Friday September 11, 2020 marks 6 months since the WHO declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. I’m not sure how you would reflect on the past 6 months, but somehow looking at the clouds dominating the sky today seems appropriate. It isn’t sunny where I am, just an overcast, heavy stillness. As a follower of Jesus, … Read more
Disciplism – Part 1. Over the years, I have found myself having to talk about a distinctly missional understanding of discipleship. I actually find this a bit odd. The very fact that we now have to put qualifications on the word “discipleship” again signals how far we have veered from a biblical understanding of discipleship. … Read more
Last post I shared about shrinking the church. It tells part of the story of how I can to plant our simple church. Acts 2:42-47 was a Bible passage that inspired me. So much so I considered naming the church 242. Everyone in churchland knows this passage. It’s the ‘what you want your church to … Read more
The “dream church” picture I painted in the introduction looks very little like the church, Southlands, where I am now a member. Southlands is nondenominational, meets in a renovated prosthetics factory, and has only the slightest liturgical bent. It’s Reformed-ish but Holy Spirit focused, with impromptu “words” from the congregation and quiet prayer in tongues … Read more
‘Heaven’s perfect melody The Creator’s symphony You are singing over me The Father’s song. Heaven’s perfect mystery The king of love has sent for me And now you’re singing over me The Father’s song.’ – Matt Redman, The Father’s Song As I’ve been thinking about intimacy with God recently I have found that it is … Read more
Exodus 32 is such a well-known story for those who have spent any time around church. It’s the story of the Israelites making themselves a golden calf to worship. I imagine that most of us automatically think this story is about idolatry. We think they had stopped worshiping God and instead started to worship the … Read more
Worship can be such a loaded topic that it’s good to make sure everyone is on the same page. For many worship is the singing time during a church service. Sometimes it’s kept for specific types of songs. In a sermon I once heard the preacher say that hymn music was glorious while contemporary forms … Read more
1. God is worthy of worship This is perhaps the most obvious reason why our worship matters but it is also the most important. The Bible is full of occasions that show God is worthy of worship. Whenever the curtain is drawn back and people are given a glimpse of heaven, worship is happening. Angels … Read more
A couple of years ago I went on a tour of Jordan and Israel. It was fascinating but also a real eye opener. It is difficult not to be swept away in the places when you are over there. I confess that at the beginning of my tour it was easy to simply be a … Read more
Recently I stumbled across a blog by Thom Schultz titled ‘Why They Don’t Sing on Sunday Anymore’. I admit it was an interesting read and may challenge some of the preconceptions that we have about how we do Sunday church services but for me it raised the issue of worship. In particular, the important issue for … Read more