Melt-down Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. He dared to oppose tyrants. He even faced up to Jezebel (presumed to have been the most wicked woman in the Bible). His prophecies came true, and he performed many remarkable miracles. But he was constantly plagued with loneliness and discouragement and, following his … Continue reading Prophecy in Today’s Church
Category: Christianity
A fruitful life
Side-linedJoan wasn’t unknown, at least, not in her home range. But you probably never heard of her. She was kind, generous, hospitable, and popular – but increasingly forgotten as age side-lined her from the youthful mainstream. Most of us fade from sight as we grow older. But her funeral, in June 2019, was well attended. … Continue reading A fruitful life
Spirituality that works
Fashionable “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” This claim became fashionable in the second half of the 20th Century and remains so, but how valid is it? Words change their meaning over time, but this isn’t just about words – it’s about values. When we use the word “spirituality” in opposition to religion we are separating … Continue reading Spirituality that works
Luther’s deliberate mistranslation
An old Italian proverb, “traduttore, traditore” meaning that a translator is a traitor is as applicable to Bible translations as to any other text. Each language arises from a culture, with its individual traditions and images, which determine the precise meaning of even the simplest of terms. When a country lady from Bavaria says “haus” … Continue reading Luther’s deliberate mistranslation
Supplication
A brief aid to making a prayer list:
"The answers to these questions
Direct my supplications"
Joseph and Nicodemus
Two successful businessmen and community
leaders were secret admirers of Jesus. Consider
their dilemma as they helplessly watched events
unfold during one fast-moving and fateful week.
(This poem may be used as a meditation for Easter season.)
A church like Bethany
To declare that Jesus wasn’t a Christian is not just a familiar truism – Christ couldn’t be a follower of Christ. But I want to challenge another oft-repeated truism. People say, with apparent wisdom, that Jesus didn’t found the church. I disagree – and Bethany is part of my reasoning. Most Christians believe that the … Continue reading A church like Bethany
5 Questions about the Transfiguration
If this isn’t the strangest story in the gospels, it must come close. Apart from the unusual setting, the limited audience, the peculiar light, and the mysterious appearance of two long-dead men, Jesus capped the mystery by telling his companions not to tell anyone what they’d seen.
In the face of such an extraordinary story the shortage of apostolic references to it is surprising and provokes several questions.
