The Great Commission (Mat. 28:16–20) is often taken as a rallying cry for action: “get out there and tell people about Jesus!” But have you ever noticed that it also calls us to a deep dependence on Christ? Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, captured these two truths in the memorable phrase: “go … Continue reading I Am with You Always
What should we do with Revelation? It’s a strange book, filled with bizarre imagery and symbols that feel more at home in fantasy novels than in Scripture. And to make things harder, it’s often explained by people whose interpretations seem as odd as the book itself. A major part of the problem is that Revelation … Continue reading Revelation: Hope or Fantasy?
The lead up to the Biblical account of the anointing of the 70 elders of Israel with God’s Holy Spirit reminds me a little of a family road trip. The kids in the back seat are tired, bored, and listless. As a result, there’s a never ending chorus of complaint. In the front seat, things … Continue reading The Spirit and the People
A brief reflection on Psalm 1. It’s interesting to observe how the Book of Psalms starts. Whether it’s the result of a deliberate choice by some long forgotten collector of Ancient Jewish worship materials or whether it’s mere coincidence, what we can say is that Psalm 1 is the doorway through which all readers of … Continue reading Like Trees Planted Along the Riverbank
A Good Friday Reflection Exodus 33:18-23 In the 1959 version of the move Ben Hur, there’s a scene where Judah Ben Hur’s mother and sister are healed from leprosy at the exact moment that Jesus dies on the cross. They had heard of Jesus’ power to heal from Esther, the daughter of the one time … Continue reading You Cannot See My Face
Matthew 21:1-11 For readers of the Gospels, the Triumphal Entry is a familiar scene. It’s basically Jesus taking a victory lap, but it’s a victory lap with a difference. It’s different because within a few short days the crowd will no longer be crying “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” … Continue reading Palm Sunday’s Expectation-Reality Gap
On Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) Christians commemorate the triumphant arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. In describing the event, the Gospel authors appeal to Zechariah 9:9 (“Behold, your king is coming to you”) thus making clear the meaning of what’s going on: Jesus is the anticipated Messiah, the King of Israel, and he has … Continue reading Your Kingdom Come
What is it that makes Jesus different? He’s not the only moral or spiritual guide we might choose, so why choose Jesus over any other? Well, it’s not because Jesus’ moral teaching is totally different to that of humanity’s other great moral teachers. After all, as C.S. Lewis once pointed out, a totally different morality … Continue reading The Jesus Difference
In his book Confessions of a Secular Jesus Follower (New York: Convergent, 2016) Tom Krattenmaker explains how he, despite being an atheist, regards the teaching of Jesus as “the anchor that means the most to me, the anchor I find most worthy of my trust.” (p.3). Given that Krattenmaker doesn’t believe in God you might … Continue reading A Sure Foundation
The member churches of the Canterbury Council of Churches have made a short video to extend our best wishes to you and your family this Christmas. Continue reading Merry Christmas from the Canterbury Council of Churches
