Tom Wright – an Enigma?

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Bishop Tom Wright is a hugely influential figure in the Christian church today.  He is a prolific author – both at the scholarly and the popular levels -, an engaging speaker, and an original thinker.  It is, perhaps, his penchant for ‘fresh’ thinking that thrills some, infuriates others, and perplexes the rest of us.  Of course, he himself would chuckle at this last remark, for he would say that he is regarded in the theological academy and in the Church of England as an ultra-conservative. …

Portrait of Calvin

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Somewhat to my regret, I’ve made rather more this year of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth than I have of the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’ s birth.

As a small contribution towards putting this right, I draw attention to a biography of Calvin by the noted scholar T.H.L. Parker.  First published in 1954, it is now reissued by Desiring God Ministries and is available online here.

John Piper writes:-

‘I am eager for people to know Calvin not because he was without flaws, or because he was the most influential theologian of the last 500 years (which he was), or because he shaped Western culture (which he did), but because he took the Bible so seriously, and because what he saw on every page was the majesty of God and the glory of Christ.’…

Rom 5:12-21 – Adam and Christ – sermon notes

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There are many different kinds of people in the world: big ones, small ones, fat ones, thin ones, tall ones, shorts ones, bright ones, dull ones, happy ones, sad ones, rich ones, poor ones, old ones, young ones, black ones, white ones, Jewish ones, Gentile ones. And so we could go. But for the apostle Paul, it comes down in the end to just two kinds. There are two humanities.

At the head of each of these two humanities stands a representative.…

Preaching with clarity – top ten tips

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Peter Mead suggests some hints and reminders.  I summarise them here:-

1. Preach one big idea.

2. Structure your thoughts.  Let there be clear, simple, logical progression of ideas.  If you know where you are going, it is more likely your listeners will travel with you.

3. Get rid of unnecessary content.  Every message needs some time in the cutting room.  Remove anything – however interesting or useful – that is superfluous to your goal of communicating your main idea effectively and clearly. …

The Last Adam

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O Loving wisdom of our God!
When all was sin and shame,
A second Adam to the fight
And to the rescue came

(J.H. Newman).

But according to 1 Cor 15:45, Jesus is the last Adam, showing that he is not one in a possible series, but the only and final alternative to the first Adam.

Jesus is indeed called ‘the second man’ in 1 Cor 15:47, because he was the only man since Adam to stand as fully human in the world, and because he is the first of a new series, a new humanity, Rom 8:29).…

Stuart Townend in Norwich

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Holy Trinity, Norwich, was the venue last night for a concert from Stuart Townend and band.  Our church was packed, with tickets having sold out well in advance.

Stuart is, of course, one of the most celebrated contemporary Christian song-writers and worship leaders.

Special guest Mark Edwards on keyboard was supported by Mike Haughton on saxes and other wind instruments, Julian Ferraretto on violin, a superb bassist (and trumpeter!) whose name escapes me for the moment, and 18-year-old Joseph Townend doing sterling work on drums.…

‘Darwin’s Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species’ – BBC Four

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I’ve just got round to viewing a recording of this BBC documentary, which  was broadcast on 28th September.

It covers much of the same ground as the recent film ‘Creation’, although giving less attention to biographical details and more (in true BBC style) to the presentation of gorgeous images that supplement Darwin’s account of the ‘struggle for survival’ in the world of nature.

We are not surprised to be told, at some length, of a parallel struggle – the struggle between science and religion. …

Psa 104 – Did Darwin kill God? (sermon notes)

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Here is a Powerpoint presentation used as the basis for a sermon preached in the light of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, the 150 anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species, and the recent release of the film ‘Creation’ which documents some of the events in Darwin’s life leading up to the publication of that book.

Psalm 104 was read during the service.

…

Heb 4:1-13 – Don’t miss out (sermon notes)

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Text: Hebrews 4:1-13

[These are the notes of a short sermon prepared for an all-age service]

God’s people are on a journey. We have a goal, a destination, in view. But we need to make sure we don’t miss out.  How can we do that?

1. Get started

When you travel by plane, you start with take-off. But I wonder if you have ever thought, as you boarded a plane, ‘This will never get off the ground’.…

Genesis or evolution: do we have to choose?

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‘What About Genesis?’, ask Denis Alexander, in his book Creation or Evolution: Do We Have To Choose?  What follows is based on Alexander’s discussion.

Two preliminary points.  The final authority of Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct is fundamental.  Although modern science can shed light on the interpretation of the Bible, the relationship between the Bible and science is not such that we should relying on science to determine the meaning of the biblical text, or vice-versa.…