All Columnists articles – Page 11
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ColumnistsChristians, you can keep your ‘thoughts and prayers’. They mean nothing without action
’Thoughts and prayers’ Christianity makes our sinful passivity look heavenly, says Chris Llewellyn, but we are called to be active participants in bringing about societal change and social justice
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ColumnistsOur church has banned cheesy Christian signs. There's a better way...
Source: Flickr / au_tiger01 Recently we decided to add a digital notice board to the outside of our church building. Some might feel this is an extravagance, and many churches would not have the resources (or desire) to spend money on signage, but a road study revealed ...
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ColumnistsTroubled: Why I'm still overcoming sectarianism
My mum’s teen years were characterised by routine bomb scares. But the most frightening part isn’t the horrifying violence she witnessed, but the nonchalance with which she talks about it. Northern Ireland’s atmosphere of hatred was her version of normal. Humans are incredibly adaptable. Even the ...
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ColumnistsJesus hasn't returned yet. Why not?
In the first century, something or someone stopped Jesus’ second coming. David Instone-Brewer explores what happened and asks: What is it that is holding him back today?
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Columnists30 years on from Stephen Lawrence, Black Christians are still living with trauma
I was nine years old when Stephen Lawrence was murdered, 30 years ago this April. It was the early 90s, and far-right extremist groups were making a resurgence in many parts of south-east London, including Eltham, where I lived, and where Stephen was killed. As a West ...
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ColumnistsMum’s dementia
Looking back, it wasn’t the greatest idea. The care home had warned me that my mother was just days from dying. Agitation was robbing her of sleep and so I decided I would sit with her through the night. Mum was at the end of a ...
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ColumnistsProud to be a ‘Biblical Christian’? Here’s why that might be a problem…
I recently polled my Instagram followers, asking them three questions: “Is it important to you to be a ‘biblical Christian’?”, “Is it important to challenge leaders whose worldview is ‘unbiblical’?” and “Have you actually read the whole Bible?”. Seventy-five per cent answered “yes” to the first question, ...
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ColumnistsLeading a charity turned out to be surprisingly brutal. Here’s what I learned about handling pressure
The first thing I noticed when I started leading Jubilee+ was how tired I became. Formerly a night owl, suddenly I just couldn’t handle working late. It started out as mental tiredness – at the end of the working day, my brain ached. But it soon progressed ...
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ColumnistsThe rewards of fasting
As Lent begins, Lucy Peppiatt looks at what scripture teaches about fasting, and why it’s a practice Christians can benefit from
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ColumnistsThe pro-life cause we’re overlooking
My husband and I have just finished shared parental leave for the second time. This time, I returned to work six months after the birth of our second son as my husband started three months of staying at home to look after him. I’ve been fascinated by ...
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ColumnistsWhy God’s preferred pronouns are he/him
The Church of England is considering alternatives to referring to God as “he” after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms. Some have said a change in language would make the church more inclusive. But Lois Tverberg disagrees. She argues Christians should embrace the fact that God chose to reveal himself through male images in the Bible
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ColumnistsI wrote a worship song which said ‘let the darkness fear’. But now I’m embracing it
Darkness isn’t all bad, says Rend Collective’s Chris Llewellyn
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Columnists‘Farewell, Rob Bell’
We’re twelve years on from ‘Bellgate’ - the furore over the release of Rob Bell’s controversial book on heaven and hell. But Chine McDonald says the questions raised by that episode are more pertinent than ever
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ColumnistsIs it ok to pray to Jesus? Or should we only pray to God the Father?
The Bible scholar gives his answer
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ColumnistsPaul does condemn all same-sex activity
Responding to David Instone-Brewer’s claims that God only condemned certain types of homosexual relationships, Ian Paul argues that there is no such basis in scripture
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ColumnistsDid Paul condemn all homosexuality?
David Instone-Brewer wrestles with the key biblical texts that appear to condemn gay sex
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ColumnistsJeff Lucas: ‘A night intruder tried to break into my house’
Night intruders are usually experts in stealth. They silently tiptoe through the shadows, eager to break and enter without detection. But when an uninvited visitor recently stopped by our home at 3am, he loudly announced his arrival. I woke up with an adrenaline-fuelled start. Why on earth ...
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ColumnistsWhy did God send angels to minister to Jesus?
In her debut column, Dr Lucy Peppiatt wonders why Jesus needed something more than the Holy Spirit to comfort him in the desert
