The Irrelevance of Relevance “We must be relevant”. Anyone who has been part of a church in Europe or America in the last few decades will have heard that said at one time or another. It comes from a fear that the world is indifferent to...
Read moreGood Friday 2018
On Good Friday this year, it is impossible not to think of the sacrifice made last week by Colonel Arnaud Beltrame of the French Gendarmerie Nationale. As I am sure you remember, Colonel Beltrame volunteered to swap places with a hostage who had...
Read moreStephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking 1942 – 2018 The last week saw the death of the great physicist and cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, known both for his scientific achievements, and the great courage and dignity with which he battled the creeping paralysis of...
Read moreAre we catholic or Catholic?
Are we catholic or Catholic? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church In the last few weeks, a number of people have asked me about a phrase in the Apostles’ Creed, the statement of faith that we repeat in Sunday worship: “I...
Read moreWhat does the Bible say about sex? Part 2
What does the Bible say about sex? Part 2 Part two of this series is something of a cheat, as I am not going to write anything of my own about what the Bible says, as I promised to do- more of that in later instalments. Instead, I want to...
Read moreWhat does the Bible say about sex? Part 1
What does the Bible say about sex? Part 1 One question, or group of questions, that I have heard asked a lot recently, concerns what the Bible teaches about sex and marriage. Is the Bibles’ teaching on sex still valid, or is it now...
Read moreVine Groups
Most healthy, growing churches have found that home groups, or Bible study groups, are an invaluable part of their life together, and Christ Church is no exception. They build friendships between church members in a way that isn’t always possible...
Read moreChrist Church Dusseldorf and the Church of England: Two business matters
Christ Church Düsseldorf and the Church of England Christ Church Düsseldorf is not an independent church; we are part of the Church of England, and its diocese of Europe. That is important: we are not on our own but have the support of a...
Read moreDear Safeguarding Team…
Dear Diocesan Safeguarding Team, I am writing to inform you of a visitor to our city, and many others, who we believe may be a serious risk to children. This is in accordance with the diocesan policy, which requires that any concerns must...
Read moreThe Weight of God
The Weight of God For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. -Habakkuk 2:14 “The biggest problem of the church is a faith-problem”[1]. That is the diagnosis of Professor...
Read moreMartin Luther’s Haircut (Updated)
Martin Luther’s Haircut I’m a typical man: I like to get my haircuts over and done with as quickly as possible. As far as visits to the barbers are concerned, my sympathies are with Martin Luther when he was a monk: his haircut would have...
Read moreJesus’ vision statement
Everyone now has to have a “mission statement” or a “vision statement”. Let me give you some examples. Google’s mission statement is: “To provide access to the world’s information in one click”- ironically, that was quite hard to find using...
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