Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at God

At Pentecost, we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit to the first disciples. It was a powerful experience, when along with wind and fire, ‘all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit’ (Acts 2:4). Power is experienced in two ways: it can be either unleashed or harnessed. The energy in petrol can be...

‘A Christian is one who is completely fearless, continually cheerful and constantly in trouble!’ Paul shares his experience in Asia, when writing to the Corinthians: ‘We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death’ (2 Corinthians...

To be asked to become a godparent is a real honour.  Ideally, it should go on to become a lifelong commitment that turns into a deep and loving relationship between godparent and child.  Sadly, too often it wanes into a duty to be met by Christmas presents and birthday cheques. A godparent is a member...

This month the Church celebrates Pentecost (we used to call it ‘Whitsun’). It marks the occasion 50 days after Easter when the Holy Spirit was ‘poured out’ on the group of followers of Jesus who had obeyed his command to ‘wait in Jerusalem’ until they were ‘clothed with power’. The gift of the Holy Spirit...

I was having a little button problem with the ATM. A message appeared on the screen. ‘Would you like more time?’ I clicked the ‘yes’ button, eventually collected my cash, and spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about that profound question. Well, would I? As an elderly man, do I really want more time,...

To be frank, there is no convincing answer to the question, ‘Why am I suffering?’ It is something that is experienced by every individual (indeed, everything that lives and breathes). Jesus, who grieved, agonised and finally died in shameful circumstances, was no exception. It is an unavoidable part of the world we have inherited. There...

‘Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.’ (2 Timothy 2:8). This month we remember the story of St George defeating the dragon. Although this is the stuff of legend, we face our own dragons today. We are engaged in a spiritual battle against the powers of sin, Satan and death. In this...

‘Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.’ (2 Timothy 2:8). This month we remember the story of St George defeating the dragon. Although this is the stuff of legend, we face our own dragons today. We are engaged in a spiritual battle against the powers of sin, Satan and death. In this...

This month starts with Easter, which is a lovely thought. Whatever else, Easter speaks of new life, of fresh starts and the return of hope. The whole traditional story is about darkness defeated by a light which can never be extinguished. That’s why, in our hemisphere, Easter seems to fit in well with the changing...

“For the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18) Jesus died on a Cross.  So what?  That is the reaction of most people today.  They have seen crucifixes, and vaguely know the story of His...

The road to Emmaus – one of the best short stories in the world The story of the two disciples walking the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus on the first Easter day is ‘one of the immortal short stories of the world’ (W. Barclay). Their encounter with the risen Christ is also a model for...

What is God like? Christians believe that the planet on which we live is not here by accident. The progress of the universe from a particle of matter to a human being living in the vast expanses of space was brought about by the plan of God. The Bible describes God as: Everywhere God doesn’t...