Christian, answer questions people are actually asking

Finally my professor summoned some courage and said, “Professor Tillich, that wasn’t really the student’s question. Could you answer the question the student actually asked?” The response was quick and withering: “No, because they aren’t asking the right questions.”... continue reading

This one thing will keep your pastor going year after year

A pastor’s visits one week included these two. The first was to a home where all was well. Ryan and Steph were prosperous; the home was pleasant; a good car sat on the driveway; the children were being educated in expensive schools; their manners were good; talent abounded.... continue reading

Is free will an illusion?

If we are just our brains—if our decisions are simply the product of synapses firing—are we really free in any meaningful sense? A number of scientists and philosophers strongly believe not. It may seem to us that our choices are freely made, but free will is actually an illusion, they argue. We simply do what our brains tell us.... continue reading

Three questions to ask yourself when you’re telling children a Bible story

Telling Bible stories to children, at home or in church, is often a challenge. A younger sibling may be trying to eat the book, or poke someone in the eye. In toddler groups, someone is inevitably standing right in front of the book or making off with a visual aid. It’s not always easy to hold attention or make the story meaningful.... continue reading

Are your prayers like Paul's prayers?

When I read Paul’s prayers, I am always struck by the fact that many of the matters that are the focus of my prayers are absent in his.... continue reading

Is religious experience just brain activity?

Many people admit to having prayed at some point in life, be that at bedtime as a child, or amid a crisis as an adult. Many people, regardless of their beliefs about God, perceive prayer to be a useful religious activity. But what happens in the brain when people pray? In recent years, this discipline of the devout has been studied closely by neuroscientists.... continue reading

4 surprising ways you can encourage your pastor

Just suppose you want to put a spring in your pastor or minister’s step this week. You decide – for some reason – that you really want to make him joyful, to put in his heart a delight and cheerfulness as he goes about his work of pastoral care. What will you do?... continue reading

Christian: your sermon feedback really does make a difference!

To mark the launch of Christopher Ash’s new release The Book Your Pastor Wishes You Would Read (but is too embarrassed to ask) we approached a collection of pastors to find out what kind of things really, genuinely encourage them in their work.

And what came back was gloriously simple.... continue reading