I was 13 when my Nan moved in. I loved my Nan. She was absolutely wonderful in every way. And what’s more she looked like Nans should: slightly plump, white wavy hair, rosy cheeks and a big smile. She spent her time doing what Nan’s (of her era) should: talking about the war, eating boiled sweets and sewing. She had an uncanny ability to make pretty much anything out of scraps of material. And I mean anything … When she had some fingers amputated and was told she was too old for prosthetics she simply went to her “rag bag”, dug out some leatherette, some old tights and some ribbon and made herself some fingers that she could tie on each morning. Best - Nan - ever!... continue reading
Who: Constantine
When: Ruled 312-337
Where: Emperor of western half of the Roman Empire; then Emperor of the whole empire
So what?
Constantine’s conversion probably had a greater impact on the church, and history, than any conversion since Paul’s. Until Constantine became a Christian, and then (almost immediately) became Western Emperor, the church had, other than in Armenia, never existed under a state which had a Christian head. Roman policy until this point had veered between uneasy toleration and horrific persecution.... continue reading
It really is a privilege to care for those who struggle. To show God’s love to friends and family in their hour of need is a wonderful thing. But anyone who has been a carer for more than a few days knows that a sense of privilege isn’t always the dominant feeling. There’s a whole range of other emotions that swirl around too. What struggles do carers face? Here are just a few:
60% of us will be a carer at some point in our life. 10% of us are right now. There are some 7 million carers in the UK - 13,000 of whom are under 18. Wikipedia suggests 50 million in the US. It sounds a lot but those stats could well be right. There are millions of people quietly undertaking vital roles within our families, within our communities, often at the expense of career and other relationships.
A carer is someone who provides unpaid support to an ill or disabled friend or relative who would not be able to cope without their help. The role ranges from popping to see a neighbour a couple of times a day with shopping and a willingness to help them dress to full-time care for a loved-one with multiple and profound physical or mental needs. It could be tending to the complex requirements of a spouse who has suffered a severe stroke or making safe a parent with advanced Alzheimer’s Disease.
Many carers are themselves elderly or frail but not all. For some children the daily routine involves making breakfast for an incapacitated parent before leaving for school – then coming home with the shopping to make them dinner. For a few it involves mopping up the less than sanitary consequences of substance abuse in the home – disposing of bottles and needles, dialing 999 when the worst happens …
The permutations are limitless. But in every story there is some common ground – there is pain, pain that at times masks the privilege that it is to stand alongside those who suffer. This week on The Good Book Blog we are going to look at how churches can care for the carers in their congregation.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Whatever we are facing today, let's ask God to give us the strength to persevere in faithfulness.
Found - one piece of the cross?
The Romanian church-building boom
An attempt to overturn Jesus' conviction.
Will talking about biblical marriage soon be classed as hate-speech?
Encouraging the US Supreme Court to allow prayer
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
Name: Cyril of Alexandria
When: c. 376 – 444
Where: Patriarch of Alexandria in Egypt
So what?
Cyril was at the centre of one of the most complicated debates in the history of the Church. Previous generations had established that the man Jesus was the divine Son of God. But now the difficulty was: in what sense was Jesus both human and divine? It’s actually a hard question to answer when you think about it!
In Cyril’s time, there were two basic camps, with two extreme wings in each camp:
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Romans 6: 12
Once again this week the mercurially talented Paul Gascoigne has hit the news headlines for all the wrong reasons – another drunken assault charge, the latest in a long line of drunken and violent misdemeanors.
As casual observers, we will never understand what has driven Gascoigne to the place he is now - a place where he is battling depression, drink and self-destruction. A hugely talented footballer stripped of confidence and at odds with himself and the world around him.
But whilst Gascoigne (and he is not alone in the sporting world) is a high profile illustration, there is in every one of us a battle raging of some sort. We are not perfect, we are sinners and all have inner struggles to face.
Our lives aren’t played out in front of thousands or millions of people and spread across the media. Not all those struggles will be as dramatic or visible as those endured by Paul Gascoigne. But they will be there and be niggling away at us just the same.
All too often we aren’t good at dealing with persistent indwelling sin. The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard will help address that problem in ways that are encouraging and full of hope. It is as honest as anything you will ever read about the power of sin, yet it is infused with the wonder of the gospel.
Read more and get it here for £4.99 using code pg0908
There are a lot of books about! And it can be hard to know what to pop in your suitcase or download onto your Kindle as you prepare to relax on holiday. So we thought we’d share with you what the blog team here are reading this summer – Christian and secular:
Carl Laferton
“Wolf Hall”, by Hilary Mantel because I love history; it's won loads of prizes; my wife loved it; and because reading good, character-based fiction that's fantastically written stretches my brain in ways that non-fiction stuff doesn't.... continue reading
In Judges 7, under Gideon’s leadership, God gives his people a victory over the occupying Midianites with an army of 300 men, none of whom end up actually fighting. God does it this way to show his people that he is the rescuer; God’s people don’t rescue themselves. But Gideon soon forgets “the lesson of the 300.” When in the next chapter two towns—Succoth and Peniel—refuse to support him as he pursues the fleeing Midianites (8 v 6, 8), Gideon responds with furious threats (v 7, 9).
Gideon’s anger shows that he expects to be given glory for his achievements (which he is forgetting were, in fact, God’s). When Succoth and Peniel fail to trust that Gideon will triumph over Midian, he does not say to them: Yes, I know it is hard to believe we can beat them. But God in his grace is using us to win the battle, so don’t trust my strength, but do trust in his. Instead, he says: You dare to doubt me? I’ll show you my power when I get back. You’ll learn to have respect for me.... continue reading
