word | spirit | world | church
In Ezekiel chapter one, the prophet relates to us a bizarre and compelling vision he has of Yahweh enthroned on his chariot by the rivers of Babylon. I’ve been reading through Ezekiel recently, with Robert Jenson’s commentary as a guide. The commentary is idiosyncratic and moves from flashes of brilliance to Jenson’s seeming admission that… Continue reading Jesus in Ezekiel
I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a really posh restaurant—Michelin star posh—but they often start the meal with what they call an Amuse Bouche. It’s French for ‘mouth amuser’, which is a strange phrase when you think about it. It’s a small bite-sized something that is supposed to taste good, show off the… Continue reading A Backwards Economy
How do we know we’re in? How do we know that God loves us and will preserve us to the end? It's got nothing to do with Bourbon, before you get too excited. There are three ways that we know that we know him. I’m talking about what we commonly call assurance, the certainty that… Continue reading Maker’s Mark
There are times in your life when someone asks you a question, the world narrows and the answer changes everything: Why should I give you this job? What do you want to do with your life? Will you marry me? In Acts 19 we read about Paul travelling to Ephesus and encountering a strange little… Continue reading The Ephesian Question
Jesus had left the disciples. They’d seen him ascend into heaven. He’d given them a mission, his mission. He’d told them to wait. So, that’s what they did. They waited. For ten whole days. It must have been absolutely excruciating. Most of us find it hard enough to wait for a bus, let alone anything… Continue reading Fire at Harvest Time
After his resurrection Jesus gathered his disciples to give them his parting instructions and pass on his mission. Each of the gospel writers summarise his words a little differently but they all include what Luke calls “the promise of the Father” (Luke 24). Matthew records it as a promise that Jesus would be with them… Continue reading The Promise of the Spirit
When trying to describe sin and how it lives and corrupts our hearts, people often come up with "all sin is" statements. "All sin is idolatry" is a common one. The other day I said to a friend, “all sin is taking, isn’t it.” The very next day I found myself saying to someone else,… Continue reading Ten Kinds of Sin
In Psalm 81 we are confronted with a strange phrase: “But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Honey from the rock? Honey doesn’t come from rocks, I think we’d all be happy to confirm. There's a moment of surprise here, of confusion, that we shouldn't gloss over quickly. It seems to be a reference to… Continue reading Salted Honey
There’s a principle in the Bible that’s foreign to our Protestant intuitions. When the people of Israel were dramatically saved by the Lord, they built a monument. Or at least, sometimes they did. The two famous examples would be at Gilgal in Joshua 4 or at Ebenezer in 1 Samuel 7. In Joshua 4 the… Continue reading A monument of gift
Jesus was executed on a hill outside Jerusalem that they named Golgotha, which we’re told means ‘the place of a skull’ (Matthew 27). I’ve always imagined a hill that looks like a skull, rocky with caves to highlight eyes and a mouth. Perhaps something a little like Lion’s Head Rock down Dovedale in the Peak… Continue reading Snakeshead Hill
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