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Power Cuts and the Fear of God

The other week we had a series of power cuts in our town. It doesn’t happen very often here where I am, but there was particularly bad weather recently which damaged some cables; but sitting in the dark winter evening, my phone low on battery power, it made me realise just how much we rely on electricity for nearly everything these days. We don’t even have a gas supply so we were completely cut off from doing anything! Now it might sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget how dependent we are on modern conveniences until it’s suddenly taken away and you’re sat in the cold surrounded by tiny little tea-light candles. The following Sunday, the sermon at c...

Francis Chan turns towards a more historical and ancient view of Communion

...he Church had always understood Jesus’ words and the interpretation of Scripture in a fairly singular and unified way for nearly two millennia, then who was I to come along and say my understanding exceeds the wisdom of everyone before me? It was actually one of the earliest texts, from a second century bishop called Ignatius, that really tipped me over the edge from a “memorialist” view (that the bread and wine are purely symbolic, nothing more), to a sacramental view (that the bread and wine are a means of grace that God uses). Ignatius was writing against a heretical group who were teaching a false doctrine about Jesus not really coming in the flesh, a...

The Historic Practice of Abortion and How Ancient Christians Responded

...It’s no secret that the majority of Christians are against abortion, no matter where you look in the world. But nowhere has the issue come to more of a head than in the US recently with the overturning of Roe v Wade, which had made abortion legal across the country. Now abortion is no longer a federal constitutional right, but individual states now have the authority to determine the legality and rulings around abortion. Christian opposition to abortion in America has always been a heated topic, especially in recent decades, but this isn’t a novelty within the Church in America, or globally, and has been a position of the faithful for about 2000 years. Even...

The Gospel of Jeffrey Dahmer

...When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.” (Acts 9:26). Paul had an experience of Jesus, came to faith and was baptised. Jeffrey Dahmer, similarly, came to faith and was baptised, and people questioned his sincerity and faith, as they did Paul, because of his background and previous crimes. But God looks inwardly, and as Isaiah said, he dwells with those who are humble with a contrite heart (Isaiah 57:15). This is the test of faith: humility, repentance and good works (James 2:26; Rom 6:1–4). Paul’s life displayed a changed character, and from wha...

Lent Day 31: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XX

...fter they had been baptised. When: Around 348-350 AD You can find today’s reading on page 153 here: lentfatherscomplete.pdf   Today's lecture on the mysteries by Cyril, is on baptism and is an exposition based on Romans 6:3-14 Romans 6:3,14 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? … since you are not under law but under grace. Now, these people that Cyril was teaching had already gone through the act of baptism, so now he was going over the symbolism and realities of what that meant to them personally. In describing the baptism rite to make one of his points, Cyril gives us a small in...

Lent Day 36: Ambrose of Milan: Concerning the Mysteries: 5-9

...Jerubbaal had an angel burn up the sacrifice, and another time in 1 Kings 18:38 when Elijah was battling with the prophets of Baal, fire from the Lord came down to burn it up. “To those [of old] a visible fire was sent that they might believe; for us who believe, the Lord works invisibly” – our fire from heaven is in the form of the Spirit of God who falls upon us, who are “living sacrifices” to the Lord Jesus (Rom 12:1). Anointed as priests After baptism, straight from coming out of the water, the catechumens are then anointed with oil. This isn't a small dab of oil wiped on the forehead, but it is poured over their heads to run down their beards...