Psalms What Do Angry Christians Sing? June 19, 2020 Some years ago I read Carl Trueman’s helpful article entitled ‘What do miserable Christians sing?’ His argument was that we need the God-breathed language of lament in the psalms to enable us
COVID-19 I (probably) gave someone the virus. Now I feel guilty. May 15, 2020 Guilty feelings are not always the best way to measure guilt. Some people feel terribly guilty when they haven’t actually done anything wrong. Other people don’t feel guilty at all, even
COVID-19 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great' May 02, 2020 In no time at all, the world has changed. Plague has brought the global economy crashing down. Trade and industry has ground to a standstill, except for essentials. That ubiquitous first-world leisure activity
Coronavirus The Meaning of the Rainbow April 17, 2020 The symbol of rainbow is far more appropriate for these days than many people who have them in their windows may realise. Because the first person to use the rainbow as a symbol of hope was God himself!
Coronavirus 'Drive-in Church' – one solution to the problem of meeting together March 20, 2020 We need to assume the highest and best of motives in one another... We must assume that our brothers have thought and wrestled in prayer to solve the problem... and reluctantly come to the conclusion that this is the best, or the least bad, option available.
Coronavirus Christians and Coronavirus February 28, 2020 Self-isolation; pandemic; super spreader; coronavirus; covid-19. Just a few of the words and phrases that have become part of everyday conversation in the weeks since the first outbreak of a novel coronavirus was
Three Lessons from Simon the Magician January 17, 2020 Last Lord’s Day in our congregation we were confronted by the unsettling figure of Simon the Magician in our series in the book of Acts (8.9-24). Luke seems to include his
How to Grieve as a Christian December 20, 2019 Since my dad passed away at the end of October I’ve been learning a lot about grieving. In God’s kindness I haven’t had a close family bereavement like this until
Nothing is too hard for the Lord! November 15, 2019 If you’re a regular reader of Gentle Reformation, you may recall that a few months ago I posted an article entitled ‘Perfect Peace in the Face of a Loved One’s Cancer’
Pray for the Lord to visit us October 18, 2019 In three days’ time two pieces of abhorrent legislation will be imposed upon Northern Ireland by the UK government. In spite of the fact that no Northern Irish politicians voted for the laws,
10 Thoughts in the wake of the Jarrid Wilson Tragedy September 20, 2019 The following is a guest post by fellow Northern Irish Pastor Andrew Roycroft, used with permission from his blog thinkingpastorally.com. It was written on 11 September, in the wake of the news
Questions and Answers about Pastoral Ministry August 16, 2019 A couple of months ago a young man considering pastoral ministry sent me (and several others) a list of excellent and searching questions about ministry. I thought the answers might provide useful insights
Perfect Peace in the Face of a Loved One’s Cancer? May 17, 2019 In February my father was diagnosed with primary liver cancer. The diagnosis was bad enough to begin with, but since then an inoperable tumour in the bile duct has also been discovered. The
…was Crucified, Died and was Buried… April 20, 2019 The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the foundation of the Christian faith. Christianity stands or falls on these two great historical realities. So it’s understandable, perhaps, that what happened in
The Goodness and Pleasantness of Community March 15, 2019 A few weeks ago I was reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers and was struck by the story with which he introduces the book. It’s about a little town in Pennsylvania called
Opportunities in the Local Public School February 15, 2019 Every other Thursday morning I have the privilege of teaching the Bible to a class of 11 year-olds at our local public primary school. I have half an hour to use however I
Better Late than Never – Thoughts on Deathbed Conversions January 18, 2019 In the last couple of weeks I have come across two men who professed faith just before their deaths, which has prompted me to think about the subject. Here are some thoughts, in
Millionaire Slumdog: a Riches-to-Rags Story December 21, 2018 Perhaps you’ve seen the hit film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, which tells the rags-to-riches story of Jamal Malik, a boy from the slums of Mumbai who wins the top prize on the game show
Seeing the glory of God in the nose of a puppy November 16, 2018 After thinking about it seriously for at least a couple of years, our family finally decided to get a dog. And so last Saturday a 12 week old Cocker Spaniel/Collie cross was
The Icing on the Cake! October 19, 2018 At 10am last Wednesday morning, the UK Supreme Court handed down its decision on the appeal by Ashers bakery. Four years ago gay rights campaigner Gareth Lee ordered a cake from the Belfast
How Contented Are You? September 21, 2018 On 28 September, this Friday, P&R are bringing out a new series of Bible reading aids called '31-Day Devotionals for Life’, edited by Deepak Reju. Reju introduces these devotionals by comparing
My Times are in Your Hand August 17, 2018 On Wednesday of last week our family returned from our vacation feeling refreshed and looking forward to being back in our own home once again, meeting friends and family and settling back into
Three Marks of a Faithful Minister of Christ June 15, 2018 It’s so easy to skim over the ‘minor characters’ in Scripture, isn’t it? Men and women whose names are mentioned only once or twice – about whom very little is said. Epaphras
A desperately ill baby and the secret plan of God May 18, 2018 We have a baby in our congregation who was born very prematurely – at just 27 weeks – and in the few weeks since his birth he has had many serious problems. A rampant bowel
Christian living God is holding on to you March 16, 2018 Over and over again God reassures his people that he is holding on to us by his right hand. In Isaiah 41.10, for example: ‘…fear not, for I am with you; be
