Light and Shadow: The Magic, the Mayhem and the Meaning of Christmas

December 22, 2017 By Emma Higgs

Man, I love Christmas. Winter boots, toasty toes, rosy cheeks and bobble hats. That festive buzz. The anticipation. The hustle and bustle, the smell of woodsmoke and roasted chestnuts that warms you on the inside. The unrivalled joy of finding that perfect gift that you know they will just love. That priceless look of wonder and excitement on the kids’ glowing faces. Dad jokes, timeless classics, silly hats, belly laughs. Christmas is a time to appreciate the best things in life, and I for... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Rebuilding Trust When Belief Systems Have Crumbled

December 1, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 7 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 6: Good Religion, Bad Religion Part 8: Mindfulness and the Doubting Christian It’s easy to trust in God when you feel sure that he exists. And it’s easy to feel sure that God exists when your faith is built upon a solid foundation of beliefs. I used to feel certain about my beliefs. It felt great. No... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Good Religion, Bad Religion

November 16, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 6 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 5: On Losing Beliefs and Finding God Part 7: Rebuilding Trust When Belief Systems Have Crumbled > Christian-But-Not-Religious I grew up immersed in evangelical Christianity, and yet never considered myself to be religious. Religion seemed such a dry word; my faith in Jesus was so much more exciting, relational and all-encompassing than that. Church was the centre of my... Read more

Faith in the Fog: On Losing Beliefs and Finding God

September 21, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 5 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 4: Love as our Compass Part 6: Good Religion, Bad Religion > There are certain ways Christians talk about God that turn me into an atheist. I can’t help it. As much as I try to ignore it, my inner skeptic is constantly on the lookout for holes in the God theory. It will find... Read more

Can a Christian affirm same-sex marriage without rejecting the Bible?

July 30, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This guest post was written by Katie van Santen This article is aimed to be an overview and primer for the possibility of a biblical interpretation that enables the support of same-sex marriage. It does not explore every possible argument, but links are provided to further reading and background information. The views expressed are mine and do not represent the church of which I am a member or any of those at which I preach. One of two statements is often... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Love as our Compass

July 28, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 4 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 3: Making Peace with the Messiness of the Bible Part 5: On Losing Beliefs and Finding God > ‘Deconstruction‘ is a bit of a buzzword at the moment in some Christian circles. For various reasons, many of us have found ourselves dismantling our belief systems and questioning long-held assumptions. For some people, the deconstruction experience... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Making Peace with the Messiness of the Bible

June 23, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 3 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 2: Science, Atheism and the Search for Proof Part 4: Love as our Compass > My Christian faith has undergone some drastic changes in recent years. I’ve often wondered if my growing skepticism would eventually lead me to abandon faith altogether. As it turns out, diving all the way in to my deepest doubts and... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Science, Atheism and the Search for Proof

May 30, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is Part 2 of my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. < Part 1: Surviving as a Skeptical Christian Part 3: Faith in the Fog: Making Peace with the Messiness of the Bible > The Fear of Science One of the biggest steps towards learning to deal with my own crippling skepticism has been to convince myself that Christianity is not irrational. Deep down I had always feared that... Read more

Faith in the Fog: Surviving As a Skeptical Christian

May 28, 2017 By Emma Higgs

This is the first post in my ‘Faith In The Fog’ series on my experiences with doubt, skepticism, mental health and forging a different kind of faith. Part 2: Science, Atheism and the Search for Proof > How do I trust God when I’m no longer convinced he even exists? How do I stop myself from being swallowed whole by the fear and despair that can come from seriously rethinking my beliefs? How do I pray when it seems like there’s probably no-one listening? Can my faith survive this? If you have... Read more

I Don’t Have The Luxury Of Despair

March 21, 2017 By Emma Higgs

I like Martyn Joseph a lot. My dad has been a fan of his music since the late ’80s, and his songs have meant a lot to us both over the years. ‘The Luxury of Despair’ is a song from his 2015 album ‘Sanctuary‘, and was apparently inspired by a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp: As the sun rises in my children’s eyes I don’t have the luxury, the luxury of despair Until now this seemed a strange concept to me,... Read more