Canon J.John
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The pandemic and ecclesiastical polygamy
This situation, where many who were once faithful to a single local church now find themselves with a divided church loyalty, troubles me greatly. All Christians should be deeply committed to attending a local church.
Many have heard of Handel's 'Messiah.' But do you know about Handel?
Handel’s Messiah, now as much a part of Christmas as mince pies and mistletoe, is one of the world’s greatest expressions of the Christian faith in music.
This Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be grateful for the little things
In the Christian faith we focus on the awesome truth that in the crucifixion of Jesus, God himself was purchasing our forgiveness. That is the greatest gift we could ever have and we must always be grateful for that.
5 certainties of Heaven
Given our limited data, the safest answer to most questions to do with Heaven is simply "we don’t know". Nevertheless, some things can be said and let me suggest five certainties that I find in the Bible that are helpful.
The courage, creativity and charm of GK Chesterton
We could certainly benefit from having men and women like Chesterton today, who can defend the Christian faith with courage, creativity and charm.
Francis of Assisi: The unusual saint
Francis challenged the Church and Christians of his time, and he continues to do so today.
CH Spurgeon: The prince of preachers and much more
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was widely sneered at as being vulgar, theatrical and undignified, yet he drew and held his hearers, moving them through both laughter and tears to transformed lives.
Learning from the faith of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When war did break out, Bonhoeffer found himself drawn into the circle of those patriotic Germans who sought to overthrow Hitler. In order to again escape conscription, he joined the German military intelligence agency, a body that included many who were opposed to Hitler.
Harriet Beecher Stowe: A catalyst to the American abolition movement
As with the boy with the five barley loaves and two small fish in John’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, God delights in making much out of little. God achieved much through Harriet Beecher Stowe. He can use us too.
Elisabeth Elliot: A woman who suffered and persisted for her faith
The faithful and fruitful life of Elisabeth Elliot sets a challenging example of discipleship to us today. She deserves to be remembered.