Trans – a ‘sacred journey’?

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Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, is the most high-profile counter-signer of Steve Chalke’s letter to the Prime Minister, which calls for the inclusion of trans people in the proposed ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’.

There is one sentence in particular which has aroused interest:

‘

To be trans is to enter a sacred journey of becoming whole: precious, honoured and loved, by yourself, by others and by God.’

Andrew Bunt has pointed out how this places a Christian veneer over a thoroughly secular outlook.…

2 Thess 1:9 – ‘Eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord’

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2 Thess 1:9 ‘They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength,’

The apostle reassures his readers that God will reward afflicted believers with rest, and that he will punish the afflictors with eternal destruction on the day of judgement.

Two aspects of the present verse are relevant in debates about the duration and nature of eternal punishment.

1. Does ‘eternal destruction’ imply,

(a) everlasting torment, or

(b) annihilation after a period of suffering?…

1 Cor 8 – Puffed up, or built up? – sermon notes

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1 Corinthians 8 – Puffed up, or built up?

Eating food that has been sacrificed to idols doesn’t seem very relevant to us today.

But behind that presenting problem are a number of ever-relevant underlying issues.

First – a bit of background.

Corinth – a temple on every corner, a god for every occasion.

Marriages, birthdays, funerals, banquets and public festivals were preceded by the sacrificing of food to the gods in order to gain their favour and protection.…

Jn 21:1-25 – “Do you love me?” – sermon notes

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John 21:1-25

(Notes of a sermon preached a number of years ago, revised and re-preached recently.)

The dentist had just finished fitting the bishop out with a complete set of new teeth.  As soon as the dentist had finished, the bishop went over to a mirror.  And as he looked at himself and inspected his mouthful of fine teeth, he said, “Jesus Christ.”  And again: “Jesus Christ.”  The dentist was surprised to hear such profane language coming from a man of the cloth. …

Ancestor worship in the world today

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‘Ancestor worship’ is, perhaps, something of a misnomer, since most of the examples given below do not involve ‘worship’ of ancestors as if they were deities.  Rather, they include a belief that ancestors may mediate access to deity, or have some kind of influence on the lives of the living.

The following examples are based on this article, by Sarah Kessler.

1. Sraddha from India.  Male members of the Hindu faith are required to take part in the Sraddha ritual. …

Three (or four) approaches to sermon application

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Adam Nesmith has outlined three different ways (he calls them ‘philosophies’, but I think that’s a bit too ambitious) in which the preacher might incorporate application into his message.

1. No distinct application section

The sermon is essentially an explanation of the text, and the preacher hopes that the Holy Spirit will apply it to the hearts and lives of the hearers.  There may be some occasional application points along the way, but there is no structured approach to this.…

Matthew 21:7 – One animal or two?

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Matthew 21:7 ‘They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.’

The Triumphal Entry is also recorded in Mark 11 and Luke 19.  Only Matthew, however, mentions that there were two animals.

Matthew’s account raises a couple of questions.

1. Does Matthew means that:

(a) Jesus sat on both animals at the same time or in succession?  This (especially the first option) would imply an absurdity on the part of Matthew, and can be set aside.  …

A preacher’s heuristic

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As a help to releasing the creative juices, a preacher may find it helpful to ask questions such:

  • Whom am I speaking to?
  • How should this text affect the way my listeners live tomorrow?
  • What are the word pictures in this text, and how can I use them as running “scenery” in the sermon?
  • Who will benefit from the truths in this text?
  • What felt needs and real needs does this text address?
  • What principles does this text teach?
…

Jesus’ relationship with his family

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Helen Bond notes:

‘The Synoptics record a story in which Jesus’ mother and siblings hear that he is ‘beside himself’ and come to take him home, only to be rebuffed by Jesus (Mk 3:21, 31–4 and pars.).

‘Later on, Jesus’ preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth strikes his hearers as arrogant and presumptuous, prompting him to remark that ‘a prophet never lacks honour except in his home town, among his own relations and his own family’ (Mk 6:1–6 and Mt 13:53–58; in Luke’s dramatic scene the townspeople even try to kill him, Lk 4:16–30).

…

Mk 15:42-47 – Would Jesus’ body have been ‘placed in a tomb’?

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Mark 15:42 Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time.…