The Living God - I believe in God the Father
The Living God - I believe in God the Father
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
A personal God: love and faithfulness 2 I believe in God the Father As we saw in the last chapter, the creeds help us put into words our trust in ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation’ (2 Corinthians 1.3). One reason wh…
The Living God - Moving on
The Living God - Moving on
by SPCK - Alister McGrath
Which God Are We Talking About? 1 Moving on In this chapter we have explored two slightly different – but converging – themes. First, we have identified God relationally. Christians know and love – as they are in turn known and loved by – the same God known and loved by Abraham a…
Journeying With Mark Year B - ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Journeying With Mark Year B - ABOUT THE AUTHORS
by SPCK - Woodward, Gooder and Pryce
ABOUT THE AUTHORS James Woodward is a Canon of Windsor. He has written extensively in the area of pastoral and practical theology. His recent publications include Valuing Age: Pastoral Ministry with Older People (SPCK, 2008). He is particularly interested in how Christian discip…
Responsive prayer: God of wisdom
Responsive prayer: God of wisdom
by Marjorie Dobson
Responsive prayer: God of wisdom God of wisdom, we come again to ask you to forgive us for the foolishness of some of our actions. When we act with the arrogant assurance that what we do and say is always right. God, forgive us When we make harsh judgements of the behaviour of ot…
Poem: Wine and Spirit
Poem: Wine and Spirit
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Wine and Spirit ‘Don’t get drunk with wine,. Be filled with the Spirit.’ You know, there are some people who would totally misinterpret that message. You can hear them saying it, can’t you? ‘Keep off the wine, but spirits are fine!’ So off they go, drinking to excess, los…
Poem: Act of God
Poem: Act of God
by Marjorie Dobson
Poem: Act of God Flesh and blood, torn apart daily in conflict, terror, crime, torture, accident or Act of God. Act of God, they say. As if a vindictive God oversaw all disaster as an event planned for satisfaction of some unknown purpose. Continues... ©Marjorie Dobson
52 Reflections on Faith - Ash Wednesday: depending on God
52 Reflections on Faith - Ash Wednesday: depending on God
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
4 Ash Wednesday: Depending on God Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the period of 40 days before Easter. Lent is a season of fasting and repentance in preparation for the joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Day. The 40-day period comes from Jesus’ 40 d…
52 Reflections on Faith - Christ the King: Overcoming Suffering
52 Reflections on Faith - Christ the King: Overcoming Suffering
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
25 Christ the King: Overcoming Suffering On the feast of Christ the King, at the very end of the church’s year, it’s useful to note just how many different sorts of crucifix there are. Go into a few different churches in your area and you’ll soon see quite a variety. Look also at…
52 Reflections on Faith - Easter Sunday: transforming lives
52 Reflections on Faith - Easter Sunday: transforming lives
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Easter Sunday: transforming lives Once upon a time, a small caterpillar popped out of its egg and found itself sitting on a leaf. It had striped fur and was called Stripe. As Stripe made his way slowly along the branch of the tree and down the trunk, he looked into the distance a…
52 Reflections on Faith - Ascension day: Presence not absence
52 Reflections on Faith - Ascension day: Presence not absence
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Ascension Day: Presence, not absence Ascension Day is one of the most important days in the Church’s calendar. It has been celebrated since the fourth century and has played a significant part in the life and culture of many Christian countries. It forms a fundamental part of the…
52 Reflections on Faith - Becoming Real: Loved into life
52 Reflections on Faith - Becoming Real: Loved into life
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
7 Becoming Real: Once upon a time there was a velveteen rabbit. He woke up one Christmas morning to find himself in a little boy’s stocking with a pile of other toys. He was brand new and wondering what was going to become of him. When the little boy opened his presents, he was d…
52 Reflections on Faith - Emmaus: the eyes of faith
52 Reflections on Faith - Emmaus: the eyes of faith
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Emmaus: The eyes of faith During the last couple of decades or so, a series of fascinating coffee table books called Magic Eye have appeared in the shops. The books contain what, at first sight, look like fairly boring two-dimensional wallpaper patterns, but if you hold the pages…
52 Reflections on Faith - God and the world: Separate or together
52 Reflections on Faith - God and the world: Separate or together
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
God and the world:Separate or together? William Blake’s best-known painting is probably The Ancient of Days. Originally done in 1794 as the frontispiece for one of his illustrated books, it’s now in the British Museum. Often reproduced as a popular art poster in recent decades, t…
52 Reflections on Faith - Good Friday: access to God
52 Reflections on Faith - Good Friday: access to God
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Maundy Thursday: washing the feet Maundy Thursday is the first of the three holy days leading up to Easter. Christians usually think of it as the day when the Eucharist was instituted. Jesus ate a meal with his disciples in Jerusalem the night before he died, thereby inaugurating…
52 Reflections on Faith - Faith and Doubt: seeking understanding
52 Reflections on Faith - Faith and Doubt: seeking understanding
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Faith and doubt: Seeking understanding: Richard Holloway’s autobiography Leaving Alexandria: A memoir of faith and doubt tells the story of the author’s life, from his birth and upbringing in Scotland, through his training for the priesthood at the Society of the Sacred Mission a…
52 Reflections on Faith - Growth and renewal: good soil
52 Reflections on Faith - Growth and renewal: good soil
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Growth and renewal: Good soil: It’s amazing how things grow, isn’t it? The story is told of a young couple who bought a house with a large garden, including a lawn and an apple tree at the front. They decided they needed to ‘clear the garden’ and, in the process, chopped down the…
52 Reflections on Faith - Maundy Thursday: washing the feet
52 Reflections on Faith - Maundy Thursday: washing the feet
by BRF - Stephen W. Need
Maundy Thursday: washing the feet Maundy Thursday is the first of the three holy days leading up to Easter. Christians usually think of it as the day when the Eucharist was instituted. Jesus ate a meal with his disciples in Jerusalem the night before he died, thereby inaugurating…
52 Reflections on Faith - Seeing God: a way of life