All posts in Faith

Masculine Christianity

by Hugh on February 22, 2012 in Current Affairs, Faith with 2 Comments

There have been plenty of contributions from various Pastors, bloggers, ‘tweeps’ and Synods in recent weeks on the subject of Masculinity. Whether it’s Mark Driscoll calling us ‘cowards’ and promoting Jesus as a model of ‘valour, courage and masculinity’, or John Piper telling us that Christianity should be led by ‘masculine ministry’, or even the Church of England General Synod voting to accept women as Bishops. There’s lots being said on both sides of the question, but what’s right?

We would all agree that a move to appoint women as Bishops, Vicars, Priests, Elders, Pastors, whatever you want to call them is a progressive step. It is a step forward in as far as it brings the church in line with the prevailing view of the society that we live in. However, I would argue that it is a step away from how God calls his church to be led and is therefore regressive. Continue reading →

Multi-Site Church?

by Hugh on February 21, 2012 in Faith, Technology with 2 Comments

This weekend I had a Sunday off. Rather than staying in and watching The Big Questions, or sneaking in to the back of church late (along with the rest of the congregation) I decided to visit another local church.

Actually I went to a fairly large, well known church in Brighton, but one of their ‘sites’. I wanted to experience ‘Multi-site Church’. It seems to me that multi-site churches are a fairly recent American important initiated by large church growth combined with improvements in technology. Continue reading →

What language will we speak in Heaven?

by Hugh on December 17, 2011 in Faith with 9 Comments

Now you may think that this is a pointless question. Some hypothetical conversation that we couldn’t possibly know the answer to… But the New Creation is clearly a place where there is praising, worship and relationship with God and one another. If Jesus’ resurrection body is anything to go by then we will surely be able to speak to one another – either with common language or common understanding.

But here’s the point, and why it’s a very relevant question. What if you’re deaf? Continue reading →

Healing – but when?

by Hugh on December 13, 2011 in Faith with No comments

This Sunday I preached at a local church on Isaiah 35. There’s loads of imagery of restoration, healing, salvation in there. I tried to explain a three stage fulfillment of these verses, namely;

Historical – in Isaiah’s day
Christological – in Jesus’ day
Eschatological – on the final day

Plus, the tension we live in now. Experienceing some fulfilment now through Christ but how ultimately these verses aren’t fulfiled till the New Heavens and the New Earth. Anyway, a lady in the congregation who was big into healing asked me:

…if we believe are sins are forgiven now, why should we not think we are healed now (with a view to Isaiah 53:5)? Continue reading →

Advent – (Dis)Grace

by Hugh on December 12, 2011 in Faith with No comments

Here’s Advent thought number 2. It’s that time of year when we head back to the first few chapters of the gospels to remind ourselves of the Christmas story. Enter Zechariah and Elizabeth, they really kick the ball rolling with Christmas, although sadly often missing from your average Nativity play.

It’s a shame really. They’re model believers – Luke 1:6 tells us that they’re ‘upright in God’s sight’ and ‘observe all God’s laws blamelessly’. On top of that they’ve been waiting and praying patiently, praying for a child and for the child who will come to save (Luke 1:13), in the end their prayers are answered, and both come, one after the other. Continue reading →

Advent – No Fear

by Hugh on December 11, 2011 in Faith with No comments

It’s that time of year. Preparing for Christmas at church… “this must be your busiest time of year” says the barber, and well meaning relatives. Well probably not, but there’s certainly lots going on in Advent.

A time to focus on Jesus’ coming, and his coming again. I wanted to try a post a few Adventy and Christmasy bits over the next two weeks. Here’s the first…

It’s one of the consistent messages of the Christmas angels… “fear not”… in his Advent hymn ‘Come thou long expected Jesus’, Charles Wesley calls us to sing… “From our fears and sin release us”… Continue reading →

Christ in the Old Testament

by Hugh on December 5, 2011 in Faith with 1 Comment

Sometimes looking for Jesus in the Old Testament feels a bit like looking through a ‘Where’s Wally’ book. Turn each page and if you look hard you’ll see Jesus. It seems a bit of a trite approach to the Old Testament… Hermeneutics for dummies… and leaping to Jesus. Looks like a rabbit, sounds like a rabbit… but it must be Jesus…

Now I’m not sure that’s a wrong approach. The New Testament often uses pictures from the Old Testament to point to Jesus… and Jesus is indeed in ALL the Scriptures (Luke 24:27). Take Deuteronomy for example… Jesus is… Continue reading →

Harvest – more than Baked Beans

by Hugh on September 27, 2011 in Faith, Talks with 1 Comment

A friend on Twitter helpfully summarised what I’d been preaching in the Harvest service…

“As @hughbo taught us this morning, harvest is more than baked beans..”

I hope the message was a little more profound than that, but it does contain elements of truth. It was Harvest Sunday this week, at least it was in our church. Due to staff shortages I ended up preaching on Psalm 65. I’ve never done Harvest before, not since I was a kid. It brought back memories of Harvest suppers, produce auctions and competitions to see who had the biggest marrow.

I guess in short, my attitude to Harvest is fairly flippant. Especially in Hove, it doesn’t really seem all that relevant. But God’s word was so relevant… Psalm 65 is an awesome song of praise at the Harvest festival. We saw:

God’s Grace
God’s Greatness
God’s Goodness

Thanks to Jonathan Fletcher for the G’s. Anyways… my attitude to harvest has improved in light of studying this Psalm!

You can listen to the sermon here.

Spiritual Gifts – Giving

by Hugh on September 24, 2011 in Faith, Talks with No comments

Don’t worry. I’m not starting a series of blog posts on Spiritual Gifts. Although that’s always a good way to increase blog traffic and provoke comments. No rather I just want to focus on one – giving.

We’re told to “eagerly desire” spiritual gifts. I for one didn’t have giving on my list of ones to desire. Of course it’s not mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, although it is included in Romans 12:8.

We tend to view giving as a bit of a chore, just another bill to be paid each month, most of the time completely unaware as the direct debit kicks in. But it seems Giving really is a Spiritual Gift, in the same category as healing, tongues, prophecy etc. Here are some reasons why that’s true:

Giving appears as a Spiritual Gift in Romans 12:8
God has given grace to the churches in Macedonia, that causes them to give (2 Cor 8:1-2)
Paul urges the Corinthians to ‘excel’ in giving (2 Cor 8:7) – that’s the same language that Paul uses to describe Spiritual Gifts (1 Cor 14:12)
Giving encourages the church

So two challenges…

We need to see giving as a Spiritual Gift
We need to desire it and excel in it

That would be a bold prayer wouldn’t it? Please Lord, make me generous. Give me the Grace to give…

More thoughts on this in my recent sermon – Is Giving a Spiritual Gift?

++ Hugh

by Hugh on September 22, 2011 in Faith, Life with No comments

It’s ok, no need to bow, curtsey, kiss my ring, look up at my mitre, be touched by my crook or any of that kind of nonsense…

But you could show a little bit of Malawian style respect…

I think there was some confusion; visitors from the UK from ‘Bishop Hannington Church’… at some point turned into ‘UK Bishops’. They were very kind, and hid their disappointment well.

I find being the “distinguished guest” slightly awkward, I’m never really a good guest, and distinguished is not exactly the first thing that I put to answer the question ‘describe yourself in 3 words’.