Do face mask requirements violate our personal freedoms?
Hello, my name is Tim and I am mask exempt. I have reasonably bad asthma, so—especially when my face gets warm—poor air circulation can trigger an attack. Now very rarely have I felt the need to take off my mask in public and I prefer wearing it for several reasons. I like the security it […]
Why do people STILL think that ‘the building is the church’?
We’ve all heard it said until our ears bleed that ‘church is not the building.’ Great. Sure. Fine. But if we truly believe that then why does the rest of the world think that it is? We’re clearly not getting the message out there. So, do we need a new PR approach, or could it […]
Is the church still run by type-A, middle-class, old men? Exploring the institutional echo living on in today’s rigid church leadership styles.
If the relationship left behind by Christendom between church and state is some kind of hierarchical fusion, then the relationship between church leaders and the laity might be described as hierarchical separation. Put another way, the closer the Church historically got the state, the further its leaders separated from the people. I wonder if we’re […]
You don’t need to be an expert in everything – don’t be “that guy”!
Have you ever had a conversation with a young person that goes like this: ‘So, what are they teaching you about Christianity in school?’ ‘Oh, that if you go to church and eat wafers then you’re going to heaven.’ ‘Wait, they’re teaching you what?!?’ It’s natural to get outraged when someone minimalises or misrepresents something […]
“The blood of Christ is my vaccine” – a response
This isn’t a post debating the scientific benefits or the political leanings of the COVID-19 vaccines. I’m not qualified to speak on such things and there does seem to be some sensible and justified reasons for some people not to be vaccinated. This instead is a response to one of the more common theological sentiments […]
How helpful is the theology of Narnia really?
‘Aslan is on the move!’ I still get chills every time I think of that line. It fills me with hope, and it makes me brave. Like many Christians, I love the Narnia series, however unlike many Christians, I wasn’t bought up with it. I watched the movie ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ […]
One of the worst pieces of advice I was ever given
This is related to a post I put up a few weeks back on part of my journey with bullying when I worked for the Church of England. About ten years ago I decided to share some of this story of abuse with a Christian leader at a conference who was offering to talk and […]
When did we stop cherishing children at play?
Play is, in my opinion, an essential quality in a human being. It’s one of the ways that we learn to interact with people, to solve problems, to relive stress, and – most importantly – to discover something of the spark of the divine within us. Play is a concept you can trace throughout world […]
‘You can’t say anything anymore!’ Ok, but should you?
“Its political correctness gone mad!” he said. “You can’t say anything without offending anyone these days. Generation of sissy-ass snowflakes!” Hmmmm. We could look at this idea from the point of view of ‘rights vs responsivities’ (spoiler, you don’t get to pick one for yourself and the other for everyone else). Or we could look […]
What living in a highly critical environment can do to a minister
Between the ages of 18 and 25, I lived in a highly critical environment. This started at Bible College, where every statement and behaviour went under a theological microscope. This wasn’t helped by being the youngest student there and coming from a very different cultural and church background to most to of the student body. […]
The awkward side of working with Christian editors
Editors can be weird. Really weird. I thought I’d share a couple of “those” stories today. If you’re reading this, then you’ll probably know me as a Christian blogger. What you might not know, however, is that I spent several years freelancing as a copywriter for some high-profile clients. I’ve written for large tech blogs, […]
Why it’s ok for you to start a blog, a podcast, or write a book!
There’s been a few comments online this Summer subtly (or not so subtly) making fun of Christians all suddenly starting podcasts or writing books. Millennial Christian bashing is fun bandwagon to jump on after all, and it’s an easy group to snipe at. And I kinda get it. There are often pride issues inherent in […]
It’s not ok: A story of institutional bullying in church
This is not a topic I usually address publicly, and rarely privately either – at least not in detail. However, many recent posts on institutional bullying in the church has made me want to say something about my own story. My wife and I have been on the receiving end of institutional bullying inside the […]
When is ‘asking for prayer’ the same as ‘prayer’?
One of the most fundamental things we can do with our young people is to help them develop a prayer language. And, as with any language, learning to listen for where that language is already developing on its own is essential for this to work. My first word, so I’m told by my parents, was […]
No, it’s not ok to use a dead animal for your games.
Yep, you read that right, and no, I can’t believe I had to say it either. However, early last week a post surfaced on a very popular youth ministry Facebook group called ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Octopus’. Accompanying the post was a picture of a teenage boy holding up a large – and clearly dead […]