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“At” church vs “Being” Church

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Yesterday I wrote on my personal blog about something I’ve been thinking about during lockdown: Being AT church is not BEING church. I think many churches focus on running lots of events rather than facilitating relationships. What’s happened during the lockdown is that this has been exposed.

Here’s how it begins:

Can you remember LBL – Life Before Lockdown? (It’s a new acronym, I hope it’ll catch on). It feels like life has changed so much in the past year, it’s hard to remember what it was like before. My days were full of activities and meetings – taking a look back in my diary brings back memories of having activities most days: groups, meetings, services, there was at least something on every day.

My life was in many ways centred around the church. The beating heart of this was the services, especially on a Sunday: in the morning I would go to two services (in our parish there are two church buildings, with a service at each one). Then there would be a service in the afternoon which I was at most weeks. Sometimes there would be an evening service. So each Sunday I was usually at church three times – even four, on occasion. That’s a whole lot of church!

So – what’s the problem with that?The problem is that I spent so long AT church that I forgot to BE church. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Do have a read if you’re interested. I am hoping to think more about this

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What are Sacraments? (Heidelberg 25)

Posted on by Phill Sacre

What are the sacraments and why are they important for Christians? In this session we start to look at the sacraments and how God uses them to help us to understand the gospel.

There are four questions in this session:

  • Q65 – Since faith alone makes us share in Christ and all his benefits, where does this faith come from? (In other words, is even faith itself something which is to our own credit?)
  • Q66 – What are the sacraments?
  • Q67 – Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
  • Q68 – How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant?

This last question is one where particularly Roman Catholics and protestants will disagree. Protestant churches believe there are only two sacraments. It’s no surprise that the Heidelberg Catechism, being a Reformed / protestant catechism, takes this line.

The sacraments were one of the key battle grounds in the middle ages between Catholic and protestant theology, and it’s important to understand what they are and why they’re important. I hope that the Heidelberg Catechism in looking at the sacraments warms your heart and enlivens your faith as you think through these things.

Want more?

If you enjoy this, you can do the whole series right here on the website, or on the app (see links on the right hand side of the page). Alternatively, I am uploading them regularly to YouTube and Facebook. All sessions on YouTube are available on this playlist.

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Lockdown Mental Health Support – Psalm 29

Posted on by Phill Sacre

I have just done another YouTube livestream on lockdown mental health. I’ve been a bit up and down this week to be honest, and my family have too. Many people I’ve spoken to have said they’re really struggling at the moment. It’s funny looking back at the videos I did at the start of the first lockdown – I don’t think I really knew what struggling was at that point!

Anyway, I’m planning to do a session each Friday evening during the lockdown. We’ll spend a few minutes reading the Bible and then pray. I find it hugely helpful to do this and I hope you do too.

Last week’s one on Psalm 23 is still available to catch up with.

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Mark 4:21-25 – Learn to read the Bible #15

Posted on by Phill Sacre

I’ve just published the 15th part of the Learn to read the Bible series on Mark’s Gospel. This week we are looking at Mark 4:21-25, “a lamp on a stand”.

For those who are coming to this new, the idea behind this series is not for me to simply explain everything to you, but rather to give you things to think about yourself. This is about training you to read the Bible for yourself, rather than just giving you all the answers!

See this page if you’d like a few pointers for how to use these videos. Don’t forget to pray!

You can read the passage online here (although I’d suggest it’s better in a physical Bible). You may also want to have a pen and paper handy to jot down notes and things you want to look into more.

Key points from Mark 4:21-25

  • This is not an easy passage to understand! In times like this, it’s often helpful to put it into context. Think about what Jesus was saying in the previous section. How does this passage relate to it?
  • What does Jesus say is “hidden” in the previous passage? How do you think that relates to having a light and not keeping it under a bowl, and things hidden being disclosed?
  • Think about how we reveal the gospel to others, how it is shown in our lives. Do we keep the gospel hidden or do we show it?
  • “Consider carefully what you hear” – what is “heard” in the parable of the sower? How does that help you to understand what Jesus means here?
  • Do you think Jesus is saying that God will respond to us in the way that we respond to the gospel? If we hear the message gladly and believe, God will receive us with gladness. If we reject the gospel, God will reject us.
  • What implications does that have for you, and for those you know? How can we be praying to help us and others be those who hear and believe the gospel?

Take a few moments to re-read the passage, think, and pray.

Looking for more?

You can see the rest of the videos in this series on the this page. If you’d like a more focussed series teaching the Christian faith, check out the teaching programme.

You might also want to see the previous episode in the series on Mark 4:1-20.

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How do we know God’s will? – Westminster Shorter Catechism #2

Posted on by Phill Sacre

In the second part of the WSC we think about how we can start to live out our purpose: how do we know what it means to glorify God and enjoy him forever?

This is part of the weekly Thought for the Week series. This series is designed to give a short, 10-15 minute ‘thought’, including a Bible reading and a prayer. Currently I am working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. You can see all videos on the catechism on this playlist.

Do subscribe to the mailing list if you want to get these delivered by email, or subscribe directly on YouTube if you want to see them there.

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Why are good deeds not enough? (Heidelberg 24)

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Having heard that we are made right with God through faith alone, in this session we think about two questions people often ask: why can we not please God through good works? And if our good works don’t earn anything – doesn’t that mean we can just do what we like?

This is such an important issue to be thinking about. If good works don’t earn anything with God, does that just mean we can act however we like? It’s a good question, and it’s one which a lot of people ask.

The Heidelberg breaks it down into three questions:

  • Q62 “Why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it?”
  • Q63 “But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?”
  • Q64 “Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked?”

I think that final question is the one which people ask – if our good works don’t earn anything, why not just do whatever you like? Why not just live any way you choose? What does the Bible have to say to that question…

Want more?

If you enjoy this, you can do the whole series right here on the website, or on the app (see links on the right hand side of the page). Alternatively, I am uploading them regularly to YouTube and Facebook. All sessions on YouTube are available on this playlist.

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Lockdown Mental Health Support – Psalm 23

Posted on by Phill Sacre

Last night, I did a livestream on YouTube on Psalm 23. The subject was particularly about lockdown mental health support – I felt like I needed to turn to the Bible to help me! I’ve found this one of the hardest weeks of my life, I’m sure other people have felt that too.

If you’d like to watch it again or catch up, you can do so here:

I’m hoping to do another one next week. If you have any prayer requests or any particular issues you’d like me to look at, please comment below.

I did a video a couple of years ago about mental health from a Christian perspective – check it out here.

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Mark 4:1-20 – Learn to read the Bible #14

Posted on by Phill Sacre

I’ve just published the 14th part of the Learn to read the Bible series on Mark’s Gospel. This week we are looking at Mark 4:1-20, the Parable of the Sower.

For those who are coming to this new, the idea behind this series is not for me to simply explain everything to you, but rather to give you things to think about yourself. This is about training you to read the Bible for yourself, rather than just giving you all the answers!

See this page if you’d like a few pointers for how to use these videos. Don’t forget to pray!

You can read the passage online here (although I’d suggest it’s better in a physical Bible). You may also want to have a pen and paper handy to jot down notes and things you want to look into more.

Key points from Mark 4:1-20

  • The passage is basically in three sections: the first part (the parable), then Jesus’ explanation of why he talks in parables, then the explanation of the parable.
  • This is one of the few places in the gospels where Jesus directly explains what a parable means. So we should take this as helping us to understand parables more generally.
  • In the first part, Jesus tells the parable. If you did not have the explanation, how would you have understood it? If you find passages of the Bible that you don’t understand, what do you do?
  • In the second part, Jesus explains why he tells parables. What do you think is the difference between those who have the secret of the Kingdom of God, and those who don’t? Why is it a secret?
  • In the final part, Jesus explains what the parable means. He says the sower sows the “Word” – i.e. the gospel message that Jesus has been proclaiming. You might like to think about all the different reactions to the word. What is your reaction? What would you like it to be? What about other people? You could spend some time praying for yourself and for them.

Looking for more?

You can see the rest of the videos in this series on the this page. If you’d like a more focussed series teaching the Christian faith, check out the teaching programme.

You might also want to see the previous episode in the series on Mark 3:20-35.

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What is the meaning of life? – Thought for the Week

Posted on by Phill Sacre

In this Thought for the Week, we look at the Big Question: “What is the meaning of life?” This is the start of a new series on the Westminster Shorter Catechism, a famous protestant catechism which was written in the mid-1600s.

This is part of the weekly Thought for the Week series. This series is designed to give a short, 10-15 minute ‘thought’, including a Bible reading and a prayer. Currently I am working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. You can see all videos on the catechism on this playlist.

Do subscribe to the mailing list if you want to get these delivered by email, or subscribe directly on YouTube if you want to see them there.

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