In Depth:  Wallace Benn

Word Alive is alive and well and planning for the New Word Alive event on April 7-11 2008 at Pwhelli in North Wales.

It was sad when Spring Harvest, for their own reasons, ended the partnership this year after 14 years, but we are so grateful to them for their fellowship and help over the years and continue to wish them well for the future.

The Church of England Primates have met in Northern Ireland and come to their conclusion (see front page).

What we need to ask at this time is why the presenting issue of the consecration of a practising gay bishop in New Hampshire, and the blessing of same-sex unions in the Diocese of New Westminster, is so important. And, granted its importance, is it important enough to break communion about?

The book of Philippians is the New Testament book par excellence about Christian joy.

No less than 16 times in its four chapters does Paul refer to joy. There is 3.1: 'Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord!'; 4.4: 'Rejoice in the Lord always'; and 4.10: 'I rejoice greatly in the Lord'. Notice two things about the phrase 'Rejoice in the Lord'.

'Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the door-posts of your house and on your gates.'

Deuteronomy 6.3, 4-9 New Living Translation

We want to talk about an area that is of supreme importance for the health of families and the future well-being of our nation.

Many folk have asked me what it's like to be a bishop, and the short answer is that I feel I have been given a job with opportunities from heaven and a diary from hell! Let me expand a bit on that!

Exciting opportunities

The most exciting opportunity of the last year was probably just before Easter.

Why is it that holiness has become an unpopular word among Christians? Is it because holiness has become associated with being 'so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good'?

The Holy Spirit

In verse 25, chapter 13 of John's Gospel, the Spirit of Truth is called the Holy Spirit. In other words he is concerned about holiness. It is certainly true of much modern Christianity that there is not the same concern for holiness as there was.