|
Temple Cowley United Reformed Church |
|
Oxford Road, Cowley, OXFORD, OX4 2ES |
|
Church office : |
|
+44 (0)1865 779664 |
|
Mobile (minister): |
|
07736 528390; |
|
Fax (minister) : |
|
+44 (0)1865 421891 |
|
minister@urctemplecowley.org.uk |
|
United |
|
The |
|
Articles & Sermons |
|
6-part series on ‘Life in the Christian Community’ : |
|
· |
Dealing with disagreement |
|
· |
Our needs can build community |
|
· |
Dealing with Money (the god ‘Mammon) |
|
· |
The Ministry of all God’s people |
|
Adobe Acrobat file (69Kb) |
|
Sermon on ‘Spirituality’ (August 4th) |
|
‘Integrity is more important than Life’ (2nd Sunday in Lent, March 16, 2003) Adobe Acrobat file (108 Kb) |
|
Escaping God’s Judgement (on the Ark)? 1st Sunday in Lent, March 9, 2003. Adobe Acrobat file (31Kb) |
|
What does it mean to ‘know God’? A look at the confusing ‘First Letter of John’ Adobe Acrobat file (104Kb) |
|
Minister’s Message |
|
The Apostle Paul has traditionally been thought of as a Great Theologian. Which he was. What got forgotten for centuries was that he was first and foremost a Jewish missionary. It was as he struggled with the unexpected issues that the mission threw at him that he was forced into making sense of it — and ended up ‘doing theology’. |
|
· |
Non-Jews worshipping Jesus as Christ and apparently receiving the Holy Spirit? How can this be? |
|
· |
If it’s really God at work, shouldn’t they be properly ‘confirmed’ as Jews by being circumcised? |
|
|
|
· |
Should proper Jews share meals with them, and risk eating non-kosher food? |
|
· |
How far should believers go along with a pagan culture? Should they cut themselves off from it, or pinch its best ideas? |
|
At the end of the day, proper theology is not an ‘ivory tower’ exercise but something each of us has to do in order to deal with the contradictions of everyday practical living as Christians. |
|
Fifty years ago we thought we knew what that meant, and that ‘theology’ had all been done and sealed up in books. Now that we very obviously live in a confused and multi-cultural world we must relearn how to think. |
|
And the best way to think is to act — by getting stuck into the real world as ‘deliberate Christians’ — and then reflect on what happens when we do. |
|
The Peace & Prayer Room in Templars Square Shopping Centre for people of all religions and none has been a recent interesting example. For example, it’s meant learning what Muslims need in order to pray. (In the process, I’ve learned how ‘Free Church’ — like us — they are!) Then there are the questions raised by the voices you hear as people read the notice in the shop window. For instance, how would you respond to the voice I heard saying : “It’s not needed now. The war’s over.” |
|
Interestingly, nowhere did I hear a voice suggesting that Christians and Muslims should not share prayer space. Is that just because we don’t think religion is that important any more, or is there something deeper going on? |
|
In a small way, a far-off war has stimulated a (very little) renewal here in Cowley. Let’s continue to pray that the huge unanswered questions raised by the war will renew the world (starting with the Iraqi peoples) and not destabilise it even more. |
