Life & Ministry

Michael Gove is wrong—again

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I don’t disagree with Michael Gove on everything he says. Learning in any context is always a combination of knowledge acquisition and the development of skills, and I have some sympathy with the notion that the balance in secondary education has moved too far to the latter and needs more of the former. Acquired knowledge … Continue Reading

What we should do about Syria

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There is one thing all agree on the subject of Syria: the suffering is appalling and intolerable. And there is one thing no-one can agree on: what we should do about it. A good starting place is to understand the complexity of the situation. One person commenting on Nick Baines’s blog cries in despair ‘How … Continue Reading

What is an Anglican?

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I have just picked up, from the IVP bookstall, The Accidental Anglican by Todd Hunter. Hunter came to faith through the Jesus Movement, then planted churches with Vineyard, before becoming an Anglican bishop with the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the ‘protest’ Anglican church supported by Anglicans from Uganda [correction: Rwanda]. I was most fascinated to … Continue Reading

What the church needs now

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This short essay under the title ‘The future of the Church in the UK’ won the LST/EA ‘Rising Theologian’ competition. It is written by Matt Walmsley, leader of Agape Student Life, part of Agape UK. We stand at the greatest moment of opportunity for the church since the Second World War[i]. However, recent church PR hasn’t been … Continue Reading

Welby and Wonga

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Earlier this week, Justin Welby appeared to declare war on so-called ‘payday loan’ companies, specifically Wonga.com. He claimed he wanted to ‘put them out of business’, not through legislation, but by offering an alternative through Church support of credit unions. But within 27 minutes of the first story being published, it emerged that the Church … Continue Reading

Born to be King…?

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Two boys were born with the hope they would one day be king. This one was born to great public expectations and rejoicing. The other was an embarrassment and a source of shame, born illegitimate to an unmarried mother. This one attracted global media attention, with people all around the world waiting the moment. The … Continue Reading

The real problem for the NHS

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Today sees publication of the Keogh report highlighting unusually high mortality in 14 hospital trusts, 11 of which are now going into ‘special measures.’ This has initiated the usual blame-game amongst politicians, in particular the Coalition blaming inadequate management by the previous Labour government. It has also prompted promises of new management, and review of … Continue Reading

Why is preaching so hard?

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Many people in public ministry find that preaching is one of the most demanding things they are involved in. To put yourself and your theology on the line, to seek to offer an illuminating and life-transforming insight, week in, week out, is very tough! Why exactly does it feel so hard? There are some obvious … Continue Reading

Nine reasons why you should fast

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1. Jesus said so Jesus didn’t command fasting as a spiritual discipline as such, but he appears to assume that that is what his followers will do. In the so-called ‘Sermon on the Mount’ in Matt 5–7, he says ‘When you give…’ (Matt 6.2), ‘When you pray…’ (Matt 6.5) and ‘When you fast…’ (Matt 6.17). … Continue Reading