Plagued
Living in the post-2020 world, we know all about plagues. The COVID-19 pandemic affected a lot more than people’s physical health: it caused fear, suspicion and division between people and communities. And of course we are still seeing its impacts on the economy, people’s mental health and much more. When we read about the plagues […]
Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone
Lent has arrived! During this season of forty days leading up to Easter, Christians traditionally would abstain from meat and alcohol. This recalls the forty days and nights Jesus fasted during his temptation by the devil (Matthew 4:1-3) and in the early church was seen as critical to Christian faith. The 4th century church father Athanasius […]
A Light Has Dawned
The first few verses of Isaiah 9 are often quoted around Christmastime as a celebration of the coming of Jesus. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” In the time of Isaiah, the people of Israel had strayed from […]
You Crown the Year
You Crown the Year New years’ celebrations transcend lands and cultures. We celebrate the beginning of our year on January 1, a timing that dates back to the Ancient Roman calendar even before Christ was born. Different cultures begin their year at different times and have varied ways of celebrating, but the meaning behind the […]
Sin Happens
Let’s be honest – sin is real. But many people, including Christians, often deny or ignore it. The idea that we do wrong, that God holds us responsible, and that there are eternal consequences, isn’t very popular today. Some have watered it down or rejected it completely. Still, the Bible says sin affects everyone (Romans […]
Give Us This Day…
In his 1993 song, No Man’s Land, Billy Joel sings, “Give us this day our daily discount outlet merchandise.” The line, like the song, satirises the rise of consumerism in the early nineties, at which the religion of the developed world had become “get more stuff.” Three decades later, the same words ring true. Most […]
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 Jesus taught us to pray with reverence when he modelled for us “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). This phrase is a petition, not a proclamation. A request, not an announcement. […]
Holy Huddle
Sometimes as the church we can be a “holy huddle” – i.e., we’ve received a precious gift from God (the good news), and we focus on enjoying it among ourselves in our worship and protecting it against the unbelieving world outside. Consequently, we don’t relate to the world outside the church, we don’t grow, and […]
Ready To March
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:18 NIV Think about the Christian you want to be. What qualities do you want to have? More compassion? More conviction? More courage? […]
Inescapable Grace
“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle… Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out.” — Exodus 40:34, 36 (ESV) When the Israelites completed the tabernacle, God’s glory came down in a visible […]