BenThorp.org

occasional theological musings

I was in a conversation a few weeks ago that has had me thinking (unsurprisingly) about church. The conversation was around an individuals response to a church gathering, namely that, having made some form of response and come to a Sunday morning gathering, they were choosing not to attend. The frus...

We’ve all been there. That moment when your eyes are opened to Ephesians 4 anew, and you begin to think about the implications of what a 5-fold ministry would look like in your church. You begin to look at your leadership team, and think more about their particular gifting, and how these things inte...

Exactly a year ago, I spent a little time reflecting on some modern-day conditions within the church that were similar to those that Martin Luther sought to address with his 95 theses1. This year, to commemorate Reformation Day, I thought it would be interesting to honour John Knox, father of the...

Across Scotland today people are waking up to the results of the independence referendum. I suspect that emotions will be running high – many will be disappointed, many will be joyful. Everyone will be hoping that the result will lead to a better future for Scotland and it’s residents – some because...

Scotland is in the throes of massive campaigns as we head towards the independence referendum in September 2014. Some reports suggest that a positive result could lead to independence as early as March 20161. As St Andrews Day (patron saint of Scotland) came and went last weekend, I paused to wond...

For those of us who have been hanging round charismaticism for a number of years, the idea of the “five-fold ministries” or “APEST” or “APEPT” is nothing particularly new. It’s great to see them getting a bit more attention, whether you’re a fan of 3DM, or Hirsch/Frost, or David Devenish1, or some...