the news that there are only months left, we can feel as if everything has been ripped apart. Our plans, our dreams, our relationships, our very beings torn in two.... continue reading

The Exhausting Rest of the Christian Life

The Christian life is full of living between the tension of two truths.

So God’s kingdom is here, but not yet here. We are joyful in Christ even as we grieve the state of our world. In our weakness, God shows his strength. And so on.

Here’s one that has struck me recently. The Christian life is about being exhausted, and restful.

Exhausting Labour

Speaking of his desire to keep Christians going in faith until the Lord returns, Paul writes: “To this end I labour, struggling…” (Colossians 1 v 29). To “labour” means to work exhaustingly. Labouring causes things to be a struggle. Jn this state of struggling on, Paul finds “his [Christ’s] energy, which so powerfully works in me.” But it’s not that Christ provides his energy for Paul before Paul reaches the point of feeling unable to keep going; it’s that he provides it once Paul reaches that point.... continue reading

Do you know you’re loved?

The radio is blaring songs of romance.
The supermarkets pushing their displays of chocolates and roses.
Restaurants are advertising their last few tables for that intimate meal.
Facebook bears comments of unexpected cards gained … or recent partners lost.

There’s something about February 14th that gets the world buzzing with a simple question: Do you feel loved?

For some the answer is a heart-warming “yes”: a new relationship is blossoming or a decades-old one still going strong.

For others, there is a sense of emptiness: no flowers, no cards, no chocolates, no ring on the finger… no real hope that there ever will be. Or maybe regrets: harsh words exchanged, a sense of distance and damage in a relationship that is fighting for its life.

But whatever our relationship status right now, however we are feeling about Valentine’s Day – sad, ecstatic or we simply don’t care – God has an important question for us all:

Do you know you’re loved? Do you know you are loved beyond measure by the King of the Universe?

If you are following Jesus, these things are true:... continue reading

5 things to pray for CU mission weeks

Over the next couple of months, something really exciting will be happening on university campuses all over the UK: Christian Union Mission Weeks. Last year, 35 000 students went to mission week events. Some of those people were my friends at the University of Manchester; and it was a great privilege to be involved in organising our week.

CUs are engaged in a whole range of outreach activities all year round, which come with their own set of baffling Christian jargon: ‘bottle drops’ (handing out water to students coming home from nights out); ‘tea and toast’ (handing out tea and toast to the aforementioned inebriated students); ‘text-a-toastie’ (CU members deliver the toasties and answer questions about God); 'carol services' (which are… carol services).... continue reading

Thank you

My parents were always very strict on the matter. Whenever a friend gave me a gift I had to utter two little words or risk a withering maternal glare. Whether it was a longed-for toy or an oh so useful pencil, "thank you" was the expected response. And rightly so, it's a privilege to receive any gift - giving is an act of love and provision which should always result in gratitude.

As an adult, the habit remains. It's almost a reflex response ... Someone passes me a cup of tea (preferably peppermint) and "thanks, that's great" immediately springs from my lips.

At least it remains when it comes to other humans. When it comes to God, my response is often far slower. Which is why I was fascinated when a friend of mine shared an evening routine she has recently developed:

Every night before she goes to bed, she thanks God for 10 things.... continue reading

The TV is my best friend

Some recent research projects have made for sobering reading. Nearly half of the population of England say they feel lonely - up to a third say they have no-one to turn to in a crisis and would be reluctant to approach a voluntary body. Most severely affected are the elderly and infirm. The quote that broke my heart the most was the comment that for some, the TV is their best friend.

So, with that in mind I interviewed the frailest, most housebound old saint I know ... For the purposes of this post, we'll call her Edith, she's always liked that name.

What does an average day look like for you?
I wake about 5am when my night-time pain killers start to wear off. It takes me a while to get going in the morning and I like to have my breakfast well before my carers arrive. My washing and dressing ladies come about 9am. It's nice when I get the same carers for a few months in a row, I can get to know them then but often people's shifts get moved about and I have to get to know someone new every few weeks. Once I'm dressed I go into the living room and put on the TV. I stay there until my night time carers come about 5pm. The meals on wheels team let themselves in each lunchtime. On Tuesdays my cleaner comes round.... continue reading

How to be Eager to Share the Gospel

This is an extract from Timothy Keller’s latest title, Romans 1–7 For You. Launching on 4th February, you can pre-order it now.

Harvest Time in Rome

Paul didn’t just write a letter to the Roman church. He planned a trip to the Romans church, too: “… in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles” (Romans 1:13).

This “harvest” likely has two aspects. Paul is hoping for a harvest within the Roman church; what Jesus pictured when he talked of people who had heard and accepted the word producing “a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4:20). But the next verses show that Paul also desires to reap a crop outside the church; what Jesus was talking of when he said to his followers: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38). Paul is coming to Rome both to encourage and to evangelize.... continue reading