Theologian and author Rebecca McLaughlin says, “An alone person in our gatherings is an emergency.” She and her husband have made a rule for themselves that anytime they see someone alone at their worship services, they must stop what they’re doing and go chat with or sit next to that person.... continue reading
Let’s be honest: the things people tell you are meant to help you grow closer to God—stuff like praying, reading the Bible, going to church—can feel pretty boring a lot of the time, right?... continue reading
One of the most common and significant charges leveled against the traditional Christian understanding of sexuality and marriage is that it is deeply damaging to individuals. Denying someone’s sexuality is seen as denying who that person really is—telling them to repress something central to their identity and to their ability to flourish. Christians, it is increasingly claimed, are to blame for gay teenagers growing up guilt-ridden and even suicidal.... continue reading
As concerns with mental health continue to grow, it can be useful to understand mental health better. However understanding, in and of itself, is not enough. We still need to wrestle with the question: what, as a church, can we do to help those who are suffering? Or maybe, even, what should we do to help those in our congregations who are finding life hard? Before exploring ways to help, there are two important things to note:... continue reading
Most of the times I have read Habakkuk, I have moved quickly past verse 5 to the rest of the book. But verse 5 actually contains wisdom for us about how to live through moments of God’s silence. It is, after all, the exhortation that God himself gives to a man who has been living with that experience for some time.... continue reading
Helen was born in Hertfordshire, England to Sir Martin and Lady Edith Roseveare. She was the second of five children. Her father was a mathematician who designed the ration books used in the UK during the Second World War.... continue reading
The following is an extract from Chapter 13 of The Songs of a Warrior, an imaginative yet biblically faithful account of the first two kings of Israel by Katy Morgan. This extract retells the story of Samuel’s visit to David told in 1 Samuel 16 v 1-13 and the story of how David started off in Saul’s service documented in 1 Samuel 16 v 14-23. ... continue reading
The extraordinary spread of Christianity, both numerically and geographically, doesn’t prove that Jesus really rose again. But how a man born into a subjugated ethnic group in an obscure Roman province—who lived poor, died young, who never wrote a book, raised an army, or sat on a throne—has come to be the most impactful human in all human history does require some kind of explanation.... continue reading
We are one week away from the start of Lent! As we begin to direct our focus on the days leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection, it can be helpful to reflect on the words of other believers. To help, we’ve put together 10 quotes about our Savior and what his death and resurrection mean for us, even today.... continue reading
When you think about it, your birthday is kind of weird. Each year, you have an entire day dedicated to being celebrated, sung to, stuffed with cake, and congratulated by everyone around you, for something that you contributed absolutely nothing to. You got born. Your contribution to the day of your birth, was, well, not exactly something you can boast in. If you don’t believe me, just ask your mother.... continue reading