I’ve loved lecturing on disability theology and pastoral theology, so here’s a selection of my reading and recommendations. My favourites were Raging with Compassion, The Disabled God and The Book of Job.
Tag Archives | theology
Do I wish to remain disabled in heaven? (Church Times)
‘Before Jesus healed people, he asked, “What do you want from me?” — perhaps because he did not always assume that it would be healing. The Church should be asking similarly neutral questions of disabled people.’
Review – Phoebe by Paula Gooder
What’s special about Phoebe is Paula Gooder’s ability to teach complex theological issues simply, via good story. Phoebe reignites the passions of those who’ve fallen out of love with Paul’s New Testament, gives lovers of the Bible accessible theology and ‘aha!’ moments as they realise what ’slave and free’ together meant for the first-century church, and provides an essential resource for Bible teachers and preachers.
Preaching the Cross to Wounded People – Christian Today article
Jesus experienced severe, physical pain. It’s easy to gloss over this, but no other religion has a god who suffers physically. Indeed, that would be a picture of weakness, not power – why would anyone want to worship a suffering God?
Well, I would.
The Good Bad Friday
Before Sunday comes, in the mystery of suffering, in faith, we call it Good Friday, when it still looks like Bad Friday. In this upside-down kingdom of God, we say that the poor and weak are blessed above others, and even this needless, horrifying suffering has worth in itself, it carries hope.
If suffering has stolen your joy and you can no longer stretch to resurrection and Sunday blessings, I dare to prophesy to you: it is still a Good Friday, and God is there with you.
In approaching mystery, we rush to solve it or shut it down. But what if the third option is savouring it? What if wonder is a more appropriate response to the mysteries of God?
Pregnant with Heaven (She Loves)
This is what it means to be a Christian. We don’t freeze our lives as we wait for Christ, as though we must hold our breath until either we die or Christ comes again. There is good to be done in this world, and God’s good gifts to enjoy. And as we enjoy our lives, Christ is still being formed within us. Sometimes we live our lives almost forgetting about Christ. Other times we can feel a quickening in our spirit, as a pregnant woman feels the fluttering of a baby’s first kicks, and we long for a glimpse of heaven.
Why Pray for Healing? Premier Podcast on Prayer 3
Welcome to the third and final broadcast on this short series on prayer, for Premier Christian Radio – this time on ‘Why Pray for Healing?’
The first 3-4 minute segment was for Rick Easter’s The Worship Hour show, on ‘Why Pray?’ and the second segment was for the same show the next day, this time on ‘Praying When You Feel Empty. This third session was broadcast on the Woman to Woman show, on Friday 2 June.
