• Women + The Church

    Reading Time: 23 minutes

    The ongoing conversation about the ‘role’ of women; in the church, in marriage, and indeed, in society in general, is not something that is new, only specific to our own time, or a subject that the early Christians didn’t also have to navigate and reevaluate, specifically in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
    It’s a subject that impacts me personally, both as a woman and as the mother of two daughters, and my understanding…

  • In Him Was Life

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    “You can’t read the New Testament without seeing the call to holiness in the Christian life. But that holiness is a work of God’s grace as the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to live a life pleasing to God. New Testament holiness is a joyous privilege, not a heavy burden and duty.
     
    New Testament holiness enhances life, it never diminishes it. This is what Jesus modelled so well and it’s why genuine seekers of God were…

  • Keeping The Faith

    Reading Time: 9 minutes

    It’s been nearly five years since the religious community I grew up in ‘regretfully accepted my withdrawal from fellowship’. In reality, I did no such thing, their statement was simply an awkward and disingenuous way to excommunicate me because I could no longer affirm, without reservation, particular tenets they held to be watertight and immutable.
    I feel that had the Bible genuinely been our mutually agreed authority, there would have been no good cause to excommunicate…

  • Lessons From The Seven Churches

    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    It can be tempting to view the early first century church in rather glowing terms – a ‘golden age’ of church history when the believers were all-in, the church totally had it together, and the believers shared all things in common. I’ve heard Acts 2:42 touted as somewhat of a touchstone for church authenticity, with a revival of these (implied: blissful, albeit persecuted) glory days being the true mark of genuine Christian living.
    And there’s no…

  • Stop Promoting Gendered Hierarchy!

    Reading Time: 16 minutes

    One of the more detrimental teachings that I believe has defined the church throughout her history and which continues to exert influence today is the idea that God established some kind of hierarchy of men over women at creation. Hierarchy, it’s claimed, was, one; either part of God’s original plan for humanity, established from the beginning or, two; God’s prescriptive punishment (primarily upon the woman), because of sin.

    (Not a reader? Take a listen instead ⇓)
    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
    This article…

  • John Writes A Letter

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day – our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a…

  • The Faith | Works ‘Conundrum’

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    The simple truth that we find acceptance with God by grace through faith alone is the Bible’s most beautiful theme. Grace began long ago when God set in motion the means for humanity to find their way back to Him, to find their way home. He promised Adam and Eve that a redeemer would come who would save humanity from the consequences of their sin. That redeemer would be His very own Son, born for…

  • Leaving

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    Leaving is never because of just one thing. Not really.
    It’s the result of a thousand, inconsequential one things that all converge in a single moment of sudden, irreconcilable difference.
    For me, the eventual leaving of the religious community I grew up in began as a tiny question fluttering at the back of my mind.
    Back then, I’d never met a question I didn’t want to take apart, examine, rearrange and then carefully reassemble, perfectly ordered, and satisfactorily…

  • Jesus, The Hope Of The World

    Reading Time: 12 minutes

    “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Emmanuel” (which means, “God with us”)” | Matthew 1:23, BRB
    Scripture tells of a crowded family home in a bustling ancestral town, set at the southern end of the Judean hills. Filled to the brim already, perhaps with relatives from both near and far, there was no room in the guest quarters for the additional arrival of a heavily pregnant…

  • The Story’s Not Over Yet…

    Reading Time: 7 minutes

    “Walking, stumbling, on these shadow feet; toward home, a land that I’ve never seen. I am changing: less and less asleep, made of different stuff than when I began and I have sensed it all along, fast approaching is the day.” | Brooke Fraser

    These lyrics are from a song by Brooke Fraser, which I think really speak to our hearts as Christians. When I listen to this song, I feel as if I catch a…