word | spirit | world | church
You’d be forgiven for thinking I was speaking of January, named after the Roman god Janus who had two faces to look forwards and backwards in the year. Rather, Advent—the first season of the Christian year—has two faces. One face is a face of joy, the face we associate with our Christmas traditions, with chocolate… Continue reading The Month with Two Faces
No. That was easy. Except, I think most readers will expect me to say ‘yes.’ Aren’t we all without excuse before the wrath of God (Romans 1)? Yes, we are. Yet this is not saying the same thing. Having been fed—mostly evangelistically—on the (true!) idea that even the smallest sin is the enough to damn… Continue reading Is all sin equal?
This is the second part in an ongoing series where I’m collaborating with my friend Adsum Try Ravenhill to blog through St Polycarp’s Epistle to the Philippians by writing each other letters. You can read the first part on Adsum’s blog here. Dear Adsum Thank you for your letter and for suggesting this little endeavour… Continue reading Prepare for Action: Polycarp part 2
In Matthew 16 Jesus declares to Peter that he is the rock on which he will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. What does that mean? In popular piety it’s most often quoted when we feel under attack by the forces of the Enemy. We’re most likely under… Continue reading The Gates of Hell
There’s this odd moment in the midst of our Easter celebrations, you might call it ‘Holy Saturday’ or just that day in the long weekend that doesn’t have a name. It’s that strange day caught between Friday’s sorrow and Sunday’s joy, where ‘nothing happened.’ Or maybe, an awful lot happened. There are I think three… Continue reading Holy Saturday
nuakh 