Is it right to be angry in prayer? Is it right to be sad in prayer? Is it right to let our emotions run free when talking to God?
Elijah’s moan
Category: Christianity
Did Jesus found the church?
He certainly didn’t set up a multi-national organisation with plush headquarters and a complex hierarchy, nor even a national institution controlling numerous congregations and an imposed Statement of Faith. But the New Testament gives evidence that he went further in the church foundation direction than just selecting the twelve apostles.
The making of Shemayin
I have long wanted to write a fiction story, but I couldn’t find a credible plot. But now I had the first paragraph of what would become the book, “Shemayin”. I had the first idea, but it didn’t have that title, nor a story line, nor any characters – yet!
Burning Bush
Imagine the burning bush as a reflection of Moses. Imagine the burning bush as a reflection of you.
Acting Christians
Which role will we choose for ourselves in this epic play of life? Choose quickly, because someone else may already be selecting a part for us.
Resurrection
The ultimate Christian hope is bodily resurrection in a renewed Earth, but ideas originating in Platonism and Gnosticism have led many believers into a watered-down hope – the prospect of an eternity as disembodied souls in a non- material “heaven”.
Reasonable Holiness
Holiness has become a rarely used word, even in Christian circles. It’s gone out of fashion. Does that matter? Is holiness reasonable and relevant for today? Do we want it? Is it achievable?
Jesus in the Wilderness
Jesus began his ministry following his encounter with John the Baptist. The four Gospels are unanimous about that, and it’s an easy story to understand. But the next story, whilst familiar, is much harder to comprehend. We are presented with a picture of God incarnate in a head-to-head debate with the Devil. What’s happening here?
Jesus exhausted
Jesus stilled the storm. It’s a well-known story that's usually told to show how powerful Jesus was. But the story starts from a quite different perspective. As he boards the boat, there’s a little phrase in the story that we can easily miss. It says that the disciples took Jesus “as he was”.
Aberfan Day
The Aberfan tragedy was a result of corporate negligence. But it’s not enough to blame that corporation and ignore our own failings. We each have freedom of choice – freedom to drop a bottle on the ground and leave it there to cause a deadly wildfire – freedom to discard a plastic bag that will end up as a sea-borne hazard to wildlife – freedom to live just for ourselves and overlook the needs of others.
Derrick John Phillips 