Bethnal Green Mission Church: Recent Episodes
BGMC
Ecclesistaes 3.1-13 is one of the book's most well-known chapters, but also one of its most misunderstood. In this riddle-like poem of 28 seasons, time is enigmatic - both something we can inhabit but also something done to us. What is this sage Qohelet saying we should do with time? Today, we look at some of the 'essentials' of what he is saying and not saying and explore how previous readings of these verses have been sometimes unhelpful and damaging.
Today Heather helps us understand the posture and spirit of love, which 'always looks for the best'. How is this both a challenge and joy as we seek to engage with our world around us?
Qoholet's ancient wisdom echoes modern philosophy and our own human condition, that we long to see gain from our toil, reward for our labour, and profit from our varied experiences. What do we do when there is no gain from life under the sun? How do we manage our culture's pull towards striving and seizing? In this talk we explore some of the unhealthy consequences of our human desire for gain, and some alternative postures and behaviours to temper this.
In this second talk on Ecclesiastes, we explore Qohelet's vexed angst against the uncontrollable nature of life. If life is absurd vapour, 'a chasing after the wind', how do we cope as humans and Christians? In our innate reflex to control, strive and seize, where is our comfort when we realise, like Qohelet, that what we work for, pray for, and pay for cannot be guaranteed, cannot be bottled for future use? Is Qohelet hinting at a different posture and outlook, where we come to terms with our finitude and mortality? How can Harmut Rosa's concept of 'Resonance' help?
Today we start a deep dive into the book of Ecclesiastes in our 'What We Missed In..' series. Ecclesiastes is a unique voice in Scripture, perhaps the nearest the bible gets to a piece of philosophy. But as ancient wisdom, it still speaks powerfully to our own modern dilemmas - 'how can we live well', 'does life have meaning', 'is there benefit or gain from our work', 'what is the good life'? The voice of the book's protagonist is compellingly honest and raw in its emotion as he explores the questions about the baffling enigma that is life.
We're continuing our series 'Love Does', using the Message version of 1 Corintians 13.3-7. This week Bernie explores that very easy-to-do aspect of love which 'Trusts God Always'.
In this talk James continues our sermon series on 'Love Does' looking at the concept of truth. Using scripture five scriptures as lenses, we look at truth from different angles to build a framework for how we as Christians enter into a space where truth is more and more divided
This talk starts a new series called "Love Does..." It looks at the various ways that 1 Corinthians 13 highlights how love is practically manifest. Taking The Message translation, "Love does not strut, or have a swelled head" we explore the way pride is an enemy of love by drawing on the lessons from the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector from Luke's gospel.
This sermon explored repentance as a Lenten practice — what repentance truly means, and why we often fear it. It reflected on some of the most common barriers to repentance, including fears of vulnerability, misdirection, and anger, while also considering what genuine repentance looks like in practice and the core attributes it requires. Ultimately, it invited us to consider why repentance matters: not as an act of shame or punishment, but as a pathway to freedom, restoration, and deeper transformation.
Looking at what is meant by Contemplation, how it is described by its great teachers and a chance to experience one of the Ignatian contemplative practices. This is a whistle-stop tour of contemplative prayer and practice, drawing from the wisdom of some of its main teachers - St Theresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton and others.
We reach the end of our series on WWMI the Cross with a Q&A with questions from members of BGMC.
We reach the conclusion of our mammoth series on the Atonement and our journey to expand our understanding and appreciation about how Jesus' death saves us. In this talk we do a deep dive into how Jesus' incarnation, death and resurrection deals with the greatest enemy facing humanity and creation, which is death. This is not just a solution to a problem but something far deeper and wider that God has done for us and for humanity.
In a noisy world how do we experience silence? How is silence viewed from the experience of people in the biblical stories? Silence has often been a key component of this Lenten Season but what is our practice of it and posture towards it?
The announcement that the Kingdom of God has arrived in Jesus is fundamental to our understanding of the cross because it is the proclaimation of regime change. As we look to conclude this series, we need to examine how God 'becoming King in Jesus' overthrows, disarms and defeats the existing powers which hold creation and humanity in bondage. What does God's rule and reign look like in the world and how is the church to exist in the light of it?
We continue our Live Lent series by examining a major part of the Lenten season - forgiveness. Vince takes us through what it means to live a life of forgiveness, with all its accompanying challenges and joys.
We live with such distance from 1st Century Judea, we cannot expect to fathom the status and significance of an imperial death penalty like crucifixion. But is it possible to understand how this method of execution is related to the message of the cross that Christianity has preached for the past 200 years? Today we briefly explore how the means and message of the cross are related.
Our new series of 'Live Lent' has kicked off. In this talk James introduces us to the series and drills down into the theme of 'attentiveness' exploring how stories from scripture and experience invite us to make ways to be attentive to God in our everyday.
Where does the death of Jesus fit in with God's telos of reconciling all things to himeslf? How can our view of the cross be compataible with God's desire to 'make world right'? Today we explore how some views of the cross are inconistent with this goal and how justice is achieved.
This talk has two parts. - the first part is a light-hearted way to recap on some of the things BGMC have been unlearning and re-learning about the cross and second, a deeper exploration of the mechanism of the phrase "Jesus died for us". Many of us have been told this means that Jesus died as a subsititute for us, 'he took the punishment we deserved', his death was 'in our place'. But what if this is an inadequate way to read the biblical text and understand the theology of the cross? Is there a more accurate and faithful understanding?
This is a re-recording of a brief Christmas reflection at BGMC's Carols and Cabaret evening which was celebrating the Community Sponsorship Scheme - Tower Hamlets Welcomes. The soundtrack is from a short film made by 'He Gets Us - Refugee'. You can watch it via You Tube.
In the final talk in this series, Joe explores the three questions in relation to play and how it resides on 'the spiritual table' of other disciplines in the Christian life.
“If you want blood, you got it.” When we say that Jesus was a sacrifice for us, we often assume a great deal about what the Bible means by sacrifice. But as we begin to look more closely, we discover that the concept is far richer and more complex than we tend to think. We cannot simply project our ideas about Jesus’ sacrifice back onto the sacrificial practices of the Old and New Testaments. Our focus here is to unlearn some of our assumptions about the Old Testament sacrificial system and relearn how it actually relates to Jesus’ blood “shed for us.”
This week, Chrissy guides us through some thinking around the meaning of worship and how it relates to our everyday existence.
Every human lives within a Divine Drama and a Sin Story - who God is and what humans are. Various atonement theories communicate flawed and false narratives about both. This week we focus on how the death of Jesus addresses the real 'sin story'. Without an cosmic and comprehensive understanding of the problem, we can never appreciate the size and scope of how much more Jesus has dealt decisively with the wrath of 'sin and grave'.
This is part two of a 2019 sermon series at BGMC called “A Jesus-Looking God.” We have added it now to complement the current WWMI the Cross series. While there may be some overlap in themes with the current set ot talks, these previous ones are intended to explore more deeply the flawed belief that God’s nature includes a vengeful, violent, and “holy” side that must be appeased through sacrificial punishment.
This talk was given in 2019 at BGMC as part of our series “A Jesus-Looking God.” It was not included in the original podcast archives, but we have added it now to complement the current WWMI in the Cross series. This message is especially relevant as we are currently exploring the nature of God as revealed in various atonement theories. The first talk is intended not only to challenge the view that God, as revealed by Jesus, is a “God of wrath,” but also to expose that idea as a pernicious lie and the very antithesis of God’s cruciform character.
In this talk, Bernie explores the part that play functions in our lives. How do the habits of play sit alongside the Christian disciplines of work and rest?
Our journey in exploring the death of Jesus takes us to many people's favourite golf club in our atonement bag of theories — Penal Substitution. It is an explanation that has been routinely accepted as the dominant understanding of the cross (at least within the Latin Western Protestant Church). However, it is also a theory that has had lasting and damaging consequences for our understanding of God’s personhood and character.
We are exploring the rich and complex meaning of Jesus' death on the cross. Today, we look at two ways in which the church has historically tried to explain the Atonement, using C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia to help us. How do the biblical metaphors, church history and Narnia help and hinder our understanding?
We've started a pilgrimage in exploring the meaning of the crucifixion of Jesus. This week we take a deep dive into Rene Girard's scapegoating theory and how it relates to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Girard believes that, since the dawn of time, human societies have instinctively sought to scapegoat people, which left unchecked can lead to a contagion of violence. We explore here how this understanding relates to Jesus assuming the role of as the Cosmic Scapegoat who suffers violence in order to end this mechanism once and for all.
This new series of What We Missed In... starts on Holy Cross Sunday, the Christian feast day dedicated to the exaltation of Jesus' crucifixion. This begins (like Brian Zhand did on the same day in 2016 on the Camino de Santiago) a pilgrimage that pays attention to the cross of Jesus. What actually happened when Jesus died, and why are we still asking the question? We will not rush to answer these questions, but first, observe how the kaleidoscope of diverse images and metaphors in the New Testament act and shape our understanding.
If worship is the action and orientation of our whole lives towards God, what does it mean to work, rest and play? James introduces this new series, exploring how we can understand and embody the worship of God in our daily lives of work, rest, and play.
One of the problems we have when reading the parables is our over-familiarity with them. We think we have the meaning sussed and sorted. Often, though, we have blunted their power and simplified their meaning. This is true of Jesus' punchy one-liner in Matthew 13.45. What is the Kingdom of God like when compared to a merchant looking for fine pearls, and can what happens to him help us understand it?
We continue to wrestle with our biases and presumptions about this story of Jesus. Today we explore the thorny issue of Jesus' warning that the unrighteous goats will experience 'eternal punishment' for their lack of mercy for the last, little, least and left-behind. What does the word 'eternal' actually mean, and how have we heard it interpreted? What is the nature of 'punishment' that Jesus is warning about? Is it possible that there are different explanations for these terms and the theology that has accompanied them?
Jesus' story in Matthew 25:1-13 about the judgement of the nations has been quoted in public spheres, political arenas, and church pulpits for many years. The history of the interpretation of this text has itself been diverse and complex. For many, it is a 'go-to text' - as a rallying cry for social justice and activism on behalf of the poor, vulnerable and dispossessed in our world, or a warning about the eternal destiny of punishment that awaits the unbelieving goats of the nations. This first talk will uncover some surprising alternative readings.
This is part 2 of our reflections on one of Jesus' most enigmatic parables in Luke 16.1-13. Where was Jesus heading with this story, and what is the nature of this 'trusted thing' called mammon, that he warns his disciples and hearers about?
This is one of Jesus' most eccentric and perplexing parables. What do we do with this man who is a frauster, a trickster, a deceiver, but whose actions are commended by the boss he has stolen from and validated as being shrewd by Jesus? There are a variety of possible meanings to this story, but it is one that refuses to be pinned down to a single definitive interpretation. How can Luke's emphasis, Jesus' focus and the social context forge a way forward to understanding and relevance to us?
Parable titles sometimes take us in the wrong direction, and so it seems for Jesus' parable of the labourers in Matthew 20. What can we learn about the Kingdom of God from the reckless business actions of the vineyard owner? Why did he pay his one-hour-a-day workers the same as the whole-day ones? We echo the grumbling and the cries of unfairness from those who worked longer. What is this strange and subversive generosity pointing to about God's Kingdom?
In this talk James kicks off our new series 'why am I still a Christian?'. In this talk James vulnerably shares his own journey with faith and sexuality and how this journey has led him deeper in his belief of how the church can be a place of welcome, inclusion and celebration.
Welcome to this final episode in our journey through Deconstruction as Discipleship by Michael Houston. Chapter 6, titled Towards a Flourishing Community of Re-forming Disciples, brings us to a hopeful vision of what lies beyond disorientation. Mike explores how faith communities can become safe landing spaces—places of grace and graft—for those navigating doubt and reconstruction. He challenges us to expand our spiritual worldview, decolonise privilege, and embrace the liminal spaces of faith with humility and courage. This chapter is a powerful call to nurture kindness, friendship, and candour in our churches—to create brave spaces where lament and doubt are welcomed as sacred acts. Houston invites us into a vision of the church not as a place of rigid conformity, but as a Christoform community—ever ancient, ever new—where reformation is ongoing and grace is abundant. Join us as we explore what it means to be a people always re-forming in the way of Jesus.
Welcome to this episode, where we explore Chapter 5 of Michael Houston’s Deconstruction as Discipleship, titled Surgery on a Malformed Faith. In this powerful chapter, Mike likens deconstruction to a necessary and often painful surgery—one that confronts harmful spiritual narratives and opens the way for healing. He identifies two core distortions in contemporary Christianity: the idolisation of certainty and the demand for conformity. These constructs, he argues, can damage authentic faith, stifle curiosity, and enforce exclusion. Drawing on stories, Scripture, cultural critique, and personal experience, Mike calls for a faith that embraces mystery, doubt, and diversity. This chapter is both prophetic and pastoral, challenging the church to move from rigid scaffolding to a flourishing garden of faith—where roots grow deep and wings are given to fly. Join us as we unpack what it means to let go of brittle belief systems and rediscover a Christ-shaped, open-handed way of following Jesus.
Welcome to this episode of our series on Deconstruction as Discipleship, where we engage with Chapter 4: Dismantling Two Faith Constructs. In this chapter, Mike explores two deeply ingrained yet often damaging theological frameworks: our inherited view of the Bible and our portrait of God.
Using the metaphor of cathedral scaffolding, Mike argues that many of us have unknowingly inherited distorted faith structures—false facades built around sacred truths. He critiques biblicism, the idolisation of the Bible, and unpacks how rigid doctrines and punitive images of God have shaped anxious, guilt-ridden spiritualities. Yet, this dismantling is not destruction; it’s an invitation to rediscover Scripture as sacred wisdom and God as radically Christlike. Through the lens of love and the cross, this episode encourages us to unlearn harmful ideas and reimagine a faith rooted in Jesus—the ultimate Word of God.
Welcome to this episode, where we explore Chapter 3 of Mike Houston’s Deconstruction as Discipleship, titled Provocations of Faith Disorientation. In this chapter, Mike unpacks what causes many to move from a settled faith into a place of questioning and disruption. Whether it’s personal pain, theological rigidity, or institutional harm, he suggests that disorientation is often the beginning of a sacred journey—one that can lead to deeper authenticity and a more Jesus-shaped faith. This isn’t about losing faith, but reimagining it through honest reflection, courage, and the hope of spiritual renewal.
Welcome to this episode, where we dive into Chapter 2 of Deconstruction as Discipleship by Michael Houston, titled The Syntax of Deconstruction. In this chapter, Mike explores how the language and metaphors we use shape our experience of faith transition. Drawing on the Psalms, he outlines a powerful framework—Orientation, Disorientation, and New Orientation—to describe the movement of deconstruction. Far from being just about loss, this journey can be constructive, poetic, and even creative. Using imagery from gardens, jazz, and cartography, Mike invites us to reimagine faith as a living, evolving process grounded in authenticity and transformation.
Welcome to this AI-generated podcast series, based on Deconstruction as Discipleship: A Credo for a Christ-like Community Wrestling with Faith by Mike Houston. Drawing from over 35 years of church leadership, Mike shares his personal journey alongside the stories of others who have walked with him. Through theological, biblical, and pastoral reflection, he engages with scholars, writers, and contemporary culture to explore the evolving landscape of Christian faith.
In this series, we distil the key insights from Mike’s paper, focusing on how faith deconstruction—often seen as a crisis—can actually be a sacred and necessary process. Mike argues that when approached thoughtfully, faith disruption can become a transformative path toward a “Jesus-shaped” spirituality and a more authentic, compassionate Christian community.
This first episode corresponds to Chapter One of the paper, where we explore the meaning and significance of the term deconstruction within a faith and wider context.
To request a full PDF version of the paper, please visit the contact page at www.bethnalgreenmissionchurch.co.uk.
In the second sermon of Jesus' story of the 10 bridesmaids, we wrestle with Matthew's context, style of writing and emphasis to discover how they drive the parable's meaning. How is the Kingdom of God presented in a parable and gospel with so much judgment in it? And how does the delay of the Groom challenge our hope for the arrival of God's Kingdom?
It's safe to say that the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids is not one of Jesus' most loved stories. We have most likely heard it as a warning to be prepared for Jesus' coming, but this misses the nuances of the story, its cultural setting, and how Matthew has written his gospel. What if the parable offers us something far richer, more complex and which challenges our discomfort with the nature of the story and the outcome?
NOTE: The audio file of the recording of this sermon was corrupted; this is an AI-generated podcast of the source material from that transcript of the sermon.
Exploring Faithfulness in the Fruits of the Spirit series is inspired by the online exhibition from the National Gallery. The exhibits are Orazio Gentileschi, The Finding of Moses (NG6684), early 1630s, oil on canvas and Soldi, Isabella, Duchess of Manchester, 1738, oil on canvas.
Peace. A word used liberally by those across all Christian traditions. But how should we understand it as the third Fruit of the Spirit? In this episode of our Art From the Heart series, we take a look at what we can learn about peace from Monet’s Waterlilies.
We often make the mistake of believing the parables were spoken for our benefit. This is a classic example - the story of a would-be king entrusting his servants with money while he goes away and then holding them to account for the return they produce. Are we the servants of King Jesus, tasked with yielding a return for the Kingdom of God and accountable when returns? Or does the historical context and Jesus' journey towards Jerusalem lead to a deeper understanding of why he told this parable and thus a more nuanced and complex application to us?
Jesus talks a lot about farming, sowing seeds and how the Kingdom of God can be compared to various agricultural settings and practices. His parable of the weeds takes us into some deep territory about the nature of our world, the evil growing within it and how the Kingdom of God has a strategy to address it. What is this plan, and how does it disturb us and our presumptions about evil and the nature of God's Kingdom?
A reflection on the complex experience of joy. Wondering how the neurology and psychology of joy alongside the artistic capturing of it helps us appreciate the theological perspective of Joy as a fruit of the Spirit. Drawing from recent developments scientific research and National Gallery curators’ commentaries on Frank Auerbach’s _Mornington Crescent_ and Van Gogh’s _Sunflowers_.
Jesus was a master storyteller. Speaking in parables was second nature to him, in fact, we are told he taught nothing without a parable. But how did these strange, quirky, confusing, sometimes violent and judgemental stories and riddles function? What was the point of them? In this introduction, we explore their purpose and role in Jesus' life and mission and examine how they, far from being moral lessons or clever sermon illustrations, were more forceful, illusive and subversive than we have ever imagined.
Continuing our art from the heart and fruits of the spirit series, this talk looks at self-control through two paintings: JMW Turner’s painting “Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway” and Ben Hartley’s, “Devon Lane, Westlake.”These paintings invite us to meditate on technology, development, infrastructure and housing and how these impact nature. We pause to consider how self-control in consumerism could help slow down climate change. The talk finished by looking at how we could bring new self-control practices into Lent.
We conclude our marathon series on desire by taking a look at four more habits of Cruciform Desire in the context of our communal life together. We examine further what place joy has in our life of desire and the role of spiritual disciplines in our Christ-like formation.
This talk picks up the Fruit of the Spirit series, with kindness in focus. Kindness is considered through a contemporary cultural lens that explores a recent societal response of kindness in contrast to the apparent attack on kindness in the sociopolitical sphere. Nevertheless, it is argued that Jesus models another kind of kindness altogether, a revolutionary/cruciform and courageous kindness that transforms lives, identities and situations.
We are continuing to examine the shape of our desires through four more habits of cruciformity. We return to our age-old quest for the 'good life' and how we understood it from the creation narrative of Genesis Chapters 1 & 2. How can we develop wisdom habits that are oriented around the Trailblazer of the Good Life, that True Human, Jesus? This talk involves a middle section of recordings from people's responses to a discussion question.
This we will focus on the habits of Cruciform desire, which can be summoned up in the prayer, 'Your will be done'. But what does it mean to align our desires with God's? We explore 5 central habits which may help us orientate our lives towards the One who was ultimately attuned to the will of God.
Art from the Heart is our new sermon series exploring the fruits of the spirit inspired by the online exhibition from the national gallery. In this talk, James kicks off our series looking at the particular fruit- Gentleness and looking at what this fruit can speak to in a divided and polarised world.
The Christian church celebrates Epiphany today, and specifically in the West, the journey of the Magi to Jesus. Many added layers to this famous story have obscured the power and complexity of Matthew's story-telling. We will explore some neglected understandings about the Magi and what the feast of Ephiphany can mean for us 2000 years later.
What is a love that walks? In this sermon, James finishes off our 'Compendium' series reflecting on a quotation from Kosuke Koyama.
Advent is the time of year when we celebrate and anticipate the birth of Jesus. Well, not quite. Many of our Christian and secular approaches to Advent have viewed it as an extension of the Christmas season of merry cheer and a countdown to the main event. But what if we have misunderstood the mood and movement of Advent completely? What if it is less about peace, joy, love and hope, but a far more uncomfortable and disruptive season? Where does the church find itself at Advent?
The quote from this talk comes from Dorothy Day - "I really only Love God as much as I Love the person I Love the Least". Starting with an overview of Dorothy's life, we then consider how the Bible describes the Love of God, and how that is seen tangibly by considering how Jesus treated one particular individual - the woman subject to bleeding.
We continue examining Jesus' life to help us understand the world of desire using seven words beginning with 'S'. We seek here to discern the scandalous nature of God's desire and his solidarity with our unfulfilled longings, the subversive Gospel desire economy, and the tension between duty and desire seen in Jesus's person. How does being 'awed to heaven but rooted to earth' shape our life desires?
We know our natural human desires are tricky and sticky. So how do we know what is truly good for us in the struggle with our fleshly desires? In this seventh talk on desire, we hang our thoughts on eight words beginning with the letter 'S'. They point to someone beyond us but who has become us to show us how to live the ultimate Good Human life.
The 14th-century mystic, Julian of Norwich, is renowned for her hopeful vision of God, seen in her assuring declaration: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well". But what does this mean for our life with God in a very uncertain world which certainly doesn't look very 'well'?
The human desire for pleasure is one of the most complex human urges and passions. Christianity has often struggled to come to terms with our natural and normal longing for pleasure and the consequences of living with post-Eden anxiety over our disorientated and disordered desires. What is the love relationship between our temporal pleasures and our longing for God? A look at Eros-love might help us see the pleasures of life and the pursuit of God in a new light.
Adam and Eve's trespass in Eden was about seizing wisdom on their terms. It was a self-determined wisdom and a self-discovered wisdom. The ricochet of this was the reversal of good - the equilibrium and flourishing of their relationship was disordered and disorientated, as seen in Genesis 3.16-19. In this talk, we will consider the meaning of verse 16 in particular - "Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you". How has this been translated and interpreted, and what does it mean for gender relations, the impulse for rule and domination and the Christian understanding of power?
Reflections on the Human Experience. In her book, "This Here Flesh," writer Cole Arthur Riley states, "In lament, our task is never to convince someone of the brokenness of this world; it is to convince them of the world's worth in the first place. True lament is not born from that trite sentiment that the world is bad but rather from a deep conviction that it is worthy of goodness." This podcast seeks to consider some of the author's reflections on key themes from her personal stories, challenging us to dig deeply from our stories and biblical themes such as remembrance, memory and lament
The rich tale of the two trees in the Garden of Earthly Delights points to the choices and consequences of seeing, taking and eating what is desirable to look at. Humans require wisdom to be good stewards in the world and faithfully discern what is good and evil. So why were Adam and Eve warned not to eat from the very tree that would give them this? Why prohibit them from accessing wisdom? The answer to this question will give us insight into how our desires are manipulated and how the route to fulfilling them is not always as it seems.
We have been exploring what is the specific vision of the good life that we desire. Genesis 1 and 2 point to a meaning of 'good' which is about order and harmony, multiplication and flourishing. In the garden of delights (Eden) there is a threat to this vision; an alternative route and telos, seen in the presence of the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil and that wily old snake. What danger do these represent to Adam and Eve and to the order and flourishing of our souls?
Asking what can be learned from St. Catherine of Siena's words can, on the surface, seem like a trite meme on social media but in truth holds great depth and power coming as they do from a highly revered theologian who lived life in deep communion with God. Reminiscent of passages of scripture, Colossians 3:2; Philippians 4:13; 1 Peter 2:9, this quote and its context prompts questions like: How can we understand her concept of bravery in our lives today? How might we spread the light of our fire? How easy or hard is it for us to accept that in Christ we can do everything? If we are called to be in Christ, is it helpful to consider the weakness of Christ alongside the strength of his love? Who are you, who has God meant you to be and is there anything stopping the expression of that?
This is the second sermon in our mini WWMI series on Desire. James K. A. Smith believes that as teleological creatures, all humans have a specific vision of the good life, a picture of human flourishing. Our desires will focus on this goal. But what is the good life? What does 'good' mean, and as Christians, how can we understand if our desires for the good life align with God's vision for human flourishing? This sermon takes us back to the creation narrative in Genesis and the Garden of Eden, a place of good and desirable trees.
In the first of our new Compendium series, James dives into the words of Evelyn Underhill. Drawing on natural theology, scripture and re-examining belief, he unpicks what she might have to say about the Christian life today.
WWMI returns for a mini-series on Desire. Augustine said, "Our life is a gymnasium of desire", that is, as humans we exist by desire. But how are these desires formed and curated in us and what do they tell us about our human identity, God and our spiritual formation? In a world where desire feeds the economic system of capitalism and consumption, who or what is desiring us? For the next 6 weeks we will explore these questions along with many others.
The focus of this talk is Psalm 84, with an emphasis on viewing it from a New Testament perspective. Luke records that the resurrected Jesus declared to his disciples "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms". With this in mind, we considered how this Psalm prophetically looks forward to what the New Testament reveals about Jesus, and how applying this may strengthen us in our spiritual pilgrimage"
In this talk we consider the meaning we can draw from the metaphor of the church as the bride of Christ. What does this image tell us about the identity of the church, its relationship with Christ, and its role in the world today?
In this last talk on John 9, we explore the further reaction to the man's healing and testimony by his parents and the religious authorities. Will anybody choose to be his advocate and will his voice be finally heard? What do these scenes say about powerful, 'able-bodied' domination systems that get challenged and disrupted by the marginalised and disbelieved? What irony is employed by John that is pertinent to our understanding of disability theology?
This is the second part of our reflection on the encounter of a blind man with Jesus through the lens of disability. John 9 is a public trial of disability and ability, with several 'stakeholders' interacting with the man and Jesus over 6 scenes. The man has been given his sight by Jesus and this attracts debate and questioning from neighbours and religious authorities (v.8-17). What issues arise that may resonate with those who experience disability and what can able-bodied people learn from man's experience?
The early followers of Christ referred to themselves as followers of the Way. The Way is how Jesus referred to himself, a phrase taken up by the first-century church in the book of Acts. But what does this Way look like and what does going this Way entail for the church today?
How the message of 1 Peter weaves together key aspects of Israel’s relationship with God with the person of Jesus and those who believe in him. How can the separate roles of Royalty and Priesthood make sense together? Who is Melchizedek? What might it look like for us to inhabit this priestly role? What are these acceptable spiritual sacrifices we are meant to offer?
In our quest to learn about theology from the margins, we give our attention to a story in John 9 and read it from the perspective of disability. What can able-bodied people learn from reading the bible with a new lens? In this first part, we will examine Jesus' response to the disciples' curiosity about the link between the man's blindness and sin. Was the man born blind so that God could perform a miracle of healing?
Within the diverse and creative world of biblical interpretation, it is possible to encounter scripture in a fresh and dynamic way, which can bring new understanding. This talk takes a second look at Jesus' encounter with a 'foreign legion' that had possessed and subjugated a man and we do so through a post-colonial lens. How does it speak to us about how imperial power has occupied, dominated and diminished people and nations? What does it say to us and our privilege and power and our complicity in the system and spirit of empire?
What place links the New Testament events of Passover with Pentecost? Elisha with Peter, Mary, mother of Mark with Jesus? It is the Upper Room. The Upper Room is synonymous with prayer and the preparation for an encounter with God. This physically spacious dwelling place becomes the setting for Jesus to help the disciples encounter and embody the person of God - a God who has many rooms. How is this worked out in Pentecost and the story of the church in Acts and what kind of Christianity has many rooms?
What is mission? What is our place in the story of God? At the start of our new series, This Thing Called Church, James talks about the mission of God and how we are invited into the story of the restoration of all things.
We conclude our mini-series with a dive into some ancient habits and postures of prayer which is orientated toward being attentive to the sacred wonder in the ordinary and the everyday. We return to Nick Cave for some helpful examples and perhaps a surprising form of music as a metaphor of prayer.
Continuing our series The Christian Life in Paradox, this talk explores, in a very personal way, living with hope and disappointment alongside each other and the implications for our faith journey. Trigger warning: this talk covers issues of grief, illness, loss and mental health challenges and is emotionally raw in places. If you are impacted by any of the themes in this talk, the leadership team of BGMC would be happy to talk to you further.
What does God's presence and personhood in the world look like? That is the question we have been grappling with. We are seeking to be re-enchanted by the sacred divine presence - to imagine where and how God is. But what habits do we need to adopt and what posture do we need to make? Perhaps our language and our sight have been deficient? What can the experience of Jacob and Moses offer as a way forward to being more intentionally attentive to sacred meaning in the world?
The empty tomb of Jesus offered very little comfort or consolation to the disciples when they first encountered it. It was Mary Magdalene who refused to accept what she saw that first Easter morning. In this brief talk, we will reflect on how Mary's posture enabled her to encounter the risen Jesus which gives us an insight into what we need to do the fathom the depths of this new reality.
The Christian life is a paradox. Today we explore the metaphors and practice of fasting and feasting and how they can be understood in the Christian life. How do these binary concepts exist in faith and how can we take them seriously as we follow Jesus?
How does God work in the world in response to prayer? That is the question we are grappling with in this mini-series of WWMI. Today, we get deep into the weeds about God's 'all-knowingness' - what is the 'all' that God knows and what type of future does God know? What are the consequences for prayer? Again, we apply the 'logic of love' to our understanding of these questions and explore how this relates to our grasp of what is certain and what is possible
Looking at examples of the lived experience of the rest and wrestling of faith, this talk explores attitudes towards both experiences and how they can hold together in the paradoxical dance that is faith.
We have been using the phrase, 'The Logic of Love' to describe God's actions in the world and the role of prayer to bring about his will. Love 'pre-conditions' God's power and knowledge. Love is the only form of God's power. If love is first in God's nature, then his will and actions in the world will allow and consent to creaturely freedom. God is subject to the variables and 'say-so's' in a creation made in love and by love. How then does God work and why is the variable of prayer so important?
Why do we pray? How does God intervene in our lives and world? If we want to have confidence in prayer and in a God who works in the world, we need to address these questions. To gain a glimpse into the possibilities that exist in prayer, we introduce here two concepts that will define our response: the nature of God and the type of world that we live in. In the disenchanted culture of our predominantly scientific, secular and sceptical Western world, how can the Logic of Love help us navigate challenging questions?
This sermon focuses its attention on the paradox of us being wise by being fools. Taking texts from 1 Corinthians 1,2 and 3, it reflects on the questionable wisdom of the Corinthian church in following different leaders, notes the contrasts between God's wisdom in Christ and human wisdom through the Word, Christ who became a "Fool" and gives examples of Holy fools and the role of fools in royal courts as helpful aids.
The Christian life is truth in paradox - a faith which can seem nonsensical and confusing, but at the same time one which reveals deep spiritual truths. We will explore some common cultural examples of paradox and then consider one given to us by Jesus - "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave", taken from Matthew's gospel chapters 19, 20.
Jesus' testing and temptation in the wilderness represent an assault on his identity and calling. By placing this event at the start of Jesus' career and after his baptism, Matthew anticipates the battle and combat with evil forces and voices that will define Jesus' mission. This event is rich in Old Testament allusions and meaning - what does it say about Jesus' identity and his relationship with his Father and what echoes are there for us to learn from?
Ruth chapter 4 is a complicated end to a complicated book. This finale answers some questions and raises some more. We are introduced to new characters and more names, this only heightens the sense of where the drama is heading. What more can we learn about family, kinship, love and loyalty from this story and how do these themes resonate beyond this ancient setting?
This week we delve into the world of Cancel Culture. What is the Christian response to this cultural phenomenon? it is a complex and unnerving topic, where we might find ourselves on either side of an experience of being cancelled or doing the cancelling.
It is the end of the harvest season and Ruth and Boaz's story has not moved on. So Naomi and Ruth hatch a cunning, night-time plan to provoke Boaz into action. It is a risque move that requires stealth and boldness. This threshing floor scene is dangerous and highly provocative and leaves us with all sorts of questions - what actually happened at midnight between Ruth and Boaz and why does it matter? How does this scene deepen the wider narrative about the nature of kindness in the book of Ruth?
Does one relate more to the season of Christmas or to that of Advent? Is the promise of the impact of Jesus’ coming too good to be true? Are we still waiting for the proclamation of peace on earth to come to fruition? Perhaps Advent isn’t just about waiting for Jesus to come.
Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem seeking safety and shelter after years of grief and loss. Will the hated foreigner Ruth find welcome in the homeland of her enemies? Will Naomi's life of 'bitterness' be able to recover from tragedy? Ruth now takes centre stage in this short story and despite the odds stacked against her, she ventures into unknown and risky territory to try and redeem their situation.
The book of Ruth is an ancient short story about family, famine, loss, loyalty and love. It provides a welcome interlude after the blood-thirsty violence of Judges. However, as we know by now there is always something more complex going on and something actually more contemporary than we expect. The rich symbolism of the names and the repeated mentions of Moab point us in a direction of irony, pathos and protest. So, how does the book of Ruth function and who is this young foreign woman that captivates the story?
The film The Creator has again set the pulses racing about the potential of AI to change humanity's relationship with technology and machines. In a week which saw some sensible and outlandish claims at the UK AI Safety Summit, we cannot avoid further conversation and collaboration about the ethics, risks and potential of AI. In the midst of this conversation is the vital question, 'What does it mean to be human?'. And it is this question, that today's Connect With Culture will start to explore.
The blessings and curses listed in Deuteronomy tyrannise our 21st-century sensibilities with all manner of anxieties and fears. The promises of blessings might encourage and cheer us for a brief moment, but the sheer intensity and volume of curses destabilise us. They confirm our worst feelings of dread about God - that there is some kind of divine karma at work in life, which rewards us for good behaviour and punishes us for bad behaviour. How has such a portrait of God shaped us and our communities? What do we have to dismantle and re-learn from these ancient texts in order to understand how they speak to us today?
Deuteronomy pictures a new generation of Israelites at the cusp of the promised land as they are retold the story of the covenant and law. It was a scene loaded with anticipation and joy, jeopardy and fear. The jeopardy was a foreboding sense of what lay before them - a land of strong, numerous people groups, and violent warriors inhabiting large cities that reached to the skies. It was a land of giants. Who are these terrifying warrior-giants, where do they come from and what do they represent? The reality is, unsurprisingly, more richer and complex than first imagined, but also more revealing in its contemporary relevance.
How good are we at waiting? How do we cope with a hope taking it’s time to be realised?
When God seems to be hidden in life, how do we wait with trust rather than hurry and make things happen ‘in our own strength’? And what do rivers have to do with any of this?
This Connect with Culture talk begins with the song "Days", written by the Kinks in 1968 but now regarded as a classic. It was featured on the radio programme "Soul Music" which focuses on the emotional impact Music has on the soul. The talk then moves to a verse in Psalm 90 - "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom", and explores the relevance of this on our day to day lives"
What does loving God look like in Deuteronmy? (Deut.6.1-9). How does the language and words of the Shema - the Jewish declaration of faith - differ in the Ancient Near Eastern context compared to the english words and concepts we use? Here we seek to explore the rich and expansive possibilties of how we love and where we love God.
Deuteronomy is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament more than any other book in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is a book we have to wrestle with. It places us with Moses on the brink of the Promised Land, on the cusp of a new era for a new generation. Will Israel be ready to face the challenges of Canaan? Moses gives three death-bed sermons to remind them of the story of their ancestors and to help the people navigate what lies before them. But we are also placed before another context, 650 year later - the world of the narrator. Judah is facing a new threat - Assyria. How do these two worlds collide in the formation of Deuterononmy? In this brief overview we will explore how the fascinating context of the book gives us a welcome introduction to the challenges faced by them and us.
The story of two crestfallen disciples walking along the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 gives us an insight into the rich complexity of the communion table. The story functions to illustrate the Enigma and Encounter of this table and how divine hide and and seek simultaneously baffles and delights us. What can we learn from the absence and presence of Jesus in this story and the enigmatci work of God in the world?
The story of Jesus' last week on earth is book-ended by two meal time encounters at a table. In this mini-series, we look at some paradoxical couplets that help us understand the meaning of the communion table, the breaking of bread, the eucharist. Robert Farrar Capon said, "paradox is the only basket large enough to hold truth". What happens at this communion table is gloriously rich and complex and perhaps it is only as we discover its multiple meanings that exist in-tension, that we can fully appreciate its truth. Jesus' teaching in John 6 gives some insight into what is going on at this meal-time.
The Hebrew bible book of Numbers is a travel log of an ancient community, a story of road trip gone badly wrong. Interwoven amongst the census lists of Israelite families and tribes, there are stories of a people encountering God, who frame themselves and the divine through the lenses of their time and setting. What kind of portaits are painted? How does Numbers function to tell a story and what can we learn from these ancient pictures?
The theme of holiness saturates Leviticus. But holiness, as a concept, has been misunderstood, corrupted and weaponised in some Christian churches and traditions. How does Leviticus, in all its complexity and nuance, help us recover the meaning of holiness? When Levitical holiness is viewed in the larger sweep of the biblical narrative, its role in the formation of Christian ethics and behaviour might be surprising.
Solitude - Where does this hinterland habit fit into the modern world, why it's necessary and why we don't do it.
We explore the practice of listening to God by reconnecting with our fearfully and wonderfully made bodies, tuning into the wisdom offered by both our physical and emotional being, and attending to the ordinary present moments to encounter the divine in the ordinary.
(There are a few audio glitches half way through this sermon)
A discussion-based look at hospitality. It is a characteristic of God, so how can we see this in Jesus, the fullest revelation of God, who often operated outside of home? What does community hospitality look like, and does it mirror God's hospitality?
Continuing our series of hinterland habits, today we reclaimed the old word prudence. Looking at prudent rest, being prudent with money and prudent with speech. What does the bible teach us about learning from yesterday, behaviours we can implement today, for a better tomorrow?
Understanding congruence to mean what we say matches what we do, this talk underlines its importance as a spiritual trait and practice. It focuses on the teaching of Jesus on hypocrisy - the antithesis of congruence - by looking at the woes directed to the Pharisees in Luke 11, climaxing with the warning to the disciples "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees - Which is hypocrisy"
Leviticus is a hinterland book that is often avoided or misused, but if we take the time to look at the way it's constructed and the lens by which we see and understand it, it will help us as we try to deal with the many questions and concerns that can arise when approaching this book.
"Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing".
Those are the words said by Jesus about our attitude to giving, but what does that actually mean? Join us as part of our hinterland habits series as James explores the habit of secrecy.
Without a doubt, Leviticus registers as one of the Bible's most neglected, confusing and trashed books. To so easliy condemn it as being boring or irrelevant is to miss its huge significance in the formation of Israel's religion and ritual and how it points to 21st Century Christian discipleship. But first, we have to realise that travelling to the distant, ancient and complex land of Leviticus, is to do so as a alien in a foreign country.
Buidling a mobile sanctuary for God in the the middle of the desert was a big deal for the Israelites (25-40 chapters worth). Amongst the meticulcous and elaborate intructions, we may have missed how God's spirit worked in inspiring and equiping people for this mammoth task. Who were these skilled and wise-hearted artisans? What does it mean for God's people in any era and place to work, worship and enact wisdom in the wilderness places we might find ourselves?
As apprenctices of Jesus, we claim that our habits and spiritual formation are influenced by Jesus' teachings and example. Is there anything which he said or did that can help us to learn about simplicity? In this talk, Jos looks at Matthew 11.28-30 and how we can embody "the unforced rhythms of grace" that Jesus taught.
"Celebration gives us perspective on ourselves". This Richard Forster quote helps us to understand the Hinterland Habit of Celebration. What perspective does it give us and how is the habit of celebration foundational to all other spiritual disciplines?
How is is listening a spiritual practice and how can it be part of the formation of our life as Christ's disciples? Learning the important art of listening requires a certain posture. In this Hinterland Habit talk we look at how Jesus' life and teaching enacted a posture of listening and learn from his example that listening can be one of life's most precious and powerful gifts.
Many of us can recall songs which define an era - protest songs, or songs which create a musical movement, or those that represent special events in history. Exodus 15 is an ancient and exuberant song which celebrates God's climatic victory over Pharaoh and which resonates throughout the history of Judaism. We need to dig deeper behind this song to understand who's voice it actually is and how it came to us, in order to appreciate a deeper richness to its meaning. The song contains some disturbing and uncomfortable imagery for 21st Century readers, but a look behind the scenes can reveal some valuable insights about voices and power, retributive justice and divine doppelgängers!
When we read that Pharaoh's heart was repeatedly 'hardened' in resistance to Moses, we can get a bit morally anxious about what God's involvement in it was. Are we expected to believe that God was the 'first cause' of Pharaoh's stubborn heart? If not, what role does God play? How is Pharaoh a warning to us, both individually and as a society, about the consequences of our persistent unhealthy choices and behaviour, and how can we reset our posture towards life, each other and God?
The plagues narrative of Exodus offers us a terrifying vision of death and destruction as way to demonstrate Yahweh's glory and supremacy over Pharaoh and his empire. What is the purpose of these relentless plagues and how is his supremacy seen and known? In this talk, we look at several of the plagues to get an insight into who is actually in Yahweh's sights and what he is seeking to achieve. If God's glory is on show here, how does Jesus help us understand how God's glory is decisively and fully seen?
Saying 'No' can be provocative, powerful and life affirming. What does it involve for Christians to say 'No' - to God, to others, to our world? What does it mean to formed by a habit of saying 'No'?
Moses finally gets an audience in the court of the Egyptian empire, with a message that the enslaved Israelites need to be set free to worship Yahweh. Endowed with power and authority by God, what could possibly go wrong? What comes next is the unleashing of some of God's best, most infamous judgement work, or at least that is how some might view it. So, what is going on with these strange, devastating plagues? Blood, frogs, lice and darkness? Are they just God flexing his muscles or is there something deeper and more complex going on in the way they function in their literary beauty and theological purpose?
Our WWMI series takes us deeper into the unfolding drama of Moses and Israel. The story of Moses and Zipporah on their journey to Egypt is one of the weirdest and puzzling in the Old Testament. What does this divine threat and confrontation in the middle of the desert mean? Why does Zipporah's strange words and actions avert this threat? We offer some possible meanings and reflection on how this mysterious story might be relevant to us.
Our Hinterland Habits series takes us to another 'far-off' aspect of our spiritual formation - courage. What does the courageous Christian life look like? What are the challenges to our faith which a habit of courage can help us face?
Exodus chapter 1 ends on an ominous and dark note. The Egyptian empire strikes back. Yet, in the hostile, killing waters of the Nile, there seems to be something emerging which continues the trajectory of resistance and rebellion, started by the courageous Shiphrah and Puah. The beginnings of Moses' life and the unlikely conspiracy of three audacious women who resist empire brims with irony, literary beauty and theological meaning. In the light of their example, what can we learn from the dark and challenging times we experience?
'Yes' is a powerful word. In the context of faith, it provides a rich context for the way in which God works in the world and our response. It implies partnership, consent, and covenant. What does it mean for people of faith to practice saying 'yes' as a habit of spiritual formation and what examples from the bible can we learn from?
"Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” - Sue Monk Kidd
In this second talk of our Hinterland Habits series, James explores storytelling as a spiritual practice and how it can be a spiritual discipline that not only connects us with ourselves but also has the potential to be subversive to oppressive structures around us.
Hinterland Habits are those far off, distant habits of spiritual formation that we may have not considered before. How might we practice curiosity as a spiritual discipline? Looking at how this connects with Moses, Mission, Creativity and Communion, we ask how we can follow Jesus in openness and vulnerability; letting go of our boxes and fears and embodying the strength of this Love in faith.
The book of Exodus is about how a family became a nation. We encounter this community of people flourishing and multiplying in Egypt, living out what creation was intended to do in Genesis. Yet a new dynasty of empire sees this growing immigrant community as threat and seeks to enslave and diminish it. From where will deliverance come? Can an empire the size and power of Egypt be ever outwitted and resisted? Exodus 1 gives us some insight.
Jesus was great at asking people who they thought he was. This segment of Matthew provides one of the most acclaimed public confessions of the entire gospel. Jesus's response has equally resonated throughout history. What does it mean for us?
Ancient storytelling in Genesis is a beautiful and complex thing. What have we missed in the bizarre and bemusing and sometimes, sordid stories of Israel's beginnings? We find clues in this drama that point us to the authors' wider intention and perspective. One of these is the struggle of sibling rivalry. What can we learn from the struggle of family dysfunction, favouritism, trickery, deceit and violence about God's purposes for Israel and humanity?
The Binding of Isaac looms large in Jewish and Christian storytelling. Much of our struggle with this passage is with the portrait of God it depicts and the nature of the test that Abraham is given. Is God asking for total obedience, a show of loyalty or proof of faith? In this talk we unpack possible alternative readings of this encounter and wonder if Abraham is unlearning and re-learning who God is and what he actually requires from him? After all, isn't that an integral part of our faith journey?
urgan Möltmann said: “Christianity…is hope, forward looking and forward moving and therefore also revolutionary and transforming of the present.”The Canaanite woman mentioned in this story was seen as a sinner, part of an unclean ‘other’ group, but she refused to be silenced. She knew who she was and understood more deeply than the disciples, the mission of the Messiah. Where and in what ways can we be true to and persist in the transformative hope of the upside-down-all-included Kingdom of God?
The story of the great patriarch and matriarch of Israel, Abram and Sarai is brimming with the beauty of God's call, promise and blessing, right? Yet, how do we reconcile this also as a story of dysfunctional and destructive relationships, of injustice and trauma? How can this messy, ancient and inspired story speak to us and what have we missed from the encounters between God and Abram, Sarai and Hagar?
If God's work of making creation good, in Genesis, is not about a perfect paradise but about relational order and well-being, what does it mean for God to rest on Day 7 after his work? We might be surprised to consider a new dimension to the concept of Sabbath rest when we understand what God was doing in the first place. Is rest relaxation, or stopping work or is it participating in what God did, where God went and how he rested?
Genesis is a stunning piece of ancient literature but how does it behave and what it is going on? Three millennia of Jewish midrash and church history about the meaning of Genesis 1 and 2 is not being attempted in this episode. However, by digging a bit deeper into several words in these chapters in their ancient context, we might be surprised by what we have missed. It might also challenge us to reconsider previous assumptions about power, goodness and the making of men and women in this ancient story of creation.
Our new series will explore how we have missed so much in our reading of the bible - the boring bits, obscure bits, difficult bits - and there are a lot of these. Perhaps we have missed so much because we have failed to understand and appreciate what the bible actually is and it how it behaves as a God's word in human words. This inspired but complex, diverse and ancient literary product requires our hard work and attentiveness and only by doing this will we experience a deeper encounter with The One it points to.
The beauty of the gospels is located in their rich stories of Jesus' encounters with many different people. What does the good news of God's Kingdom mean for these diverse Saints, Sinners and Seekers whom Jesus met? Today we explore Jesus' encounter with a man with a skin disease.
We reach the end of our series on Rescuing Romans and tackle a much misunderstood and misinterpreted subject - foreknowledge and predestination. Does God really choose some people for very different eternal destines based on his random choice? Whilst some Christians can be ambivalent or confused, there is no doubt there is a lot at stake for holding to particular versions of these theologically heavyweight issues - namely, what kind of God do we claim to follow and how does he work in the world?
We live in a world that judges. Our words, body shape, instagram posts, politics, and food preferences are among those things we judge others and are judged by. What does Jesus call the church to be and do in a world where judgement is often the currency of relationships?
Righteousness and Justification. You can't get much bigger in heavyweight theological themes in Romans. For most Christians, to even mention these subjects is to induce a catatonic state. How can some of Paul's favourite themes be rescued from irrelevancy? In this talk, we bring together Paul's first century Roman context with some important observations made by David Zahl in his recent book, Seculosity.
What is Paul's vision for the in-Christ community of diverse Roman believers? Jewish and Gentiles Jesus followers now participate in the cosmic story of God's renewal of all things. Their status signals new ownership, new family and a new mission. If this is our new location, what does it mean to live out this in-Christ status and story?
In an uncertain world, Jesus' command for his followers 'not to worry' is seemingly impossible to live out on face value. If this is the case, what does he mean? How can we strive to let go of worry whilst recognising that the Christian life is not a blissful, care-free existence?
What we have learnt about Paul's letter to the Romans is that the issues of identity formation in that 1st century church are not too dissimilar to our struggles in the 21st century. Paul relentlessly stressed that this diverse church now existed, pivoted, lived from and in a new permanent location - that of being 'in-Christ'. This re-location means living under a new realm, with a new allegiance and with new possibilities as we share in the resurrection life of Jesus. What are the implications for living at this new address?
Who are we? One of Paul's most celebrated ideas about the identity of the church is about Christians being 'in-Christ'. Our journey through Romans continues to teach us that theological truth has to be a lived truth, embodied in our behaviour. Theological truth doesn't come much bigger than the concept of being in-Christ, but why did he share this with the Roman church and what bearing does it have on our posture and formation?
Jesus reserves much of his hard-hitting teaching for the warning against how money (and other earthly treasures) can steal our affections and allegiance to God. How can we faithfully follow Jesus within our challenging 21st century culture of accumulation? Bob Dylan famously sang, 'You gotta Serve Somebody", who and what is our master?
Romans chapter 5 is about ancestry and lineage and how two central characters affect the status and condition of human life. Paul presents the cosmic consequences of Adams way - sin, death, and condemnation and contrasts that with the revolutionary way of Jesus - faithfulness, life and grace. But can we locate in Paul's words something deeper and more powerful than just a contrast and comparison between Old Adam and New Adam? What does it mean to live in solidarity with Adam or Jesus?
What are we doing this for? Public honour or hidden reward? Our inner lives and the outward actions, how do they match? In Jesus' expose of the social norms of surrounding 'righteous acts', he seems to be flipping the concepts of honour and shame. In doing so, it questions the motives behind our actions.
Who gets to be honoured? Who are we shaming?The theme of honour and shame in Romans is rarely considered as an important context to Romans. However, Paul's language is saturated with this concept as he seeks to address the identity struggles of the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome. Can Paul's reconfiguration of the first century concepts of honour and shame help us to navigate 21st century world of virtue-signalling and cancel culture?
The world of the bible authors was most often filled with struggle, turmoil and uncertainty. During this Advent, how can the words of the prophet Zephaniah help us to live faithfully during our 21st century period of uncertainly and turmoil?
Isaiah 9 is often one of the main bible passages to be read in carol services during Advent. How is this ancient text relevant to our lives in 21st century?
Paul's fascination with the word 'all' reaches a climax in his questions to the Roman church in chapter 8. The foes and forces that condemn and judge were coming from within and without the church and they were tempted to ask, 'who is our ally, who is rooting for us'? Paul's unanimous response is that in the death of Jesus, God definitively shows that he is 'for' humanity. The universal threat from all things in all realms in met by the universal, all-conquering love of God at the cross. But what type of conquering is this and how does the church imitate it?
Paul is obsessed with the wider, deeper, broader, creation-wide, cosmic-breadth of both the problem of sin and death and God's work of salvation in Jesus. Romans 8 is a window into Paul's sense of 'all' - all creation and all things. How does the wrecking ball of evil, sin and death touch creation and how does God labour for good in the midst of its groaning?
Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount direct us to the orientation of our minds and hearts when it comes to the summary of the law. How does our interior world shape our embodied life and can we face the challenge of Jesus to love God with all our hearts and love our neighbour as ourself?
There are plenty of words and concepts that you might normally associate with Romans, but the word 'all' might not seem one of them. Paul uses the word frequently in order to convey many big theological themes, but he always uses it with the pastoral challenges of the diverse Roman church in mind. Over three weeks we will explore 10 'alls' of Romans and see how Paul's favourite word challenges our 21st century church life.
You idiot! It is not uncommon to hear a phrase of abuse in day-to-day life - on the streets, on social media and in political discourse. It maybe a flippant and casual form of put-down or an insult prompted by fierce anger at injustice. The Sermon on the Mount raises the bar for our interaction with people and how we treat our neighbour, whether that is a colleague, a sporting rival or political opponent. How does Jesus' warning and words shape our Christ-like posture in the world?
Christoformity is the aim of Romans (thank you Scot Mcknight). This task is a constant renewal of our worship, our minds and our bodily posture in the world. Yet there is a Matrix, a world of schemes and patterns that seek to influence and shape our identity, which Paul's calls Christians in Rome to resist. How do we resist such schemes in 21st Century and be rejuvenated in the image of Christ?
How we live is determined by what or whom we worship. That seems to be Paul's premise in Romans Chapter 1 and 12. Paul gets physical in his understanding of worship and presents the Roman church with a vision of a radical community of living sacrifices who embody the person of Jesus. What is the shape of such worship and how is it acceptable and pleasing to God?
The Beatitudes are intended to be embodiment of God's Kingdom come - the formation of a society of peace and justice in the midst of power plays and violence. Is it possible to imagine such a world and what does it mean to be a person of Shalom?
Paul's injunction to Roman Christians to submit to the governing authorities in Chapter 13 has been misunderstood and misused for centuries. It lies in the middle of Paul's ethical instructions for behaviour and the obligation to adopt a cruciform posture of blessing and loving ones enemies. Is obedience unconditional for life under any and every sick, violent and unjust despot and tyrant or are occasions when our allegiance to Jesus obliges us take up forms of resistance to these rulers?
The beginning of the famous sermon on the mount steeped in Israel’s history: a statement of intent or a crash course in what it means to live in the Kingdom of God. We question who we understand the poor in spirit to be, what Jesus may be referring to in terms of mourning and what a meek person might look like. Continuing a theme from recent weeks of lived theology, we consider a calling to act and where, or with whom, we might position ourselves to learn and live a humble, dependent, trusting and laid down life.
How can peace be established in the church of Rome that is so diverse and different? That is Paul's agenda in the book of Romans. Jewish and Gentile believers were at loggerheads over what made them the people of God, and who was 'in' and who was 'out'. Each group sought to assert the privileges and power of their specific identity markers, leading to disunity and destruction. What did Paul offer as basis for the church's identity and what orientation was necessary to bring about peace? What lessons can the 21st century church learn from this crisis?
Paul's letter to the Roman church has been one of the most debated and argued over in the New Testament. It has given us many big theological concepts and some classic, well known verses but but it has also confused and frustrated us. We are embarking on a journey to 'rescue Romans' from the perception of it being so doctrinally dense that is has very little relevance to us. We hope to see how Paul's letter, performed by Phoebe, contains a powerful and relevant message about the identity of a Christian community brimming with difference and diversity. How does Paul bring together so many weighty theological themes in his call for the Roman church to live out its 'in-Christ identity in relation to one another and the world?
Have you ever thought about having your enemies around your dinner table? In this talk James explores the power of hospitality throughout the story of scripture as well as reflecting on when tables might need to be flipped rather than set. Join us to think further about hospitality as a tool for reconciliation and bringing about the Kingdom of God.
Jesus taught us to pray to be delivered from evil. Yet how do we overcome evil if he also said, 'do not resist and evildoer'? In order to understand this question and find out how we can resist the 'unholy trinity' of evil, we need to visit a garden - Gethsemane. It is here where Jesus is confronted by the dark powers of evil in all its forms. How does his response to this assault show us the path of cruciform resistance?
The Lord's prayer places us in a battlefield where there are threats to God's Kingdom coming. For us to pray, 'deliver from evil', we need an understanding of what we are praying to resist and overcome. Evil needs to be unmasked. In the context of what has gone on in this prayer, what is this evil and how does it test, enslave, corrupt and destroy? Are there ways in which we are complicit with evil and what is our posture towards this threat?
The phrase, 'lead us not into temptation' is a challenging one. Does God actually lead us into temptation and what is the nature of temptation? If we are to pray for God's kingdom to come, we must be aware of the tests and trials that are part of our life as Jesus's followers. Where and how does God meet us in these times?
Bread in the bible is loaded with meaning - historical, political, cultural, and theological. So bread matters. What did Jesus' disciples hear when he told them to pray, 'give us today our daily bread'? If God is the source and sustainer of all life, how can we understand this dangerous phrase? What re-ordering and new posture needs to be undertaken to sincerely and faithfully pray it?
How is God's will done on earth? How does it relate to God's kingdom and what posture should we take in seeing, praying for and acting to make God's will be done on earth?
What does it mean to pray for God's Kingdom to come? In first century Palestine, there were many different expectations - religious, cultural and political - about what God's kingdom would look like. Jesus seems to defy all those expectations and present a kingdom based around a new vision and alternative set of values. How can the church have a posture which reflects this Jesus-shaped kingdom?
Names are important. They are about the identity, character, reputation and presence of a person. What does it mean to hallow God's name? What would have Jesus' disciples heard when he asked them to address God in this way? Who are we invoking and what are we called to do and be when we this pray this?
When Peter in Acts 10 went to pray on a roof, at a regular lunchtime on an ordinary day, he couldn't have imagined that his experience would change the church forever. In an era of unprecedented change and social upheaval over the past 18 months, what can Peter's experience teach us about being led by God in a new and uncomfortable direction?
The season of Lent takes us on a journey into wilderness. The theme occupies a powerful place in the story of God's people and in the imagination of biblical writers, both as a geographical location and as a metaphor. In this peculiar and unique Lent of 2021, how does this wilderness theme shape our understanding of testing, temptation and our Christian identity and discipleship?
The Rescuing Revelation road comes to an end. The relevance and practically of the whole book is often hidden by inappropriate and misguided interpretations, and our intention was to, at least, address some of these. From Chapter 22 verse 6, the vision forms a 'coda' to the finale of the book with an 'alter call' or invitation by the exalted Jesus. What is this invitation and what does it really mean to 'keep the words' contained within the vision?
Revelation Chapters 21 and 22 provide a guided tour of what will happen to the earth when God dwells fully in it. It provides us with a spectacular vision of the architecture of the Garden-City of the New Jerusalem. What are the essential qualities of this future and what do we need to enact in the present to be for earth, architecture for the common good?
The large canvas of Revelation 21 & 22 describes what will be absent from the earth when God is fully present in the Garden-City of the New Jerusalem. How can this stunning vision not only give us a hope for the future but a renewed sense of what we do now making a difference to the coming new creation?
Revelation reaches a climax in the highly symbolic, pulsating vision of the New Jerusalem, the radical alternative and polar opposite of Babylon. It is a majestic vision of new creation, of life in where God dwells in the midst. In these first few verses of chapter 21, we explore how this vision shapes our present life - is is just something for the long-distance future when we die or can we hope to see this future unfolding now?
Chapter 20 contains some of the most misinterpreted and controversial concepts in Revelation. What is the millennium, what is the nature of judgement? When is the end of time really the end? In order to makes sense of these concepts we need to revisit the techniques John has consistently used to make his pastoral and theological point. It is only by doing this, we will fully grasp how relevant these visions are to our faith in the 21st century.
The concept of fire as a metaphor is common within the Bible. However, fire in both testaments can mean many different things - destruction, holiness, purification, and power for example. What does fire mean for our understanding of God and his presence and power?
Chapter 19 contains both a vision of worship and one of the most violent pictures of Jesus in the New Testament - a blood stained, sword-wielding, white-horse riding warrior. How will evil be overcome and God's enemies defeated? Is Jesus really going to resort to violence at the end of time to defeat evil and restore the cosmos ? John's consistent approach has always been to use contemporary and apocalyptic images and subvert them in order to tell his message. So, how does Jesus and the church actually wage war?
A responsible approach to the bible seeks to understand how it behaves and how we behave when we come to read and interpret it. We are compelled to see how our many filters and lenses - gender, colour, age, personal history, geographical location etc - inform our understanding of it. We would do well to listen to voices that are different from ours, in order to find a richer and deeper appreciation and understanding of this scared text.
Trinity Sunday is a chance to celebrate the relational diversity of the Triune God and to reflect on how the perfectly choreographed Divine dance of Father, Son and Holy Spirit should be the basis for our relationships. The church and wider humanity have been given an invitation to participate in the mutual indwelling and generous hospitality of God because we are made in her communal image. What does embodying the life and community of God look like?
The outpouring of God's Spirit at Pentecost was a momentous event in the history of the church. Willie Jennings has called this event, "prophetic boundary crossing and border transgressing". In the light of the murder of George Floyd by US police officers and the subsequent world wide protests, what does this mean for justice, diversity and unity in our churches and wider society? And what has the strange story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 have to do with it?
The meaning of Jesus's ascension to heaven, has been in some Christians traditions, largely misunderstood or even ignored. The physical wounds of violence on Jesus body remain visible in his new form. What is the significance of Jesus' healed wounds being carried into eternity? How does this have a bearing on our wounds and those of our neighbours during this pandemic?
The disciple Thomas has acquired over the centuries the nickname 'Doubting Thomas'. Is this reputation justified? What does doubt mean in the context of his encounter with the risen Jesus? What does faithful Christian living look like in times of crisis?
The materiality and physicality of Jesus' risen form seems to be very important to the Gospel writers. But this isn't about Jesus privately modelling a nice new body as way to convince the disciples to believe, this is is a new creation story of cosmic significance. This is nothing less than a resurrection revolution where Jesus' body becomes a prototype of new life breaking into the world. How can a deeper understanding of Jesus' physical and material form help us in an era of lockdown, social distancing and the restrictions on human touch? How can the church enflesh this new birth that has come into the world?
The story of the disciples walking along the Emmaus Road and their meal with Jesus provides a helpful backdrop to the challenging times we currently live in. How can the simplicity of a meal with the risen Jesus become such a sacred encounter and revelation? How can Jesus' mealtime habits show us how we can live faithfully and fruitfully at this time?
The risen Jesus seems to play hide and seek with the disciples that encounter him on that first Easter Sunday. The couple on walking in grief and sadness along the Emmaus Road did not, at first, recognise the stranger Jesus coming alongside them. How can a range artistic depictions of this scene help us see the playful way God works with their blindness and ignorance and ours?
The world has been grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and with it, the suffering, fear and social and economic upheaval it has brought. The gospel writers tell us that the resurrection garden was a place of both fear and joy. What does it mean to hear the risen Jesus' words, 'do not be afraid' at this time? It is possible to experience unexpected joy in the midst of uncertainty?
Easter Sunday starts with a garden scene. While Mary encounters a gardener, whom she does not recognise as Jesus, John is taking the Bible's epic garden story to a new and beautiful climax. How can we find resurrection in these challenging times?
What is the meaning of Easter Saturday? It is just a day's depressing pause in between the huge events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday? Or is something significant happening that day?
Good Friday 2020 is a remembrance of Jesus' death like no other in recent history. How can Jesus' death inform our understanding of the world amidst a global pandemic and lockdown?
Revelation chapters 17 and 18 make uncomfortable reading for empires of all generations. They contain Revelation's most powerful condemnation of these 'Babylons' and those complicit in empire's idolatry and injustice. In the midst of this threat, John calls the church of Asia Minor to have a 'mind of wisdom'. What does this wisdom look like for the 21st century church living in Babylon?
The significance of Jesus' interaction with women has been debated for hundreds of years. What do these encounters and his parabolic teaching mean for the church in terms for equality, inclusion and justice? What do they disclose about the character of God and the Kingdom?
Revelation 16 concludes the sequence of disturbing visions of judgement that John has depicted throughout the book. The bowls of seven plagues and the coming Armageddon provide us with another nightmarish vision but what is their point and how do they function both in reference to John's hearers and 21st Century readers?
Revelation chapter 14 and 15 provide the sense that the picture of the unfolding cosmic warfare in heaven and earth is progressing towards a climatic finish. John poses a question for the church of Asia Minor to answer - what will be your response to the blasphemous unholy trinity before you? He uses a variety of rich and disturbing images to provoke the church to loyalty and perseverance.
Jesus had many encounters with the powerless and marginalised of first century Palestine. He What is Jesus' understanding of poverty and what example does he provide for the church to follow?
Revelation chapter 13 is a depiction of some the book's most graphic and grotesque images. The Dragon, God's antagonist, forms an unholy alliance with the two Beasts, a counterfeit trinity that seeks to tyrannise and seduce. How will the church of Asia Minor be faithful amidst the political, economic and military power of the Roman Empire?
What is Jesus' response to rich people that he encounters? Is there judgement, warning or acceptance? How do these encounters shape our understanding of money and wealth?
In the second half of Revelation we see evil personified and unmasked. Clear battle lines are drawn in the cosmic war between the suffering, sovereign God and the Accuser, the Satan. Revelation Chapter 12 combines draculesque imagery, an ancient story and a view from Heaven in a bid to get the first century church to remain vigilant and to endure.
Chapter 11 is jam-packed with a diversity of images and themes. How do we reconcile the so-called judgements of God against evil with the suffering of the church? How long does it take this to come and what does it look like? How can the church be a witness while we wait for peace? The images here take us by surprise and even frustrate our idea of what we think God should do. Is it even possible that the Kingdom of the world can become the Kingdom of the Lamb?
How will God restore and reconcile creation? Understandably, some get from Revelation that it will come through death and destruction in what is called Redemptive Violence. But is there another way, the way of the Lamb that was slain? Chapter 10 is an brief interlude to the grizzly visions and a chance to unpack the many paradoxes and mysteries of Revelation and see how they inform our Christian life and lead us to the way of the Kingdom.
Revelation seems to be a first century version of Picasso's painting, Guernica; a grotesque, violent and terrifying vision of the calamities that come to earth. What is John's purpose in all this? Can these graphic and arresting visions lead the church now and then to repentance, and greater awareness of the evil and what rule they live under? If the visions are not to be taken literally, perhaps we can find their purpose in chapters 8 and 9?
Chapters 6 and 7 are the start of Revelation's visions of judgement, unveiled by the opening of the scroll. They crank up the volume of John's message. Who will bring this judgement, God? The famous 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse? John is constantly posing the church of Asia Minor (and us) questions; Who will stand? Who will persevere? Who will be faithful? The 144,000? How can William Blake help us?
Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 signal a dramatic shift away from the letter narrative to a fully fledged, dazzling, two-panel vision of heaven's throne room. The heavenly throne room scene becomes the vantage point from which John wants his readers to asses the world and their circumstances. Who really is all-powerful, who is to be exalted? God or Caesar, God's Kingdom or the Roman Empire? The drama unfolds with a strange, comedic vision of a mighty lion and suckling lamb.
The impregnable city of Sardis is the historical backdrop to the meaning of John's letter to the church there. He provides a stark wake-up call to address their slumber and challenge their reputation. Similarly, Laodicea's geographical and economic context provides the basis for John's call to the church there to be fit for purpose. How can what the Spirit was saying to these churches be relevant for us today?
The Christians in Pergamum and Thyatira lived under a seductive and dominating culture of idol worship. Being loyal to Jesus when your livelihood was dependent on being part of the idolatrous system was very challenging. John's language is deliberately provocative to evoke a response of wisdom and faithfulness in the church where assimilation and and acceptance is a temptation. What are the lessons for the 21st Century church?
The Christians of Ephesus lived in a vibrant ancient city of culture, booming and successful. John had a lot to commend the church but they had failed to love others as they should have. By contrast, the church in Smyrna was powerless and suffering in a city built for champions. John's words to both churches helps us discern the meaning of the upside-down Kingdom of God.
No other book in the bible has confused, terrified and intrigued people in equal measure as much as Revelation. No other book has been ignored, rejected, misused and abused as Revelation. So this is a journey to Rescue Revelation; from ignorance, from misunderstanding, from being weaponised, from being made irrelevant. The vision may feel like we have landed in a foreign and alien land, but by learning to read Revelation responsibly, we will ultimately encounter its relevance for the 21st century.