Fundraising for ministry has revealed some worrying theologies and practises around money and mission.
Tag Archives: Christianity
Reflections on Musical Worship
Throughout Christian history, the way we worship God has changed enormously. Many of these changes have taken place due to the influence of surrounding cultures, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, I’ve recently been reflecting on which aspects of our culture are influencing the way we worship God, and I’m growing more andContinue reading “Reflections on Musical Worship”
Matter Matters: On the Body
I established in two earlier posts (1 and 2) that God created matter and said that it was good. In fact, the word “good” (Hebrew: טֽוֹב) is used seven times in the creation story of Genesis 1; each of those times depicting what God says about the stuff he made. When God gets to humans on the sixth day,Continue reading “Matter Matters: On the Body”
Should Christians Read Philosophy?
[Spoiler alert: the answer is yes.] How many philosophers does it take to change a light bulb? It depends on how you define ‘change’. Philosophy is considered by many to be irrelevant at best and dangerous at worst. Christians throughout history have been especially caught up in the pro/anti-philosophy debate. Philosophers are known for askingContinue reading “Should Christians Read Philosophy?”
Matter Matters: Creation
[Photograph of the Valley of Desolation, South Africa, 2017] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” AndContinue reading “Matter Matters: Creation”
Matter Matters: On the Soul
(Photo of Amy Leon, taken by me) The soul is pictured by most to be an ethereal floaty thing that lives inside of us when we’re alive, and then gets released into the universe or goes up to heaven when we die (depending on your theology). Unfortunately there is no consistent usage of the termContinue reading “Matter Matters: On the Soul”
What is a Friend?
Someone asked me this recently, and I couldn’t give a definitive answer. I have friends, some are close and others distant. I have lived in four countries, so I have had to say goodbye to a lot of friends and introduce myself to many new ones. Some drift away, and others remain. But what are they really?Continue reading “What is a Friend?”
Faith and Reason Part II: When Knowledge Becomes an Idol
I established in an earlier post that faith and reason, although different, ought to be viewed as gifts from God that enhance one another. They need not sit in contradiction. For the benefit of insomniacs everywhere, what I plan to discuss in this post is what happens when reason and faith are used out of their intended contexts,Continue reading “Faith and Reason Part II: When Knowledge Becomes an Idol”
Faith and Reason
A few years ago I asked my sister about her views on Christianity. She replied: “I don’t believe in God; I believe in science!” Her sentiment is not uncommon amongst western millennials. I currently live in the city of Cambridge, where skepticism and atheism are revered and religious belief of any kind is often sneered at.Continue reading “Faith and Reason”
Stand Out
As I often point out, many church leaders think that in order to reach people they must adapt their lives to be “cool” or “relevant.” Contrary to this belief, most of the leaders we read about in the Bible who changed history were significantly different to those around them. One example is John the Baptist. Luke 3:1-3Continue reading “Stand Out”