Resources for Christian Lament, Prayer and Worship
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes
refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of
destruction pass by. (Ps 57:1, ESV)
Preparing to ‘weather out’ the current epidemic through staying at home brought to mind this verse. Waiting for the virus to pass has something of the feel of waiting for a storm to pass.
Continue reading “‘Until the storms of destruction pass by’ : Living under threat.”
Two weeks ago I attended the launch of this book (full citation below) which tells the story of New Wine on its 30th anniversary. It has been a very stimulating read as it narrates and reflects on a movement which has had widespread influence on the Christian church in the UK and beyond. The title is taken from John 14:12 and the teaching of Jesus that ‘whoever believes in me … will do even greater things than these’. It thus identifies New Wine at the outset as a movement of people seeking to follow the example of Jesus and perpetuate his ‘works’.
Continue reading “Book review – Greater Things: The story of New Wine so far”
Last week, Timothy Keller posted a number of tweets about God’s wrath and God’s love being inseparable. Here is one of them:
They prompted quite a significant repose – including from myself.
Continue reading “Is God’s wrath a sign of God’s love?”
Why should anyone read the Psalms? Full of ancient imagery and visceral emotion, they are not an obvious recommendation. Continue reading “Remembrance Pt 1: Why read the Psalms?”
On a few occasions recently (through Lent) I’ve been reflecting on fear and courage.
At some superficial level, these are opposites. Either you are afraid, or you overcome fear by having courage. The Bible verse most likely to be cited in support of this is Joshua 1:9 ‘I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’
However, it can sometimes be acknowledged that if you do not have any fear, then you hardly need be courageous, since there is no inhibiting factor to overcome. So it may well be that fear and courage are more intimately intertwined than they are opposites. Continue reading “‘Take Courage’ : A reflection for Good Friday”
This excellent article on anger (especially in a Christian context) deserves a wide audience:
https://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/articles/anger-not-such-a-bad-thing/
“The difficulty, as I see it, is when we place the authority of our particular interpretation of the Bible … beyond question and above the gospel imperative to love.” This quotation comes from a letter published in the Church Times a couple of weeks ago. It leapt out at me as soon as I read it, and I have been wondering ever since whether I am alone in seeing a more fundamental ‘difficulty’ in this thinking. Continue reading “The Interpretation of Love”
I was chatting with a friend recently, who was anticipating a long journey with children. We talked about the expectation of that familiar question, the irritation that it might provoke, and strategies for making the journey less wearisome for all.
When I am waiting, I want to know how long it is likely to be for. Sometimes, this is because there may be an alternative. Or perhaps because there is the possibility of doing something while I am waiting. Continue reading ““Are we nearly there yet?””
Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London, there is discussion on social media about the ‘day of rage’ and a certain Christian response to it: ‘we need a day of prayer not a day of rage’. Why should they be seen as alternatives? Continue reading “A Day of Raging Prayer”
Much of my time over the last month has been spent marking assignments. A significant number of students chose to study Psalm 137. Popularised (in part) for anyone over 40-ish by Boney M.’s ‘By the rivers of Babylon’ (1978), the psalm is, in equal measure, notorious for its closing verses, which some lectionaries deem unfit for public use: Continue reading “Feelings for Vengeance”