Graham Kings Don’t Throw Stones: Deuteronomy and the Prodigal Son by Graham Kings, vicar of St Mary Islington and theological secretary of Fulcrum Introduction During a week’s retreat in 1995, I read through the whole of the book of Deuteronomy. It was clearly a key book of the Hebrew Scriptures for Jesus. Not only did it include … Continue Reading
The notes in the text are hyperlinked into the end notes; to return to the text, click on the end note number Dear Fulcrum Friends, ‘Edge’ has several meanings, literal and figurative. These include, ‘sharpened side of blade’, ‘brink of a precipice’, ‘critical position or moment’ and ‘boundary line’. When people are ‘on edge’ they are … Continue Reading
East Gallery, Bishop’s Palace, Wells; windows of light, in and on three walls. At the previous evening’s preview, people gathered without gathering, and looked without seeing. In the peace of a fresh morning, the gallery becomes oratory, flowing with your presence. I bring a chair to sit and gaze, amazed, at you, the Saviour and … Continue Reading
Who is this woman facing this man? Head lightly inclined, eyes wide open, gazing, hands uplifted, palms upward, surprised; gorgeously arrayed. Who is this man facing this woman? Coming from the right, profile clear, bearded; hand outstretched, palm down; gloriously appareled. Behind her, two angels hover reflecting her shape: behind him, scented trees lean setting … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from the Church of England Newspaper, 22 June 2007 ‘Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?’ is the plaintive backing song used in the famous car advert in 1995, and again this year. The sentiment of the song, by Janis Joplin (from her 1971 album, ‘Pearl’), raises key questions about materialism and … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 15 June 2007 Dear Fulcrum Friends, There is a poignant story of Jesus walking towards a Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, during the apartheid era, and seeing a black man sitting on the steps, crying. He asked, ‘Why are you weeping?’ The reply came, ‘They … Continue Reading
Sentences, like people, need spaces to breathe. Between the full stop and the Capital lies the pause. Without the space, sentences are breathless; without the Sabbath, life is restless; without the pause, the rest is lifeless. Sentences, like God, have a preferential option for the pause. I wrote those lines earlier this year and have … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 22 March 2007 Dear Fulcrum Friends, The traditional phrase used to describe the Church of England is ‘Catholic and Reformed’. Too often the middle word ‘and’ passes unnoticed. Connecting words are crucial, humble and worth contemplating. They introduce links between polarities by contributing ‘threeness’ to ‘duality’. … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 8 February 2007 Dear Fulcrum Friends, The traditional English word ‘cleave’ has two meanings, which are the exact opposite of each other: ‘to stick together’ and ‘to split’. Both are used in the King James Version of the Bible in well known passages in the book … Continue Reading
republished, with permission, from The Church of England Newspaper, 24 November 2006 Dear Fulcrum Friends, Last week two large, historic evangelical churches in the Washington area began moves to leave The Episcopal Church. They wish to put themselves under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Church of Nigeria (of which the Convocation for Anglicans in North … Continue Reading