Methodist Bishop

Psalm 104 The Bible is always being criticised for giving rise to a domineering attitude towards creation, in which human beings, and men in particular, are encouraged to exercise mastery over it. But that's only one strand of the Bible's creation theology, the one from Genesis. Psalm 104 gives a totally different perspective. The Psalm celebrates almost the whole of creation purely for its own sake and with scarcely a reference to humankind. Even darkness and night are there so that ‘the animals of the forest’ can ‘come creeping out.’ In contrast, during the day while the lions are sleeping in their dens, ‘people go out to their work and to their labour until the evening.’ Another exception is the reference to plants. ‘You cause the... plants to grow for people to use, and wine to gladden the human heart, and bread to strengthen the human heart.’ But in most respects the rest of creation exists solely to please God and relate to its creator. ‘These all look to you to give t...

Mark 1.32-39 Someone was asked to come up with a checklist for the signs of a healthy church. [1] He went to the Bible and came up with a good Biblical number of boxes to tick - 12 - but not all of them are relevant to our situation so I have reduced   the list to ten. The first sign of a healthy church is that everyone is welcome. And that really does mean everyone, including visitors who make a bit of noise or cause a bit of a disturbance. I think that, by and large, we pass that test. The second sign is being ready to offer uncomplaining service to our local community. I think we're moving in a positive direction on that one too. We've just got approval for a second grant towards our Parish Nurses’ project to help local people lead healthier lives. But I recognize that projects like this demand considerable effort and commitment over a sustained period of time. Like a pet, serving the community is not just for Christmas. It's a year round, decades long, challenge...