I’ve been reading through 1 and 2 Kings recently, and last week I reached the story of the Rabshakeh in 2 Kings 18. It struck me that it is something of a parable for our age. The story is set when Hezekiah is king of Judah. He is a rarity – a good king in…
Category: Writing
Carson’s Three Sonnets on John 14
Flicking through some old notes, I stumbled across a few quotes from D.A. Carson’s The Gospel According to John, which incidentally is one of the best commentaries I’ve ever read. I particularly appreciated these three sonnets based on Jesus’ claim in John 14 to be the Way, the Truth and the Life. I I AM the…
Reading the Bible like a Bluth
Arrested Development was one of my favourite comedy shows (until it entirely lost the plot in seasons 4 and 5!) It follows the wealthy, but incredibly dysfunctional Bluth family, and is full of absurd situations, and some wonderful catchphrases and running jokes. One of the rare moments from season 5 that still makes me chuckle…
PRH: An Interactive Mystery
During the first lockdown of 2020, I decided to create a game for my family to play online. A kinda murder mystery, escape room thing, all done through Google Forms. It was horribly time-consuming and geeky to put together, but I sent it to a few family and friends, and they loved it so much I decided…
God among the sheep tails
God among the sheep tails: Bruce Waltke on the humility and holiness of God, revealed at the burning bush.
We own each other’s teeth
My wife has an impressive track record when it comes to misheard song lyrics. A personal favourite is Elton John’s Tiny Dancer which she sings as, “Hold me close and tie me down, Sir!” I dread to think what she reckons that song is about! Last year, an advert for Chanel No5 came on the…
A Church Called Tov
Some reflections on A Church Called Tov, by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
Hayil-ighting the Remarkable
A couple of years ago, the stationery company Stabilo launched an advertising campaign called ‘Highlight the Remarkable’. They took photos of male-dominated scenes and ‘highlighted’ women who had been upstaged, and whose successes had not been recognised. For example: Edith Wilson. The First Lady, who assumed her husband’s presidential responsibilities after he was paralysed by…
God. With. Us.
I have a four-year-old daughter, who performed in her first school nativity last week. She played the role of Angel Number 1, which I suspect means ‘1 of many’ but I like to think it means ‘number 1 angel.’ Each kid gets one line to perform, and my daughter has been practicing hers for months….
Tracing the ripples from fallen pastors
It seems that hardly a month goes by without another scandal from a ‘Celebrity Pastor’. Abuse of power, sexual sin, financial irregularities, cover-ups. Each one a crushing blow; another straw heaped on the back of an already-straining camel, namely the public credibility of Christianity. I was talking to a friend the other day, and I…
Liam Thatcher 