Why this waste? What about the poor?
Ian B. We’re in Holy Week, the week between Palm Sunday and Easter. It’s a busy time for some of us I expect, with the different routine of school holidays. It was…
2023
Three Years Ago
Three years ago today you burst into our livesBringing new life into our homeHelping us see life through new eyes Three years ago I rocked you to sleepThe first of…
Hearing the word of God
This week, instead of my usual podcasts, I listened to the Bible on my headphones while I was out and about. It was something new for me, and I’ll come…
St. Paul on Mothers’ Day
There are some surprising metaphors used by Paul in chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians, which seem especially appropriate as we approach Mothers’ Day, or Mothering Sunday as it was traditionally…
Speaking Truth
At the start of 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul reminds his readers about his visit to Thessalonica. As I wrote before, Paul’s visit to Thessalonica is described in Acts 17 and…
Facing Opposition
This is based on my talk at Catford Community Church on 26 February 2023. Working through Nehemiah, we were in chapter 4. A very brief summary: Following Jesus should make…
The wrath that is coming
Last time we reached the end of chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians. Before moving on to chapter 2 I want to pause with the phrase that comes right at the…
A Public Faith
We’re getting to the end of Paul’s greeting to the believers at Thessalonica. Have a read of 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 – what strikes you about these verses? It’s important to…
Imitating who? Paul… Nehemiah…
At the start of 2023 at CCC we’ve been exploring Nehemiah and his story of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. We’re asking how what we read about Nehemiah helps us now as…
Who would you like a letter from?
Here’s a well-known memory verse from 1 Thessalonians: “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians is a book we perhaps don’t read very…