Go Global

Go Global

Global Focus Weekend It’s the best-known verse in the bible, John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son…” It tells us that God’s love is immeasurable and indiscriminate: he loves the whole of humanity in all our variegated glory. He is...
The Other Pandemic

The Other Pandemic

There have been any number of viruses knocking many of us for six this winter. Nevertheless, one abiding infection continues to make Western societies sick. It is a condition named by psychologist Oliver James as “Affluenza”. He diagnoses the affluenza virus as: “The...
The Other Pandemic

From Objectification to Honour

Nowhere does following Jesus feel more counter-cultural than when it comes to sexual ethics. In a hook-up, casual-sex culture Jesus holds up an ethic of intimacy which protects and honours faithful, committed relationships between a husband and wife. It is an ethic...
Connection Gone Wrong

Connection Gone Wrong

Electricity and I have not always been the best of friends. I have, mainly through my own stupidity, given myself several electrical shocks. One which stands out in my memory – yes there is more than one – was when I set up my brother’s keyboard at church. The plug...
The Other Pandemic

Polarisation and peace-making

“Polarisation” is a word that is coming to define our age. Social media algorithms, we are told, double down on our prejudices, and ramp up our reactions. Civility, debate and humanity have left us, and outrage anger and aggression appear to have become virtues. Even...
The Other Pandemic

Following the Way of Jesus

As religious practice appears to freefall in the UK, interest in Jesus and Christianity is on the rise. Take Russell Brand’s 2024 baptism for instance and his meandering reflections on faith amongst his many online followers. To my point, Brand recently joined forces...
Five Hundred

Five Hundred

Famously The Proclaimers sang about walking five hundred miles. We are of course not meant to take five hundred literally and there are internet memes aplenty of a map showing 500 miles leading you to somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, and other places no one...
Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

May I, on behalf of the staff and leadership team of QPBC (and indeed of one and all), pray that you would know God’s ever-present help in whatever opportunities or challenges 2025 throws your way. “May you find your way blessed.… every moment on this journeymay...
Are we nearly there yet?

Are we nearly there yet?

If you’ve ever been in the car on a journey with kids, you may be familiar with that phrase. Children are generally not known for their patience; it’s a trait we learn and develop over time (hopefully!) Advent, that stretch of time, when we wait and prepare for...
Are we nearly there yet?

Familiar things

I am not usually an aficionado of Christmas adverts. However, this year, I found myself irresistibly drawn to “Loganair actually” the Scottish airline’s offering. The images in the first frames of their compilation of Christmas journeys were curiously familiar. Where...