I was once coaching a preacher, and together we were critiquing another person’s sermon, in an effort to learn more about our craft. My friend commented that the sermon simply consisted of ‘cherry-picking Bible verses, and smashing them together’ to which I replied, ‘sounds like a great recipe for cherry jam!’ I was being flippant,…
Tag: hermeneutics
Five Cs to unlock the Psalms
I’ve often found the Psalms hard work. They can feel quite abstract, repetitive, and given their cultural context kinda hard to relate to. I know that is not everyone’s experience. For many, they are a favourite part of Scripture; a fuel for worship, and an aid to express emotions in prayer. And of course, they…
Reading While Black
‘I want to make a case that […] this unapologetically Black and orthodox reading of the Bible can speak a relevant word to Black Christians today. I want to contend that the best instincts of the Black church tradition – its public advocacy for justice, its affirmation of the work of Black bodies and souls,…
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…
God’s Story, Our Story
On Saturday I got to speak (online) at Worcester School of Theology, kicking off the second year of their programme. It was great fun to be with them, although I still have a lot to learn about adapting my teaching for online! We talked about the Bible: What kind of document is it? How should…
Bible Overview pt.2: Our Story
How should God’s story shape our story? In this second session, we consider what we mean by ‘the authority of Scripture’ and look at some of the tools required to apply God’s word to our lives. Our Story (The task of hermeneutics) School of Theology – Scripture Handouts
Theology Matters: How to Read the Bible
Four seminars on how to read the Bible (mp3)
On Enjoying Difficult Sermons
Five good reasons, and one bad reason, for why I enjoy preaching sermons on difficult passages.
Theology Matters: 8 – Symbols: Temple and Torah
Liam Thatcher and Chris Oldfield look at what Jesus had to say about the Temple and the Law. (mp3)
Do the Parables Reveal or Conceal?
Did Jesus tell parables in order to help people clearly understand his message, or in order to keep it hidden from them?
Liam Thatcher 