Reformation21

What have I been up to the last four weeks (as if anyone is interested)? Have I (a) been preaching in London, where my microphone was controlled by The Who's sound manager of 25 years; (b) completed my first marathon, and that in 3hrs 57 mins; (c) been trawling Edinburgh bookshops for a copy of `...

Reuters reported this week that a 65-year old Dutch widow died of a heart attack right next to the grave where she planned to be buried. She was carrying a bag that contained her will and the full details for her funeral, including her choice of music. The grave was already the resting place for...

I have been loosely aware of the hype surrounding Borat , the mockumentary starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. However, it was only today that I learned the film's subtitle and cultural context. The full title is Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of...

Some readers may be aware that the President of the National Association of Evangelicals resigned yesterday over accusations of secret liaisons with a homosexual prostitute. Sadly, since Ted Haggard of New Life Church in Colorado Springs has been an outspoken critic of gay marriage, this scandal...

I see from The Times (of London) this morning that another Gnostic gospel has come to light, accompanied by the typical calls for orthodoxyto be abandoned in favour of some Gnostic gobbledigook. I paste in the full article below:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is scheduled to appear on Monday’s broadcast of Focus on the Family with James Dobson. Mohler will discuss how the church should biblically respond when ministers fail morally. Focus on the Family is...

A correspondent with much closer first-hand knowledge of missionary work in Kazakhstan has written to say that although he shares my frustration with Borat , he is not convinced that the film will prove to be much of a setback for gospel work there. In the interests of cultural understanding, I am...

I don't want to make any comment on the details of the Haggard case; but I was struck by the comment of one member of his church, to the effect that `I put all my faith in him.'

This morning in the Atlanta airport, I read a USA Today article on the Ted Haggard fiasco. I was struck by a comment that seems to reflect much of the sentiment at his church: "This is a great moment to show what grace is all about!" No doubt, the falling of a Christian leader does present us an...

Over the past few years, I have witnessed the fall of several colleagues, some of which have had catastrophic consequences, two of whom are still serving prison sentences. In most cases, I never saw it coming. It occurs to me as I have reflected on this over the past few days that each one has had...