Phils focus

I used to get asked what I believe in by people. However it happens less nowadays and I'm thinking it is probably because there is an assumption on the part of folk that if I am a Christian, a church leader and an evangelical that I must believe in xyz, so why bother to ask. Such is the distortion of the image of evangelicals in the public mindset that some have (understandably) abandoned the title altogether. The problem I have with doing that is that you abandon the wonderful testimony of the early evangelicals who did not believe or practice that which many who currently claim the title do. In my view the label 'evangelical', much like the label 'Christian' is something still worth fighting to redeem in peoples imagination, if only to honour those who have gone before. So for those of you who want to take a shot at my beliefs as an evangelical, before you take aim here is a brief list of 20 things I don't believe in (and which annoy me most intensely when peo...

The recent experience of walking my beautiful daughter down the aisle on her wedding day is something I have few adequate words to describe. The whole day was a epiphany from beginning to end. After my father of the bride speech it appears that I had caused not a small number of, mostly , but not entirely, women to cry. Without going into my merits or otherwise as a father, I have been struck afresh by the very real power of a father, and how witnessing (or being part of) that relationship at its best can awaken the deepest emotions in all of us. Post wedding research revealed that my words as a proud father that day made people cry through emotions stirred on a wide spectrum. Some were identifying with a positive experience in knowing thier own father, and my proud words of affirmation were resonating with memories of words their own fathers may have spoken over them. Others were apparently dissolved by the pain of shame and anger at the memory of harsh or absent fathers, and being ...

The aformentioned Logo

During our recent worship morning I shared briefly on the 'dancing Lord'. The strange Greek word perichoresis refers to the eternal dance of the God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Theologians have long recognised that 'dance' is perhaps one of the best ways of portraying the way the Godhead interracts and includes humanity into the relationship of the trinity. This radical understanding of the dance in which we are called to participate is symbolised in our logo at The Well. Many fail to see this as they first look at our colourful round logo,(top left); Three fish of primary colours (the source of all other colours) dance in unity and harmony to generate all the colours of life. Our lives are called to an adventure of grace. We are called to learn the steps of the Trinity as we follow Christ. Christianity is not about laws and rules, or do's and do'nts. Jesus offered us new life, and indicated that this life would be like a dance, one that wou...

Jesus was obsessed with the Kingdom of God. All of his parables and teachings centre on the Kingdom; Mustard seeds, feasts, yeast, camels, lost pennies, rich men, prostitutes and tax collectors, children, water & spirit, houses, ploughs, servants, kings, eyes plucked out… all these are used to teach us something that Jesus is so passionate about that he makes it the focus of his message and the centre of our calling. (Luke10:9) Yet would many of us continue to pray; ‘Your Kingdom come’ if we knew that in the short term it could result in the loss of our job, or our home; the persecution of our church, or the suffering of those we love? Those early believers, whom Jesus taught to pray the Kingdom, saw it coming in power (Mk9:1). The effects were seen both in miracles and persecution. They saw people converted and healed…and with it many lost their jobs (even their lives) and were hounded from one city to the next…The Kingdom of God is subversive in the extreme. It doesn’t just ‘tran...