‘Theology of ageing’ encourages seniors
Keith Rigg
‘It was so encouraging to be reminded that old age is a blessing from God.’ Organised as a collaboration of Keswick Ministries with Faith in Later Life, over 80 people attended a three-day online seminar on ‘Faith in the Second Half’ in May.
A church leaders’ day saw: Dr David Field exploring the Theology of Ageing, which was a new concept to many; Dave Fenton encouraging the equipping and empowering of seniors for ministry; and Professor Keith Brown, The Revd Roger Hitchings and Pippa Cramer giving Biblical and practical ways of pastoring and supporting seniors.
First for Reformation women
![Emily Lucas](/media/images/Union_Headshots_Septemb.2e16d0ba.fill-32x32.format-webp.webp)
Emily Lucas
The Reformation Fellowship has hosted its
first Theological Conference for Women,
with over 150 joining on Zoom from around
the world, including the Philippines and
America. ‘The Fear of the Lord’ conference
opened with a seminar by Union’s President
and Professor of Theology, Mike Reeves.
Many women are used
to
speaking of
a desire to walk
in
fear of the Lord, of
using the phraseology and seeking to
live
this
life of wisdom. However,
to
speak
of
fear
in association with God can also
breed wrongful association, particularly as
we
live
in a culture, as Reeves describes,
that is ‘allergic to fear’. Reeves gave a rich,
refreshing recapturing of the true sense of
what it means to have and live in fear of the
Lord. Drawing on his recently published
Rejoice and Tremble, Reeves passionately and
eloquently refreshed the hearts of the saints
attending with the truth that the fear of
God, true saintly fear of God, is the Bible’s great balm for today’s fears and anxieties.
God is not guided by today’s moral compasses
Notting Hill is still one of my favourite ‘rom coms’ ever. Memorably, it starred Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, and the late Emma Chambers (who tragically died a few years ago).
In the film, there is a dinner scene in which Emma Chambers’ character refuses the offer of a dish because she is fruitarian. When Hugh Grant’s character asks what that is, she says: ‘We believe that fruit and vegetables have feelings. So we think cooking is cruel. We only eat what has fallen from the tree or bush and that are, in fact, dead already.’