What Tony Jordan’s Nativity got so right
Apparently, the BBC has received more positive feedback comments about the recent 4-part Nativity than any other broadcast in 2010. And I’m not surprised at all. It was the best thing on at Christmas – and in fact all year. For the most surprising reasons. If you’ve not listened to the extended interview with creator Tony […]
Happy Christmas: the Light Has Come!
A very happy Christmas to all Q’s readers The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16 (& Isaiah 9:1-2) In case (for whatever reason) you are lacking some spiritual sustenance over the weekend, here is the talk on […]
Rehabilitating the Medieval Scientific Mind and why it matters

Sir Isaac Newton is a titan in world science, so it’s no surprise that he features on the very first, and the penultimate page of James Hannam’s excellent, 2009 book God’s Philosophers (which made it onto the shortlist for the 2010 Royal Society Prize for Science Books.
An rich and powerful advent prayer
It doesn’t happen often but last Sunday, one of our church stalwarts, Robert Willcox, led our corporate prayers so well that I thought they were worth reproducing here. Great stuff. Wouldn’t have been out of place in The Valley of Vision. We come together humbly to the Lord of Glory and the Prince of Peace. […]
Reflections on King Solomon’s Problems
We came to the end of a series on the life of Solomon on Sunday morning and I had the dubious honour of handling the last bit. It struck me that Solomon’s fall is one of the strangest and most alarming episodes in Israel’s history. Think of all that Solomon was and did: Chosen to […]
Micheal O’Siadhail’s GRANTCHESTER MEADOWS: an hypnotic evocation
It’s an age away – and was rather an extraordinary idyll. But for our first 3 months of marriage, we lived in a little terrace house in Newnham, Cambridge, which was just a few minutes walk from Grantchester Meadows. It was one of those lovely English summers that you don’t forget – and therefore perfectly […]
A Credal Hallelujah
To some (especially Canadians), this is sacrilege. And I’ve definitely got issues about tampering with genius (as I hope you have). Christians especially waste far too much time aping the world’s creativity and consequently only produce derivative pap. I particularly struggle with the tendency to add holy words to populist melodies (eg the Eastenders or […]
The Dark Heart of An Earthly Paradise (Disney-style)
It was all so predictable. I suppose the only surprise is that it took 14 years to manifest itself. But it seems that the idyllic, picket-fence world of Disney’s ‘perfect’ town, Celebration, is just a facade, as reports on Saturday told of murder and suicide within this corporate utopia. Every detail of the town was […]
Something ‘Wondrous, Mysterious’ from Miriam Jones
For those who’ve not discovered her stuff, my sis-in-law, Miriam Jones‘ latest album (Fire-Lives) is a treat and a great way in to her music. Have listened to it loads in the last couple of weeks but it now comes out on general release this week – she and Jez and the guys have done […]
Jesus in Tijuana Mexico… via U2?
A good friend of mine, Drew Wolff, has recently got back from a trip with his family to help on a Habitat building programme in Tijuana, Mexico. He sent these great pics. You’ll see at the centre of the first is a rather interesting biblical reference – which will be well known to U2 fans […]
Sherif, Social Media & a local church in Austria
STOP PRESS: Written Question in Parliament about Sherif: ____________________________________________________________ This is has been a very weird, virtual week, but weird in a rather wonderful way. Virtual not because it didn’t happen but because some of the exciting things that happened occurred online. But first, let Emma & Sherif set the scene after Sherif’s 20 days […]
Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 27 (December 2010)
Sacred Treasure The dilemma for Iraqi Christians Charts showing the difference between NIV2011 and previous versions, and here. (HT Antony Billington) Full schedule of Lausanne III at Cape Town to see videos of main talks etc Bring Advent to life by following Natwivity on Twitter David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House has very helpfully reviewed a […]