Incarnation vs. the Cross

Confession of Sin and Closeness to God

Happy Thanksgiving!
To all my American friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving! To all my British friends and family, Happy Thursday. Except to those in the Year 4 class at St. Leonard’s Primary School (Langho & Billington). They are celebrating Thanksgiving today as well and have been studying it for a week. They invited me in as an ‘American expert’ and asked some great questions about the holiday and showed me all the work they have been creating. Great stuff! Also, our visa and passports came in yesterday. We are now settled residents of the United Kingdom. How appropriate that on the day we celebra

Standing on Principles – Prostitutes and Lottery Tickets
Today was Ministerial Synod day in North Lancashire. One of the topics for discussion was the church’s outreach to the community. I have struggled with the way the church will go the more social services route without the calling to conversion, but today that isn’t what has me thinking. Our district chair, Stephen Poxon, mentioned two ways in which churches choose to outreach and asked the question ‘Do we stand on principles or provide services for the community actually needs?’ (He may have mentioned more than two, but these were the to that grabbed me: 1) Like village churches, village shops are increasingly unable to sustain viability in small

Suggestions for Advent Antiphon Prayer Stations?
It’s Sunday evening, and theologically, I don’t have much thoughts. So, still not writing much. I am thinking about Advent. I am organising an Advent Quiet Day for the circuit on a Saturday in December and have been tossing around in my head some thoughts for themes. I really like what is often called the ‘O Antiphons‘ Advent (what the hymn ‘O Come, O Come Immanuel‘ is based on). I don’t think they get enough exposure in the Protestant church (outside of the aforementioned song, and even then it wasn’t until

John Strikes Back at the Empire, Kim Promotes Learning Doctrine, and Richard on Climate Change Myths
I have no desire today to write anything theological, so I am going to give the nod to some others who are writing some good stuff: Richard Hall at Connexions gives us 10 myths about Climate Change. Well worth a read – I in particular resonate with the issues of trust he speaks about. Also at Connexions, Kim Fabricius expounds on an excerpt from Stanley Hauerwas on the importance of Christian doctrine and its impact on ministerial formation. Finally, John Muenier takes on Walter Brueggeman and his comments on

Are the teachings of Jesus a ‘Good Guide’ to life? Not Really…
David Cameron, Conservative Party leader and for all intents and purposes our next prime minister, gave an interview about his faith, which was picked up by Christian Today. In the article he is quoted as saying: I think that it’s perfectly possible to live a good life without having faith, by which I mean a positive and altruistic life, but I think the teachings of Jesus, just as the teachings of other religions are, a