Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 77 (February 2015)

Sacred Treasure

• Show up: a fantastic campaign endorsed by scores of different outfits – to encourage Christian involvement with politics generally, and May’s General Election specifically.
• It isn’t a battle; it’s a pilgrimage: helpful wisdom for anyone, not just those struggling with porn issues
• Michael Wenham is someone with Lou Gehrig disease and so uniquely qualified to consider the Stephen Hawking movie, Theory of Everything.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 76 (January 2015)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have a fab 2015

watch this space because there are some big changes afoot for Quaerentia in the coming months…!!

Sacred Treasure

• AN Wilson on cracking form: it’s the Gospel truth – so take it or leave it
• Ministry through the dark night: very helpful consoling piece by someone (!?) about depression and despair in ministry
• Interesting piece in the Washington Post: Gay Christians choosing celibacy emerge from the shadows

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 75 (December 2014)

Hurrah! Q Treasure Maps have reached a 3/4 Century!

Sacred Treasure

• I know a number of the people involved in making this doc on Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God – made in Turkey for those from that part of the world. Looks great!
• The Pope draws in Tom Wright, Rick Warren, Michael Nazir-Ali and others to the discussion about family. Unprecedented?
• In particular, here is fmr UK Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks’ remarkable speech in full.
• Ros Clarke is an old friend who recently completed a PhD on the interpretation of the Song of Songs – she’s set up a great website to offer the fruit of all her labours more widely.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 74 (November 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• Emma Scrivener on form yet again her: lovely piece on the Both/Ands of the Christian life.
• She’s also got a great A-Z of Christianity – check it out!
• Nell Goddard writes beautifully and poignantly on When Christians cause the suffering
• The importance of plural leadership – yet another interesting thought from Chris Green

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 73 (October 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• C S Lewis on Friendship
• Are the Apocryphal Gospels true? Ian Paul picks up Simon Gathercole’s address at the recent British NT conference
• If you missed it, this is an extraordinary episode of BBC’s Panorama about the Christians working in North Korea for Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (30 minutes – definitely worth watching in full).

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 72 (September 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• Cranmer has been on form: 1. None dare call it evil, except Justin Welby; 2. I have forgiven Islamic militants
• Interesting stuff here from Tyndale House on Simon Gathercole’s work on the Gospel of Thomas
• “Your liberal and democratic principles are worth nothing here…” from the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul
• The stigma of being an atheist in the USA…

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 71 (August 2014)

Sorry this late – It’s been an absolutely CRAZY month (including finishing a job, moving house and going on a couple of week long meetings.) Soon, normal Q service will resume, I promise!

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, I SUPPOSE.

Sacred Treasure

• This is important: Paul Vallely’s much linked (rightly) article: Christians: the world’s most persecuted people
• Nice interview with my Langham US colleague, Ben Homan, on preaching globally
• Damian Thompson as provocative as ever – about that other agent provocateur, Richard Dawkins, and his new offensiveness to the Left.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 70 (July 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• We refuse to be enemies. This is an astonishing story from a family of Palestinian Christians living in Bethlehem.
• Dominic Lawson (son of former Chancellor Nigel, brother of celeb chef Nigella) writes wonderfully about his 19 year old daughter with Down’s Syndrome.
• Abp Justin Welby’s address at the National Prayer Breakfast, on 17th June – some great stuff
• Chris Green asks whether or not we should preach like TED talks

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 69 (June 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• God raises the dead – even for preachers like Chris!
• Why Emily Letts filmed her own abortion…
• The Twitter Disconnect: Why Christians are more loving in real life… some good stuff here
• A Nick Cave service??! Looks a lot of fun (H/T Maggi)

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 68 (May 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• This is good: John Piper gives 10 lessons from a hospital bed 
• I’m not busy… so says Ian Paul apparently
• Larry Hurtado deftly sorts out the whole Jesus Wife document farrago here and then a follow-up here

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 67 (April 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• Giles Fraser nails it on euthanasia
• Kevin de Young on celebrity pastors etc
• Andrew Brown writes an inspiring obituary of Margaret Spufford (mother of one of my literary heroes, Francis)

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 66 (March 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• Why Benedict Rogers, a Christian, opposes the very idea of a Christian political party
• So a mural artist in Montenegro considers Tito, Marx and Engels deserves to be depicted in hell… what do you think?
• Some good news from Cranmer: highlighting all the UCCF outreach efforts this term

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 65 (February 2014)

Sacred Treasure

• Mikhail Kalashnikov was apparently in ‘spiritual pain’ over his (in)famous invention
• Dave Criddle has some wisdom about engaging with the likes of Ricky Gervais on Twitter
• Andrew Brown is pretty good here, at least in what he affirms (if not in what he denies).

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 64 (January 2014)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sacred Treasure

• Justin Welby, the ABC, rather delightfully writes to his 14 year old self
• One Rolex Short of Contentment – striking piece by George Monbiot
• Chris Green is v wise as ever: where never to have a quiet day
• A story of God, Redemption and the late, great Steve McQueen

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 63 (December 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Katherine Welby was wonderfully open and honest about her depression and faith here
• LivingOut: This is a remarkable new resource for people living with unwanted same-sex attraction
• Don Carson gives 6 excellent reasons not to abandon expository preaching
• CS Lewis arrives in Poet’s Corner
• Prompted by recent death of Sir John Tavener, an Interesting piece from Charles Moore about how a brush with death draws people for religion.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 62 (November 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Really good article on Lord Kelvin (he of the temperature scale) and his integration of faith and science
• A Concise Theology of Voluntary, Principled Book Purging – a painful read for bibliophiles!
• Is Gravity the perfect film for our godless times – a great piece from Justine Toh of the Centre for Public Christianity

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 61 (October 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Striking infographic on American Megachurches and their relative generosity
• List of Bible infographics on the Guardian Online pages, of all places (the comments are pretty much what one might expect!)

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 60 (September 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Why a Rabbi went to Saddleback – very moving
• 10 things a vicar needs to hear often… hint hint….
• Cranmer is trenchant as ever: Christians may be bombed but Muslims can’t be gassed.

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 59 (August 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Some very helpful advice on how to approach reading intimidatingly old classics of theology and philosophy
• Are we exploiting church interns?
• Are sex offenders the modern lepers? The BBC reports on an extraordinary but vital ministry in an unusual Florida town
• The Six Types of Atheist from Andrew Brown

Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 58 (July 2013)

Sacred Treasure

• Thabiti Anyabwile has some wisdom to bear on the thorny issue of those who say ‘the church hurt’ them
• My good friend Ziya Meral wrote this over 5 years ago – but it needs frequent revisiting: Bearing the Silence of God.