The thing that most causes me to doubt the Christian faith is the slowness of sanctification. In one sense, I agree with the atheists, pointing to the hypocrisy of Christians and the rather mixed results of church community. Sanctification, as it is used in theological discussion (though not generally the New Testament usage) means the … Continue reading The problem of ongoing Christian sin (slow sanctification)
Tag: Church
Proposal for encouraging part time pastors
It is very common in UK churches now and for many centuries past to expect a church to have a single full time pastor (paid elder/ vicar/ minister). There are good reasons for this, but in this post I suggest that there would be significant gains to moving to a model where pastors work part … Continue reading Proposal for encouraging part time pastors
Why I focus on God and not social transformation
There are lots of things wrong with the world. That at least is something we can all agree on. Newspapers and social media sites are full of the things that are wrong with the world. And so there are voices calling for everyone to make it their highest priority to deal with problem x or … Continue reading Why I focus on God and not social transformation
Should leaders be “vulnerable”?
Leaders in many organisations, including churches, carry a wide range of responsibilities. And these often start to feel like burdens or pressures. I think this is common across institutions and fields. There are pressures. Leadership creates a challenge in how to express that. And Christian leadership, with Jesus’ call to integrity and truthfulness, faces this … Continue reading Should leaders be “vulnerable”?
Further thoughts on evangelicalism as a protestant renewal movement
(Following this previous post: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/12/07/an-evangelical-hypothesis/) In my previous post on this topic, I suggested that evangelicalism is best understood as a protestant renewal movement, and that when evangelicalism is unmoored from its protestant roots, it becomes distorted in various ways. Here, I outline three specific ways this happens. 1) Loss of vocation One of the … Continue reading Further thoughts on evangelicalism as a protestant renewal movement
Direct simplicity and intriguing depths
Pete William's new book, "The Surprising Genius of Jesus" (https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781433588365/the-surprising-genius-of-jesus) focuses on one chapter of Luke. He shows that Jesus is able to tells stories that are directly addressing the crowds, understood simply as a direct answer to the challenge of the Pharisees. But he also shows that Jesus is working into his stories layers … Continue reading Direct simplicity and intriguing depths
Jots and Scribbles 