Category Archives: Christianity

Banish the Square Brackets! The Case for Reading the Ugly Bits of Scripture.

I have never been in any doubt that God has a wickedly playful sense of humour, and that it is most often deployed when he encounters the Church at its most institutionalised. During this month’s Church of England General Synod, … Continue reading

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Address at the Memorial Service for the Revd Mervyn Kingston

This was one of three adresses celebrating the life of the Reverend George Mervyn Kingston at a memorial service held at St George’s Church, Belfast on 8 February 2014. Mervyn was a wonderful priest, a loyal friend and an unlikely … Continue reading

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A Farewell Discourse: The Hard Truths That Set Us Free

Within a few days, I shall be subsumed the Church of England’s system as a loyal and obedient functionary. Having spent the last three years deeply engaged with the struggle for LGBT acceptance on the other side of the Irish … Continue reading

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Bobbie and Dessie: Does a 1980s Photo Tell Us Anything About Anglicanism’s Future

Pictured: the Bobbie and Dessie show, I would guess around 1985. 28 years is more-or-less a generation, and the ’80s, the first decade I can remember in any meaningful way, are now starting to be a long time ago. The … Continue reading

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For they were afraid. A reflection for Easter Day.

For churchgoers, Easter Day is a time of joy and celebration, usually with a thronged church, an immaculately conducted service, the fruit of weeks of preparation, and the chance to catch up with friends we haven’t seen for a while. … Continue reading

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Hitting rock bottom. A reflection for Easter Eve.

In English, the Apostle’s Creed teaches that Jesus descended “to the dead” or “into hell” depending on which version we use. However, the Greek version states that “κατελθοντα εις τα κατωτατα”, “he went down to the lowest”. At least since the … Continue reading

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Why abandon me, God? A reflection for Good Friday?

At times, life consists of one painful episode after another. Troubles multiply, sometimes emotional, sometimes financial, sometimes with our health, and as they do, friends seem vanish like frost off the road on a sunny morning. At first we try … Continue reading

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What’s in a name? A reflection for Maundy Thursday.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ The Last Supper was, first and foremost, an act … Continue reading

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The end is nigh. A reflection for Spy Wednesday.

Christians don’t really know how to handle Biblical prophecy. A minority tradition in the Church tends to claim the events related in it will ‘come true’ next Wednesday morning when we’re sitting down to our Corn Flakes. The entertainment value … Continue reading

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Love prevails over death. A reflection for Temple Tuesday.

St. John’s story of Holy Week has important differences to the tale told by the authors of the other Gospels, and its stories are perhaps a little less familiar to people, especially if they aren’t regular Bible readers. One incident … Continue reading

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