Neil Rees's Blog: eatingwithsinners, page 5

Eating with Pharisees���

Jesus fully entered into the ���hospitality��� culture of his time making the most of long hours of relationship building around a meal. Luke 7:36-50 describes one such gastronomic teaching session. Jesus is ���reclining at the table��� ��� no quick self-service here, in Simon the Pharisee���s house. The cold eyes of the religious establishment are upon […]

Eating with Pharisees…

Jesus fully entered into the “hospitality” culture of his time making the most of long hours of relationship building around a meal. Luke 7:36-50 describes one such gastronomic teaching session. Jesus is “reclining at the table” – no quick self-service here, in Simon the Pharisee’s house. The cold eyes of the religious establishment are upon [...]

Do missionaries destroy cultures?

Christian mission work can get bad press. It’s not just the antagonists who oppose missions – the Christian church finds itself under attack from all sides, both within and without. And the missionary arm, that which extends understanding of God’s work in Jesus to others, is often the first stop for criticism. So it should [...]

“Let down your nets…”

I think Jesus would have done pretty well in the 21st century socially networked world. I’m not quite sure how he would have managed all his followers on Twitter, but do know he would have more than a few friends – all sinners – on Facebook. I guess he would have known what it feels [...]

Man Makes God in his Own Image

In the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, one of the books tells of an expedition to see God’s last message to his creation. It is carved into the side of a mountain, and the way up to the viewing platform is quite a trek. Eventually our heroes make it, and as they move along [...]

Play school

We’ve been talking about learning from history. Let’s forget history for a moment and talk simply about learning. Wherever, however, the easy way (is there one?!) or the hard way, learn we must. We will never graduate beyond the disciple stage to find ourselves no longer in need of learning. When we stop and think, [...]

Learning from history (III)

Let’s take a final look at the Bible’s historical books. There is one more key characteristic that can help us get the most from this set of “theological treatises rooted in an understanding of the God who is at work in and through history”. Narrative theology. 40% of the Bible, including the historical books almost [...]

Learning from history (II)

So… if the Old Testament “historical” books are not “history”, at least not in the way we would understand the term, what are they? How about this for a starting point: Theological treatises rooted in an understanding of the God who is at work in and through history The Old Testament historical books were written [...]

Learning from history (I)

Why is it that so much teaching seems to involve destruction before (re)building, the unlearning of wrong concepts in order to be able to see anew? This last week, whilst teaching at the Assemblies of God theological seminary in Cordova, Spain, on the historical books of the Old Testament, was no different. Hard work too, [...]

Three Wise Men

Right now, all across Spain millions of wide-eyed children will be watching the three Reyes Magos, “Magi Kings” appear in the streets and begin their journey to deliver a nation of presents in one night. In the larger cities, they travel in majestic parade, escorted by dozens of elaborately decorated floats. In Barcelona, 10 tonnes [...]