I am on a journey, a journey which is not yet over. Over the years, my ideas, my beliefs, my politics, my heart and my attitudes have changed enormously. But my faith in a living God who loves us and wants a relationship with us has not changed. So I approach this subject with some trepidation and I hope with some humility. Continue reading “Same sex relationships”
Category: God
The struggle for change
Why does Christianity, as a religion, seem to lag behind society in its lack of acceptance of people who are different in some way? When confronted with truth we can listen to reason, even change our minds on an issue, but dealing with the emotional impact of a new way of thinking takes time before we can whole heartedly embrace the truth. What am I talking about? Take the abolition of slavery as an example. Continue reading “The struggle for change”
The Pale Blue Dot
In 1990, the Voyager 1 space probe took a picture of the earth, named as the “Pale Blue Dot” from 3.7 billion miles away. This earth, home to mankind for thousands of years, is smaller than a speck of dust in the immensity of space. We can feel so insignificant, and yet we cannot place limits on what mankind is meant to achieve. Just what is our destiny? Let’s explore the vastness of the universe but also look at how unimaginably large we are compared with the infinitesimally tiny. Continue reading “The Pale Blue Dot”
Is the Bible God’s final word?
The Bible is not a rule book. It says very little about lots of issues which affect us today. If we look hard we may find ‘proof texts’ to support a particular moral stance but they might be reliant on the Old Testament and maybe contradicted elsewhere. Even Jesus contradicted or brought new light on an old saying. (For example ‘eye for an eye’ in Matthew 5.) Here are some examples of current issues in a somewhat random order.
- Slavery – in it’s institutionalised and modern forms
- The death penalty or capital punishment
- Global warming or looking after the earth
Faith in human nature
An incredible thing happened to me the other day which restored my faith in human nature.
I went for a walk with my wife, son, daughter-in law and one of my grandsons. We walked from Tilford along some very muddy paths. We came out to a main road about a mile from the cars and because I was worn out and had walked far enough I sat on a road sign and waited while the others walked back to collect the cars.
Fake Good News
Ninety-nine lost sheep, nine lost coins and a son excluded from his family. These are the stories that Jesus didn’t tell.
Ninety-nine lost sheep
A shepherd had 100 sheep. He let them out one morning to roam at will on the mountain side. Because they had free wills he allowed them to go wherever they fancied. As evening time approached he set off to find his sheep but he couldn’t see them anywhere. He despaired of finding any at all but eventually found one. The lost sheep signed a quick form and received a guarantee certificate of a nights safe keeping in the sheep fold.
Did Jesus come to save the whole world?
Did Jesus come to save the whole world or just come to save a minority who believe in him? I am posing this question and suggest that we look at the question carefully without being dogmatic. If you had asked me this question 20 years ago I would have said the only way to be saved, was to believe in Jesus and look to him for our salvation. There are scriptures which support this view but there is a great deal of biblical evidence that it has always been God’s intention and plan to save every man and women — indeed the whole earth (and the whole of creation).
I am now inclined to believe that God will save everyone, but dare not be too assertive on this issue as greater minds than mine have grappled with this question. So, I am not asking you to say, “I agree with George”, but to look at the following passages from The Bible and come to your own position on the subject.
5000 days after I had a stroke
In May 2004 I had a stroke. Now 13 and a half years later, or about 5000 days later, I have some questions to ask myself. I firmly believe that God wants us all to be healthy and he can, and does heal bodies and minds. However, I must be honest with myself and dare to state that complete healing from the effects of the stroke is probably not going to happen. Is this a lack of faith on my part – no, I don’t think it is. Continue reading “5000 days after I had a stroke”
Compassion and Justice 