An Invitation to Holy Communion
Holy Communion is what we call a sacrament. The Anglican ‘Book of Common Prayer’ defines a sacrament as an ‘outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.’ This article aims to help us grasp the importance of Holy Communion as […]
An Invitation to Holy Contemplation
Contemplation isn’t truly about ‘the monks and monasteries’ that come to mind. Biblically, contemplation describes that elusive something that is so often missing in our spiritual life, the very goal of all our ‘doings’ — communion with our God of love. Christian contemplation can be described as the intentional turning of one’s whole self to […]
An Invitation to Holy Consecration
Under the Old Covenant, the people of God were given provisions for consecration through purification, cleansing and sacrifice to mark and facilitate their identity as the holy, covenant people who belong and dwell with the Holy One. Under the New Covenant, we don’t need the same provisions. We have been cleansed, purified and forgiven by […]
The Spiritual Practice of Worship through Music
Worship isn’t just a religious reality, it’s a human reality. Every life is turned towards its strongest desires and highest loves with devoted expectation and hope. The West may feel it has dethroned the divine, but it has merely deified its desires. The modern temple can be found everywhere. The question is not whether you […]
The Spiritual Practice of Sabbath
Sabbath begins in the beginning, where God ‘rested from all his work’ (Genesis 2:2). Having created existence in six days, ‘God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating he had done’ (Genesis 2:3). This follows his creation of humanity ‘in his own image’ […]
The Spiritual Practice of Community
Community in the church might seem the least exciting of spiritual practices – it’s very ordinary and, aren’t we already practicing community? Yes, but… Anyone who has been hurt by a church community before, knows that fire seems a gift in the cold unless yo Many Christians love Jesus but find the doors of his church […]
The Spiritual Practice of Meditating on Scripture
The Bible is the word of God. We read Scripture with reverence. Words become familiar as we read them again and again in familiar ways. But always we are attentive to the authority of our King. If you want to flourish, learn to delight in the Word of God above all else. Don’t just esteem […]
The Spiritual Practice of Silence & Solitude
Silence and solitude is the practice of intentionally retreating from the world into prayer, seeking to come as we are, to cultivate stillness with God for a deeper knowing of God. Silence and solitude is richly drawn from Scripture, and practiced throughout the church across history and theological traditions. It is a unique practice that […]
The Spiritual Practice of Prayer & Fasting
A short article written by Pastor Nick Wood on ‘Fasting’ for those new to fasting or those wanting to know more about the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of prayer and fasting. Fasting is often thought to be one of those religious practices that Jesus did away with in the New Covenant like animal sacrifice, or religious […]
An Introduction to Spiritual Renewal
The ingredients of the modern moment have blended a perfect cocktail for our spiritual distraction. Our schedules are bursting. Our phones are pinging. Our work is demanding. Our attention is divided. The buckets of our lives are smaller than all we want to fill them with. There is always something to fill the empty space […]
