Quick! Stop the Duke!

It may not be everyone’s cup of Earl Grey but it’s hard to not notice that today is the Royal wedding. The day when everyone will be glued to their sofas and watching Young Willy and Katie tie the knot? Otherwise we would have got up and done something else. Right? Well maybe, but for some of us we will be working or washing our hair (what! are you washing  each hair individually that you can’t spare an hour?) or doing anything, and I mean anything else. But if you have nothing planned for the day but want to avoid it like you would want to avoid…well the Royal wedding for example, then here is some friendly advice to help you get through...

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Getting in the ring with Jesus on Easter

This Easter I will be celebrating Jesus by not getting up at 5am to go to a dawn service. Jesus loved sleep and I see no better way than showing my gratitude for his love by catching some zzz’s. (No wait, that was Jesus wept.) All of course before waking and having a breakfast feast of honey nut loops sprinkled with Cadbury’s mini eggs. You think I am joking! And I am. But today is the day that we spend celebrating Jesus coming back to life and  offering all of us a chance to partake in a new life in him. The chance to be part of his Kingdom and to love God and love others right here and now. The chance to have our sins forgiven and...

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When Rob Bell went too far(sighted)

Like many of you I have been very concerned with some of what we have been witnessing in the media, and seeing in interviews and television shows regarding Rob Bell. I am a huge Rob Bell fan and his books have inspired me to think and live out what it means to be a Christian more than any other writer ever. But since his latest book Love Wins was released I have noticed an alarming change. Where once I knew that Rob would be coming from a place that I could trust what he says, recent events have caused me to consider that there may be another side to him that I am not so comfortable with. He has a huge following and has done a lot of good,...

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Sunday Bloody Sunday

Living in Northern Ireland has its perks. Like everyone seems to know each other. It also has its down sides. Like everyone seems to know each other. But if it is churches you are looking for you have come to the right place. You can’t swing a belt made of Bibles (a Bible Belt if you will) without hitting a church. Not that I encourage the throwing of Bibles at Churches of course. But do we have too many? Or do we actually have too few? Do we feel welcome in Churches? Would we be comfortable bringing our friends? Or is that the wrong question? Should the question be, are we living our lives as a Church that naturally includes our friends? If...

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God hates everything

A couple of days ago I was thrilled to see that Louis Theroux had made another tv show with the Phelps family, for the BBC. If you don’t know who they are, imagine the Waltons, and then imagine the exact opposite. You’re kind of close now. They’re famous as the ‘church’ from Topeka, Kansas who essentially claim to be the only ones on earth who truly know God. They picket the funerals of soldiers. They hate everything that isn’t them. Everything and everyone else is wrong. But where they are really at home is when they get to wave around their ‘God hates…..’ plackards. We hear a lot about God’s love for all of his creation. Cool. But what...

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Rebecca Black, the internet and why we should care more

"Hey do you remember Rebecca Black?" "Who?" "Rebecca Black, she was that kid who released a song on the internet about Saturday or choosing a seat or something?" "mmm nah, doesn't ring a bell" "You know, it sounded a bit like that Justin Bieber song?" "Who's Justin Bieber"? "You know he released that song that sounded just like that Rebecca Black song about Wednesdays or something, he had that guy method man rap on it" "Oh yeah!! But I think that was Ludicrous" "Yep, it was ridiculous alright" ​ Maybe this is a conversation you and I will have in a few years but right now Rebecca Black is all up in our faces. Apart from a few health...

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