Pizza and coke for communion?
‘Makes the blood boil a bit, doesn’t it? You may have got stuck on the milk and cookies [for communion] suggestion, and you would probably say: “Obviously not, don’t be silly.” And you’d be right to say that…but why? Here are two principles by which we can make these decisions.’
Does God change his mind? (video)
Bruce Ware answers this one. But I think you probably know the answer.
Will you shut up about them Gentiles!
‘”Yeah Paul, we get that. We all know that’s true. But Jewish people need the gospel too you know. We don’t just want to build Gentile churches, sounds like you believe in the homogenous unit principle. You sound a lot like you hate Jewish people mate, you’re never going to get anyone to listen to you like that. Win them with honey, not vinegar bud, stop banging on about it. Just mention it occasionally, and quietly. Are you expecting us to give up our Jewish culture to fit in with these Gentiles? Shouldn’t they become a bit more Jewish, you ever heard of religious lift? Are you suggesting we should think about moving out of the Promised Land to help reach pagans?! Or give up some of the money for the synagogue extension so you can go traipsing round Europe trying to reach them? Or move to a tiny place nobody’s ever heard of, that’s not right strategic is it?! Come on Paul, chill out, you just sound angry and obsessed. Just cos you’ve got a chip on your shoulder”… Swap Jewish for middle class, or British, or even just London. Swap Gentile for Yorkshire, or Black, or Asian, or Iranian, or poor. We’ve heard them all folks. Literally every single one.’
Christians: do your beliefs make you unsafe to be foster parents?
Stephen McAlpine highlights a case currently going through the Australian courts asking, essentially, that question.
Confessions of a recovering political idolater
Whilst Jared Wilson is writing about the American system, his comments apply just as strongly here. Are we making an idol out of politics? Wilson gives us some pointers on how we can know and, most importantly, how we can repent and change.
Whose empowerment?
‘The message being sent to young girls about empowerment and how to obtain it, is a message that men who abuse girls/women will love. You have to behave in this way – and we will pay you to do it. You dance and gyrate for our entertainment – we will call it empowering and lo and behold we get what we want. It’s all about power, money and lust. Perhaps all that needs to be said about this ’empowering’ spectacle is that this was a show that Harvey Weinstein would have loved. Watching those who boast about their MeToo credentials jump through intellectual and moral hoops in order to justify this exploitative sleaze is pathetic and depressing.’
From the archive: What I was and wasn’t saying about mission agencies
‘The work of raising up missionaries and church leaders who will, in turn, continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ rests with God’s agent for the propagation of the gospel: the church. The work of mission and the role of theological education should not be divorced from the primacy of the local church. The church ought to send, support and have active involvement in the work of mission and theological training.’