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Elders should have sabbaticals, and that means all Elders, whether they are paid by the church or not. To help you follow my reasoning, let me first establish two principles. The Principle of Parity First, we should aim for parity among elders. This flows from the conviction that churches are led by teams of elders.… Continue reading Sabbaticals and Elders
In Acts 1 we read of the ascension of Jesus, up there among the five most earth-shattering events in human history, along with the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and gift of the Spirit. Immediately after the disciples trudge back down the mount of Olives, reversing the journey they took exactly six weeks before, arriving at the… Continue reading Structure Before Power
I'm taking a short break from posting blogs. In my round of up last year I alluded to some big changes on the horizon for me this year. I've just finished my job at the University and will be starting imminently as a full-time Pastor at a church in Alton, Hampshire. The church is part… Continue reading A Pause
What is the place of ‘the tradition’ in Church life and our theology? Should us new church types even care about the last two thousand years of Church life? I recently read a book about the Lord’s Supper written by a pioneer of the British New Churches back in the 1980s. I agreed and disagreed… Continue reading The Importance of Tradition
Jesus in the Tabernacle VIII The last thing described in the tabernacle instructions in Exodus, is the bronze basin that sits in the courtyard. It’s a large basin made of bronze, on a stand, that is placed between the tent of meeting and the altar. Essentially that means that as you enter the courtyard you… Continue reading The Sea
And that’s phenomenally good news. We often hear people declare that they ‘didn’t want to be a burden’ to their loved ones, especially their immediate family. Right now, in the zeitgeist, people might be talking about why they might choose to commit suicide when they’re diagnosed with some sort of life-altering or life-ending illness. We… Continue reading You Are a Burden
Jesus in the Tabernacle VII We turn to the altar for incense in Exodus 30. This slightly complicates the flow I’d described from inside to outside, as we step back from the courtyard—perhaps with the high priest we’ve just met—into the holy place to a new, third, item. They are instructed to make a small… Continue reading Let Incense Arise
It’s a dreary winter Saturday. Frost has limned the limbs of trees with a stark outline against the grey sky. The house is slow and lazy as we sleep and read and emerge into the world. A small bowl of hastily made dough has been waiting overnight, doubling in size as it prepares itself for… Continue reading The Story of Bread
Jesus in the Tabernacle VI Next the narrative moves through two sections I included earlier in this series, the boundaries of the courtyard and then the oil to burn in the lampstand. The instructions for the construction of the tabernacle then seem to be interrupted in Exodus 28 for a digression on the clothing of… Continue reading High Priest’s Clothes
How do we deal with being angry at God? Is that a legitimate emotion? It’s tempting to just point to the book of Job and encourage you to meditate there—which is not bad advice, though it’s a complex book—but it is an experience that we have all had at some point I imagine. Life under… Continue reading Being Angry at God
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