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Advent promises in a world of impatience

Once when I was a kid my parents bought a new sofa and armchair for the lounge. I remember hearing them say that they had saved up for years to buy it. I don’t know whether it was a couple of years or...

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God’s gift pulls us from our suffering

Some years ago our family received a letter from an elderly great-aunt in Russia, a woman nearing 100 who had lived through the Soviet years. She and her husband were among the many exiled under Josef...

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The shame of loneliness

I am prone to feelings of loneliness. It’s not because I’m single, I’m quick to add I realise. I used to feel this way even when I had that “special someone” in my life. I feel it when I am alone and...

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Heaven is raining down hope for a New Year

Somewhere in the heavens a giant reservoir holds an ingredient essential to life: hope. In fact, heaven is saturated with hope and it rains down upon us. In the 21st century “hope” is simply the poetic...

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Naming the whirlwind: The key characteristics of movements

It is perfectly true to say that most groups that have impact on either a local, national, or international level almost always begin with a form that sociologists call a movement. That is, there are...

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Wishful thinking or blessed hope?

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the...

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Sowing seeds for an angry God

The seeds of an Angry God theology were sown early in my life and they came in the form of cartoons — the infamous gospel tracts by J.T. Chick. With titles like This Was Your Life, Somebody Goofed, The...

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God and traffic lights

As many motorists would tell you, driving at any time can be extremely challenging. There are speed limits and stop signs to consider and obey, as well as construction and rush-hour traffic that can...

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Learning to throw flower bombs in a world torn by violence

Today I walked my neighbourhood with my six year old niece. She took her phone and I told her that we would go on a photographic journey. “What’s that?” she said. I told her that we would walk the...

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A few differences between preaching and teaching

One of my core callings (you know, besides writing and binge-watching prestige dramas) is preaching. And, there’s a difference between preaching and teaching. Over the years I’ve struggled to...

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5 things the fundamentalists forget about Jesus

We all know fundamentalists, but most of us would never admit to being one. Truth is, I’m a recovering fundie. I was baptized in a particularly conservative church and believed that somehow I’d been...

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A Trump Presidency reflects a natural response to post-Christendom

No matter how alarmed some people may have been about the prospect of Donald Trump being elected President of the United States, the reality of his ascending to the office has only heightened their...

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A journey of generosity

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow….instead, you...

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Armageddon?

The second Sunday after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I preached a sermon entitled “The Road To Armageddon.” During those days of grief and rage when I should have preached the gospel of...

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Does one size fit all?

Rarely in life does 'One Size Fit All.' Let me tell you a little story of two close friends of mine. Jigar was born in India into a Hindu family, spent a good portion of his childhood in the UK, and...

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Why seeing women in ministry matters

I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken at a church or a Christian event and had a woman tell me afterwards: “This is the first time I have ever heard a woman preach.” I’m never quite sure how to...

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The benefit of doubt in Christian faith

Over the years, I have had tons of people comment and reach out to me to ask questions, get clarification, and seek additional insight on a variety of topics. I love getting questions from people who...

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Our politics are too small

N.T. Wright in his book, Surprised By Scripture, is offering direct commentary on a myriad of issues. I say 'direct' because anyone who is familiar with Wright's style will know that he has a tendency...

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Time travelling life

There’s a candle on our kitchen table. It’s supposed to hold a treasure inside so we burn and burn it every night and we look and look for the gift. At first we just enjoyed the candle but then things...

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What church people need to know about once-churched people

This message is for Church People. It’s for those of you who are part of a faith community every week; a physical place where you usually find yourself on Sundays. You come there willingly,...

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