The Longing
Stuff that didn't quite make it into The Briefing
Head to head in 1 Corinthians 11
Claire Smith / November 2003
1 Corinthians 11 is one of those passages that many of us set aside for a rainy day, when we will finally be able to sit down and try nutting it out. In this article, Claire Smith takes us carefully and systematically through the tricky world of 1 Corinthians 11. It's the perfect companion for that rainy day.
1. Introduction
If I'd said this time last year that head coverings and hats would be in the news almost every night I don't know you would've believed me. But think about it.
Since September 11 head coverings have become a familiar
Cringe time: the things that embarrass Christians
David Andrew / November 2003
Here is a fine little excerpt from a big selling book in the USA—it's a quote all about how waitresses in the fast food restaurant business see some of their customers:
The worst, for some reason, are the Visible Christians—like the ten-person table, all jolly and sanctified after Sunday night service, who run me mercilessly and then leave me $1 on a $92 bill. Or the guy with the crucifixion T-shirt (SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO) who complains that his baked potato is too hard and his iced tea too icy (I cheerfully fix both) and leaves no tip at
More on the meaning of ‘church’
Tony Payne / November 2003
In my essay in Briefing #302 (‘The gathering: thinking afresh about church’), there were a number of issues that I didn't have the space to address adequately. To stimulate further thought on these issues, here are some further cogitations about the meaning of ‘church’, and other related questions.
(These comments may not make much sense if you have not read the main article. It's available online.)
Does ‘church’ only ever mean ‘gathering’?
As I briefly outlined in a footnote to the essay, the basic meaning of the Greek word ekklesia,