As a follow up to yesterday's post David Bolton at Christ Centred Christianity kindly found this Vimeo video of Graham Kendrick's moving song. Thanks David! Enjoy! A Crucified Man https://vimeo.com/4108564
Christianity
From The Archives: In The Company of Fools
Atheism is popular right now. Being offended at Christianity, and in particular ‘born again’ Christians, is becoming topical among many authors, intellectuals, journalists and social commentators. Around us a chorus of disbelieving mockery grows increasingly influential as the offended voices of atheists grow louder and angrier by the day. The Western world is seemingly separating … Continue reading From The Archives: In The Company of Fools
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Jesus Was Cool About Breaking The Rules
So there I was, frantically squeezing my feet into my brown school shoes, eyeing the wall clock with alarm and breathlessly leaping onto the back of the school bus as it pulled away from the bus stop. My heart was pounding as I rehearsed suitable excuses for missing roll call. My throat tightened with a … Continue reading Jesus Was Cool About Breaking The Rules
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Watch This Space
“Foolishness” mumbled the soldier Casting lots for the rabbi’s garment “An utter waste of a good man’s life” “Serves him right” spat the Pharisee Nodding to himself self righteously Stroking his beard with smug delight “It cannot be!” uttered the disciple Tears streaming from bloodshot eyes “It wasn’t meant to end this way!” … Continue reading Watch This Space
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Silent Encounter
What can I say about that infamous night? How weary we were As we followed Him to the garden He prayed, we slept, He woke us, again we slept While we dreamed, He wept Then came torches, voices, soldiers, Armour gleaming in the moonlight The betrayer moving in close With his cold, calculated kiss Before … Continue reading Silent Encounter
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Into The Stillness
Forever drawing me back You watch as I run frantically from one chaos to the next seeking to arrive, but never arriving living the lie: if I just do this, that, the next thing then stillness will come and I will find You So I sit, exhausted, in the cool of Your Presence expectantly needfully … Continue reading Into The Stillness
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A Tale of Two Adams
The Garden ‘Stay here and watch with Me. My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.’ Matt. 26:38 It was not by coincidence that Jesus chose a garden as the setting for the greatest battle of His earthly life. Wasn’t it in a garden that His ancestor, First Adam, had rejected Life and condemned all … Continue reading A Tale of Two Adams
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Beholding The Glory
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me….. Jn. 17:24 We who follow Christ have been invited to be with Him, where He is, that we may behold His glory. We are conditioned by religious … Continue reading Beholding The Glory
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From the Archives: The Gift
For the third time, the ageing Pharisee circled the strangely shaped object lying at his feet. No one could tell him who had left it unsolicited outside his door, or even when it had appeared. Wrapped in the skin of a lamb and crudely labelled with just one handwritten Hebrew word, “chen”, its appearance was … Continue reading From the Archives: The Gift
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Deep, Deep Love
Come’ You said. That was it, just: ‘Come’. So here I am, in this place of no return. Looking back I can see the boat: familiar, safe, beckoning. There are faces I know within that boat, that’s the hard thing. People I’ve called friends. But they’re in the boat, and I’m….well, I’m outside the boat … Continue reading Deep, Deep Love
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Love. Uncomplicated.
The doctor’s manner was courteous as we entered his consulting room, even if somewhat abrupt. Mr. P and I are no strangers to medical waiting rooms with their clinical atmospheres, hushed tones and oh so efficient receptionists. This day we had sat for an hour and a quarter past our appointment time, but the building … Continue reading Love. Uncomplicated.
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The Old Man and The Train
Imagine yourself in this scenario. You are on a train travelling at high speed, a speed that grows faster with each passing moment. You are in a crowded carriage where every other passenger is seated. But you are standing in the aisle, trying very hard to stay on your feet as the train’s … Continue reading The Old Man and The Train
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From the Archives: The Courts of the King
And Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him.’ For much of my Christian life, I have found that simple Old Testament statement profoundly intriguing. What did it mean that Enoch walked with God to the extent that God found it irresistible to remove him from this earthly life into His … Continue reading From the Archives: The Courts of the King
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Of His Flesh and Of His Bones: A Mystery
One of the things I like about some more historic versions of the Bible is their poetic language. I know not everyone will agree and some struggle to understand the older translations, so this is purely an individual observation. Modern language translations and paraphrases also have an important place and personally I enjoy consulting a … Continue reading Of His Flesh and Of His Bones: A Mystery
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So You Want To Be A Lover
Rumour has it I’m pretty much a failure when it comes to loving the brethren. If you like your dollops of Christian love handed over with bear hugs, chatty phone calls and affectionate enquiries about every tiny corner of your life, I may as well warn you now I’m not the one you’re looking for. Pass me by … Continue reading So You Want To Be A Lover
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When Jesus Isn’t Enough
The young pastor peered intensely at me through searching brown eyes, trying hard to articulate his dilemma. “Tell me, please tell me, how can I move my ministry into these wonderful things that have been promised to me and that I so desire? I believe you can instruct me in this.” Sitting across the table … Continue reading When Jesus Isn’t Enough
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From The Archives: Where Do You Live?
Ladies, gentlemen, young people, please fasten your seat belts as we make our final ascent to our destination. As you disembark please take a few moments for your eyesight to adjust to the brightness, which is due to the total lack of darkness in your new host country. To assist you in settling comfortably into … Continue reading From The Archives: Where Do You Live?
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Endless Life
Eternal life is so much more than a vague never ending timeline of Heavenly ‘happy ever after’ waiting for us after this life finishes. This thing we commonly call ‘eternity’ cannot be adequately measured within the framework of any human definition. Eternal life is essentially the supernatural, abundant, endless, pure life of Christ into which … Continue reading Endless Life
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For Black Sheep and Misfits
My favourite childhood uncle died last week. The combination of age (he was in his eighties), dementia and Parkinson’s disease finally became too much. I had seen him only once in the last ten years, but my strongest memories of him will always be childhood ones. I remember him as a kind and trustworthy man. … Continue reading For Black Sheep and Misfits
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Exploring Community Part Three: Hierarchy and Leadership
Where does hierarchy fit in with authentic Christian community? What role, if any, does leadership have to play? These are questions many of us are struggling with as God continues to lead us out of ‘playing church’ into the day to day reality of Kingdom life. I offer the following two suggestions for consideration in … Continue reading Exploring Community Part Three: Hierarchy and Leadership
Bread for the Bride 