A Tale of Three Storms
Sat 8 February 2014
We’re all currently painfully aware of the nature of storms and their terrible impact on peoples’ lives. And our hearts go out to so many affected by the continuing harsh …
Dave Hop
Contemporary Bible CommunicatorSame Thing: Different Words
Thu 6 February 2014
Not long ago someone told me about this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG8_AH6viNk I have started showing it when I speak because it sums up the kind of thing I am trying to …
Jesus, a Pram and Al Capone
Mon 3 February 2014
There’s a scene in the film The Untouchables where good cop Elliot Ness has a shootout on the stairs of a railway station. The climax of the scene comes when a …
A ‘Yikes Get Me Outa Here’ Kind of Worship Song
Fri 31 January 2014
You know how you cry out to God for help when you’re in a fix? Well I do anyway. And I guess that prayer that says ‘Lord please help me …
The Toughest Thing
Mon 27 January 2014
YouTube video If you play this, Google may set cookies and process data according to their privacy policy. You can withdraw this consent later by deleting cookies. That’s fine — …
BLJ: Ridiculously Vulnerable Communication
Thu 16 January 2014
I’m cautious to show you this clip from Blue Like Jazz, because it is what they call – a spoiler. An almighty spoiler really, it’s the peak of the movie. …
Just to be That Man Who…
Mon 13 January 2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hgtU78yOkM Yesterday, in our local church, I showed this clip from Dexter Fletcher’s film, Sunshine on Leith. If the title reminds you of a song by the Proclaimers that’s because it’s a …
Snowballs and Spin
Fri 27 December 2013
Just reading Seriously Funny 2 by Jeff Lucas & Adrian Plass and Jeff made the comment that using words to describe God is like throwing snowballs at the moon. I like the …
Unresolved Places
Wed 18 December 2013
I have just finished watching a movie (a dark thriller) called The Place Beyond the Pines. It was not what I expected, which was one of the reasons I liked it. …
Captain Phillips, Emotions and Real Men
Sat 14 December 2013
There was a moment in the movie Captain Phillips which really caught me off guard. Tom Hanks, in the title role, falls apart. And it’s done so well that it’s …
The Counsellor’s Choice
Tue 3 December 2013
It’s an odd thing to do a review of a movie poster (!) and this is not really a review – just a reaction. As I was doing the school …
Jasmine, Job and the Blues
Mon 25 November 2013
Last night I watched Woody Allen’s latest movie, Blue Jasmine, with an award-tipped performance by Cate Blanchette. She plays the title role, and goes to see her sister Ginger in …
Philomena, Faith and Forgiveness
Fri 15 November 2013
I got the chance to see the movie Philomena last night, starring my favourite funny guy, Steve Coogan (who also co-wrote it) and that great great actress (not least for As …
All My Old Schools Have Been Rebuilt
Sun 10 November 2013
I’m a sucker for nostalgia. I’ll get wistful about a sandwich I had two hours ago. Sometimes, when I’m feeling particularly lost, or frustrated, or troubled, I’ll mentally walk the …
Movies, Media and The Mystery of Faith
Sat 2 November 2013
About ten years ago a friend said to me, ‘You should do a session where you show bits of films and relate them to the Bible.’ At least, with my …
Bonfire Hearts
Wed 9 October 2013
James Blunt’s latest single put me in mind of a few things. At first I was a little frustrated by it, thinking that a ‘bonfire heart’ was not really a …
Table for Twelve
Fri 20 September 2013
Cain wandered into the park and collapsed on a bench. Then he heard the noise. The sound of sucking and belching and careless chewing. He looked up and saw them. …
The Multiplex Bible
Thu 19 September 2013
(Also available as a podcast here, just click this sentence) In my work as a contemporary Bible communicator I am regularly trying to help folks connect with an ancient book …
The Parable of the Lost TV Remote
Wed 18 September 2013
Suppose a man has ten media remotes and loses one. Won’t he get an arc lamp and look in every corner of the house, tear down the wallpaper and rip …
Love & War
Sun 15 September 2013
Music is powerful. It is to me. Pop music anyway. I can hear a song and it takes me right back to a particular time or experience. Likewise I can …