A recent conversation has got me thinking- does it make sense to speak of "Christian music" without words being sung? My starting point in thinking about this is Colossians 3:16 "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from … Continue reading Is there such a thing as “Christian music” if there are no words?
Tag: faith
Reflections on The Rule of Saint Benedict
Benedict was a monk in the 6th century, and his rule influenced western monasticism through the medieval period (and on to today). As a spiritual and practical guide to godly community, it seemed like a good idea to read it. One of the values we have tried to live out in Emmanuel Church Northstowe has … Continue reading Reflections on The Rule of Saint Benedict
New opportunities and dangers for the church
Over the last few years, there have been some cultural shifts that have been encouraging for Christians. There have been a number of high profile intellectuals or public figures who have moved from atheism to some form of Christian faith, including Paul Kingsnorth and Ayyan Ali. The individual shifts reflect something of a cultural shift. … Continue reading New opportunities and dangers for the church
Discipleship: weird cultishness or inevitable reality
One feature of Christianity, and especially evangelical Christianity, that strikes some outsiders as odd is the emphasis on discipleship. The idea that one would be shaped by a community in a set of beliefs and practices and ways of approaching life can seem deeply sinister. Isn’t this what cults do? But we think this way … Continue reading Discipleship: weird cultishness or inevitable reality
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
You are not your own by Alan Noble
Belonging to God in an inhuman world I found this book helpful in articulating why our “choose your own way” modern world feels so crushing, unreal and inhuman. It starts with something most people agree on- the modern world is hard. There is a sense of alienation and inhumanity, which means despite our wealth we … Continue reading You are not your own by Alan Noble
Jots and Scribbles 