Crumbs from the Table

Yesterday, I was present for the " khutbah " (sermon) before Friday prayers at Noor-ul-Islam mosque on Yarwood Street in Bury. I was there by kind agreement of Imam Hassanat, a gifted Muslim preacher, whom I met a few months ago through a mutual acquaintance, and I was made welcome. Noor-ul-Islam is one of seven Sunni mosques in Bury, and follows the Sufi way, a more mystical interpretation of the Muslim faith.  I have been present at Friday prayers on at least one occasion before (at a Shi'a mosque). I do not actively take part in the prayers, however, local Muslim leaders have allowed me to be present and observe. In this case, I was present for the preliminary "khutbah" which corresponds to a Christian Sunday morning sermon.  For those not familiar with Friday prayers, this is the main weekly gathering of Muslims early on Friday afternoon to perform the prescribed prayer ritual together at one of the set times of prayer. At this time of year in this part of t

The Baltic region, including what is now Latvia , was one of the last outposts of European paganism, and was only evangelised and converted from the 1100s.  Bishop Meinhard (1134-1196) was one of the first to successfully plant the gospel in Latvian soil. An Augustinian canon (similar to a monk), he served as the first bishop of the see of Üxküll (now  Ikšķile ,  Latvia ). However, the murder of his successor led to a more violent imposition of Christianity.  This was in the context of the Northern Crusades  (Livonian Crusade) whereby peoples/tribes inhabiting this region, including the Latgalians, Selonians, Semigallians and Curonians, came to embrace the Christian faith. Andreas Knoepken  (1490-1539), a disciple of Luther, was the one who "brought" the Protestant Reformation to Latvia in its Lutheran form. 1521 is considered the date of the Protestant Reformation in Latvia; by the mid 1500s the majority of people had become Protestant. The Bible was translated into Latvian

What should you do if a Christian commits a grave sin and has confessed it? How should their local church respond?  Martin Bucer (1500s), in his classic work on pastoral care and church discipline, "On the True Care of Souls", addresses this and other situations with advice that is both Biblical and drawing on road-tested wisdom.  Based on a text in Ezekiel, Bucer assigns believers to one of five categories. The third category is " hurt and wounded sheep " which Bucer describes in the following details " those who remain in the church and the communion of Christ, but fall into open and notorious sins and abuses , such as abandoning their confession of Christ, denying the truth of Christ, and in other ways blaspheming against God, his holy word and all the things of God; disobedience and sin against superiors; any harm done to their neighbours' property, person or honour by word or by deed; all immorality and intemperance."  In other words, Christians w

The history of the first Christian decades is partly covered in the book of Acts. At the same time, the focus from Acts 13 onwards is on the Apostle Paul, and the book concludes with Paul's first imprisonment at Rome.  While there is much that remains unknown, we can piece together a rough chronology of the early years of the Christian church.  Tentatively, we may say that the Ascension occurred in the year 30 AD , and was followed by the Day of Pentecost and the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. The events in chapters 2 to 8 of the book of Acts must have taken place within 2-3 years if not less.  The persecution following the stoning of Stephen the Protomartyr (Acts 7) caused many to be dispersed near and far, and led to the spread of the gospel to new places. This was followed by the conversion of Paul on the Road to Damascus. Paul did not immediately go to find the other Apostles, doing so only three years later.  All this time, the Apostles were based at Jerusalem. John,