Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at God

Psalm 51:2; ‘Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.’  Psalm 51 is the most personal, the most passionate and the most profound prayer for forgiveness found anywhere in the Bible. Without any introduction, explanation or excuse, the Psalmist cries out, ‘Have mercy on me, O God.’ Jewish and Christian scholars...

One great phrase of the Church of England, which is little-known but carries a wealth of rich meaning, is ‘ordinary time’. While the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and Advent all have their fixtures and moments for focus and concentration, the bulk of the summer months is ‘ordinary time’!  A very evocative phase – nothing...

‘Dead Ringer’ is the odd phrase we use when referring to someone who looks like somebody else. Sometimes, instead, we say ‘spitting image’ when we see a likeness or similarity between one person and another. This month includes Fathers’ Day (15th June) and is an occasion when dads are particularly remembered by their children.  As...

Happy 1700th Birthday, Nicene Creed! Thy Kingdom Come From the Vicar An Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes Reflecting Faith: where to hold a Baptism Praying With The Prayers Of The Bible – Praying in the Silence of the Heart: The story behind the hymn: ‘Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks to the Risen...

This month, 1700 years ago, one of the most important meetings in the history of the Christian Church began in the Bithynian city of Nicaea. It began in May 325 and went on until the end of July 325. The Council of Nicaea was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine, and he had an urgent...

This month we remember St Barnabas, whose real name was Joseph, a wealthy Levite from Cyprus. However, he was better known by his nickname which means ‘Son of Encouragement’ (Acts 4:36). Throughout Acts we see him encouraging others in different ways. Barnabas was an example of generous giving (Acts 4:36-7), when he sold property and...

This month we remember St Barnabas, whose real name was Joseph, a wealthy Levite from Cyprus. However, he was better known by his nickname which means ‘Son of Encouragement’ (Acts 4:36). Throughout Acts we see him encouraging others in different ways. Barnabas was an example of generous giving (Acts 4:36-7), when he sold property and...

‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ This is how the book of Ecclesiastes begins (1:2), as it examines the futility of human experience ‘under the sun’. The author is named as ‘The Teacher’ (1:1, Hebrew qoheleth), traditionally identified with King Solomon. Although focusing on life in the physical world, the book ends with, ‘Fear God and keep his commandments’...

For the last couple of months we’ve been thinking about baptism, it’s place within church life and what it means to each of us on a personal level. This month, let’s look at the actual font where baptisms usually take place. Over the years Christians have used a wide variety of ‘fonts’: the sea accessed...

‘O Lord of hosts … if you will give me a son …I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.’  (1 Samuel 1:11) Three ‘C’s will help us to grasp this most personal and moving prayer. First, the prayer’s context.   Hannah was the childless wife of Elkanah, who had sons...

Not many university students are able to write Christian songs which become worldwide hits, but Don Emry Fishel managed it with his Alleluia No. 1. Nearly 50 years on, it is loved and sung by millions of Christians worldwide. Fishel wrote it in 1971, while he was a student at the University of Michigan and...

The Real Easter From the Vicar The ordeal is over; the scars remain Easter Thoughts in a Churchyard The Ultimate Offer to Humanity Easter: a new world is ushered in< An Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament: Proverbs ** Editor:  Canon Paul Hardingham considers the effect of Easter… The Real Easter In CS...