Having our doubts about Thomas in John 20

The Sunday gospel lectionary reading for the Second Sunday in Easter is John 20.19–31, which includes Jesus’ encounter with so-called ‘doubting Thomas’. It is the set reading for this week in all three years of the lectionary, so we know it well—and need to reflect on it if we are going to preach effectively on …

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Can we find the gospel in our culture?

How can we make connections between what we see in our world around us, and the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus? How can we build bridges of understanding from the things that engage the time and attention of those around us, within but especially outside the church, and into …

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Why does eschatology matter?

Mark Bonnington writes: Faith hope and love are the three cardinal (or primary) virtues in the Christian faith. As Paul the Apostle wrote: ‘Faith; hope; love; these three endure’ ‘but the least understood is hope.’ Actually, that last bit is a quote from the late, great, Baptist preacher David Pawson—a gloss on 1 Corinthians 13 …

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What is an ‘inclusive evangelical’?

There was a small social media storm last week when the newish group ‘Inclusive Evangelicals’ issued a letter, with 600 signatories, supporting progress in authorising prayers of blessing for same-sex couples, rooted in the conviction that ‘prayerful reading of scripture has led us to an inclusive position on same-sex relationships.’ I infer from this that …

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