The real problem with contemporary worship

Last updated on: January 30, 2023 at 5:19 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

In my last blog, titled The Importance of Emotion In Worship, I challenged the slew of current articles here on Patheos criticising contemporary worship, which judge such worship as manipulative, led by celebrities, and carnal. Interestingly, some of those pieces have been written by ex-worship leaders who after years of pretending, admit they were forcing themselves to perform while feeling little or no connection with God – I don’t say this to point the finger at any individual; if a... Read more

The Importance of Emotion in Worship

Last updated on: January 14, 2023 at 5:51 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

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A regular talking point in both Progressive and Evangelical circles is criticism of performed, emotionally rich worship. Apparently a full band and a heartfelt expression of reverence are distracting, manipulative, and a mere whipping-up of emotions. Its leaders are judged by many other Christians as self-serving celebrities, rather than sincere and devoted worshippers. You’ve seen the articles, decrying Hillsong-style, big tent worship, and every time a leader makes poor moral decisions it is waved around as incontrovertible proof that modern... Read more

If God Invited You to a Party

Last updated on: January 8, 2023 at 7:13 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

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I love sacred poetry, and particularly Persian writings from the Middle Ages. There’s one poet in particular whose words align with the song in my heart, and that is Hafiz of Shiraz, a 14th century Sufi mystic. Though he lived in a different era, his words resonate in me as if whispered for the first time only a breath ago. This is one of his many, wonderful works, translated by Daniel Ladinsky in his compilation, The Gift. If... Read more

The Good Shepherd

Last updated on: January 4, 2023 at 7:46 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

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I’ve been meditating on the words of Jesus in John chapter 10 today, marvelling at the heart of God towards those made in his image. Jesus paints a picture of a profoundly unified state between himself as the Good Shepherd and us as his sheep. Verses 2-5: But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name... Read more

Be it unto me according to thy word

Last updated on: December 17, 2022 at 6:48 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

There are several moments in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that bring me to a reflective halt, such as her response to the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would carry the Son of God in her womb. Luke 1:38, ‘Be it unto me according to thy word.’ Typically, when we think of the incarnation, the focus is the birth of Christ, with shepherds, magi, and a choir of angels, but for Mary the incarnation happened... Read more

The Demise of American Christianity

Last updated on: December 11, 2022 at 5:07 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

It is commonly believed that the Religious Right emerged as an outraged response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalised abortion. This is a myth, used to rally Evangelicals to vote as a block. At the time, and for years afterwards, Evangelicals were largely ambivalent on the topic, taking a sensible, compassionate view in conservative circles. In 1968, a symposium sponsored by the Christian Medical Society and Christianity Today, offered “individual health, family welfare,... Read more

Loving the Other

Last updated on: November 15, 2022 at 4:10 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

One of the Lord’s most consistent, heartfelt commands to the Israelites was that they love the stranger, treating them as they would a native citizen. Another word for stranger is sojourner – one who dwells in a land not their own. Sojourners are people seeking home away from home, often when their ancestral land has become a dangerous place to live. The natural human response to the stranger is suspicion and fear. We have an unfortunate tendency to categorise... Read more

Exercises in self-value part 2 – breaking free from conditions of worth

Last updated on: November 13, 2022 at 5:10 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

How do we determine our worth? The world has an ugly method, describing a person’s ‘net worth’ as a simple measure of wealth. Some would say that’s just a turn of phrase, but there are reasons we choose and use the words we do. To me, the term ‘net worth’ is a Freudian slip, revealing an idolatrous addiction to greed and wealth. How about as individuals? What gives each of us value? Unless the answer is that value comes... Read more

Break free from self-imposed limitations

Last updated on: November 3, 2022 at 7:10 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

There are always people willing to tell you not to dream. Many of these people are well-meaning and wish you no harm. For example, when expressing dissatisfaction over my work situation in the past, even loved ones were quick to assert that most people feel the same and that it’s somehow normal and noble to accept the circumstance causing me pain. If I’d been persuaded by those well-intentioned voices, I’d still be working for an industry I care nothing about,... Read more

Should the media cover faith?

Last updated on: October 23, 2022 at 12:59 pm By Duncan Edward Pile

The Global Faith and Media Study by Harris X highlights an important but difficult dilemma. Drawing on nearly 10,000 respondents from 18 countries (across people of faith, ‘spiritual’ people, and those who identify as secular), the study reveals that 63% of people globally say that high quality content on faith and religion is needed in their respective countries. The appetite for religious coverage is growing and yet, across the world, faith, religion, and spirituality are largely ignored by news rooms... Read more

Who rebelled with 250 men against Moses and Aaron?