one thing I’ve found that all of us who struggle have in common is that none of us have a lot of confidence in ourselves, nor a lot of hope for the future. I can see Saint John here taking each of us by the hand and saying, “Hey, if you have the Son of God, you have eternal life! That’s enough. You’ve made it! The Son is all you need.”
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Acts 10:47) Greetings, Fighter, You’ll have to forgive me if our opening verse today looks a lot like last week’s. Our stories from the Acts of the Apostles are following the explosive growth of the early Christian community and
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
My Enemy is my Guest Read More »
“If they move, baptise them. If they don’t, bury them.” That’s been my policy for the last 35 years when it comes to admitting people into our spiritual community. What? Shouldn’t we have some standards? If we allow the riff-raff in, what will become of us? Perhaps that’s where the church went wrong? Perhaps I need to be more discriminating?
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
If they move, Baptise them! Read More »
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Greetings, Fighter, It’s Shepherding Sunday again this weekend – that day when we sing everybody’s favourite Psalm. Even those of us who know nothing about sheep or shepherding can manage to bleat out a verse of ”The Lord’s my shepherd”, so let’s
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
“While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet;
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
The Banality of Holiness Read More »
“Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
Christian Socialism Read More »
“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
“Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” (Mark 11:11) Hi Fighter, We are about to begin ‘Holy Week’ – the week leading up to Easter – where we remember both the death and the resurrection
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (Hebrews 5:7) Hi Fighter, This is such an odd way to describe the life of Jesus! Compare this
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
The Tears of Jesus Read More »
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Hi Fighter, It’s the best-known verse in the Christian Scriptures. It’s been plastered across walls, printed on T-shirts and posters, and tattooed across backs and torsos. I
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four
The Gospel of Suffering Read More »
