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SOS

• SOS - Chapter 01 - by way of introduction (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Introduction to the book Stumbling Over Scripture setting the scene for this journey of faith

• SOS - Chapter 02. What is Truth?... (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -The first stage of the SOS journey - an exploration of what we mean when we call the Bible true

• SOS - Chapter 03. Discovering the mystics (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -An evangelical's surprise discovery of a spiritual resource from a contrary tradition

• SOS - Chapter 05. Inspiration from The Guardian (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Under the title - Untruths that aid the mighty's rule over the humble - an article in The Guardian newspaper provided the challenge that inspired this chapter

• SOS - Chapter 06. Confessions of a Reformed BIBLiophile (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Another stage on the SOS journey - recognising that fundamentalism can become a form of idolatry.

• SOS - Chapter 07. Blame God or Blame the Bible? (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -An article by George Tarleton throws down the challenge of how we deal with stories in the Bible that imply that God is not good.

• SOS - Chapter 08. Comments on George Tarleton's Insights (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Examining conflicting arguments within the Christian tradition attempting to reconcile a merciful God with biblical suggestions that he is capricious and vengeful.

• SOS - Chapter 09. A Giant Leap of Doubt (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -The journey of faith reaches a critical stage. Could the Bible actually be wrong, but still inspire faith?

• SOS - Chapter 10. Growing Up (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -A poem facing the challenge of the Bible's implication that God is not good.

• SOS - Chapter 11. Transatlantic Rescue (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -A significant books crosses the Atlantic to inspire the next Chapter.

• SOS - Chapter 12. Thoughts on Spong (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Review of Bishop Spong's book - Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism.

• SOS - Chapter 13. From the Cutting Room Floor (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -SOS takes shape as a series of articles, written over several years, is drawn together to illustrate the process of a developing faith.

• SOS - Chapter 14. Stumbling Over Scripture (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Fundamentalism sets up a stumbling block for true faith, but it is OK to have doubts about the Bible. We can ignore dire warnings from those who want us to accept every word literally or not use Scripture at all.

• SOS - Chapter 15. How should we use the Bible? (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -The Bible loses its usefulness when legalists turn bible-reading into a duty.

• SOS - Chapter 16. Monumental Change (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -A pleasant walk in the Cotswolds provides the inspiration for the final chapter of SOS.

• SOS - Chapter 04. Mystic risks (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Evangelicals tend to fight shy of the mystics, sadly neglecting a valuable spiritual resource. There are reasons to be careful, but avoidance is not care

• SOS - Chapter 18. Related books (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -Stumbling Over Scripture brings together articles reflecting the author's changing views over a 15 year period, but these changes were not made in a vacuum. The books illustrated here helped to shape SOS and will be useful for further reading.

• SOS - Chapter 17. Letter to Tyndale (Spiritual/ Bible/SOS)

  • -William Tyndale was a brave scholar whose 16th Century Bible translation left a permanent mark on biblical scholarship and the English language. Despite holding some different views I admire him greatly. This letter is my tribute to him - even if 450 years late!

Church

• Bethany the musical (Spiritual/Church )

  • -Brief informtaion about Bethany (the new musical) and link to the Bethany website

• GOD-IN-A-BOX (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Religious people keep trying to confine God to special places and to keep his people back at a 'safe' distance, protected by complicated rules, professional leaders and arcane traditions... but he always breaks out!

• Churching in a green age (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Churches waste effort trying to do what the Holy Spirit can do without our help. He planted the seed of spiritual life in us and he can maintain it. This plea for 'green' Christianity was first published in "Insights" magazine.

• What is the Local Church? (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Church is a simple concept and a living, loving experience, if only we strip away the complexities that tradition has heaped on it. This brief article strips it bare and reveals its simple vigour.

• Live a miracle (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Christians can bemoan the divided state of the church - or they can do something about it. Practical suggestions for ordinary believers to promote unity.

• The Nebulous Church (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Church without institution... How Christians can relate together unencumbered by denomination.

• Life after meetings (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Meetings are the cornerstone of the organised church, but they do not define the Christian life. Maurice Smith urges believers to reconsider their dependence on meetings and to ensure that their 'light' is internal.

• What would a united church look like? (Spiritual/Church)

  • -History shows no example of a united church so how do we know what unity might look like? This article addresses issues that promote division and suggests ways we can create unity.

• Vigo Visions (Spiritual/Church)

  • -Vigo Village was once the author's family home. While he lived there he shared in the experience of creating a church where none existed already. Almost 25 years after leaving the village he was asked to write this retrospective article for the local newsletter, "Culverstone Village News"

• Oasis within (Spiritual/Church)

  • -The author of this article was was separated from traditional Christian fellowship for a prolonged period and thrown back on the inner resources of the Spirit. We are re-publishing it because it still has relevance for today. This article was first published in "Insights" in 1990.

Experience

• Dreams with meaning (Spiritual/Experience)

  • -Most Christians believe in the value of dreams - but only in theory. My experience went beyond theory - and it all began in a home meeting at a little church in Kent

  Guilt

  • Guilt Complex 3 - Virtual Reality (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 4 - False standards (The case of the garden broom!) (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 5 - The psychological function of guilt (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 6 - Learning to experience grace (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 7 - The emotion of guilt (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 8 - Being care-free (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 9 - Trying too hard (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 10 - Acknowledgments (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

  • Guilt Complex 2 - Wresting from religion (Spiritual)

    • -A collection of essays and correspondence discussing the problem of feelings of guilt generated by religion, and particularly Christianity. Helpful observations on the working of grace.

Faith

• Clear Ahead (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -Don't be misled into simplistic formulae for the spiritual life. Grace is free, but that doesn't mean we sign up for an easy life when we commit to faith

• Danger of Truth (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -This reply was sent to a Pakistani army officer who holds Islamic fundamentalist sympathies and wrote expressing a concern for truth, especially as stated in the Quran.

• Death - a reason to fear? (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -Death may seem a dangerous subject to write about, but why be frightened about an inevitable pert of life, that is covered by so many divine promises.

• Evangelical Blood (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -This piece was written in response to a lady from Scotland, who asked, "Isn't it out-of-date and 'yucky' for Christians to use expressions like 'washed in the blood'?"

• What comfort Job? (Spiritual/ Faith)

  • -God trades bets with Satan over the resilience of Job's faith under pressure. What comfort can there be in this ancient attempt to answer one of religion's greatest questions? This revised edition retains the Question Mark cartoons used in the original booklet edition of this article (published 1991).

• Truth and Love (Spiritual/ Faith)

  • -Two poems born out of faith - with few words but a lot of thought.

• Blessed Are the Meek by Wild Rose (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -How can the meek inherit the earth? Does flabby weakness deserve such a reward? Wild Rose delves into the dictionary and 20th Century history to find the strength of meekness.

• Hell or victory? (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -A teacher wanted to comfort a boy whose father had been killed, but what comfort is there in a faith which teaches that the boy's father might be in hell? This article was written by request.

• The divine sculptor - a poem by Derrick Phillips (Spiritual/faith)

  • -The expert sculptor knows his material intimately and forms it out of that knowledge. But who, in this poem, is the Sculptor? And who is the stone?

• Maths and Prayer (Spiritual/faith) a poem by Derrick Phillips

  • -Do you find prayer difficult? Perhaps you're trying too hard. This poem looks at the problem and brings it down to earth.

• When you don't have the energy to seek God (Spiritual/Faith)

  • -This letter was written to a Christian lady who wrote from the USA asking what to do when spiritual life seems weak and nothing seems to be worth the effort.

  Glimpses

  • TRUTH . . . IS EXPERIENTIAL (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -A glimpse at a deeper meaning of truth as the mists clear around the summit of Mount Everest.

  • Glimpses of Truth - Contents (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Contents page for Maurice Smith's book, 'Glimpses of Truth'

  • TRUTH . . . IS ALL AROUND US (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Truth is all around us; in the good, the bad and the boring. Grey is not uniform and, when we appreciate its different shades, we will find the whole world stimilating.

  • TRUTH . . . SETS FREE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -When we chase the wrong truth about ourselves the lie is a prison; but when we truly find ourselves...

  • TRUTH . . . LIGHTS UP (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Truth is really not a matter of information but of revelation.

  • TRUTH . . . HAS A RING TO IT (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -To recognise truth we often need to attend to subtle signals; it is not always found in the apparently obvious external evidence.

  • TRUTH . . . BRINGS PATIENCE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -An incident with a car illustrates that being "in the right" is not as valuble as being attentive to the inner voice of the Spirit.

  • TRUTH . . . IS INTUITIVE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Truth is not a logical conclusion or a majority decision; truth is a torch that lights the way. When a person really sees the truth he can't help run with it.

  • TRUTH . . . IS A MYSTERY (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -However real our initial encounter with truth, we need an on-going sense of exploration for the thrill of living to be constant

  • TRUTH . . . IS SOMETIMES HIDDEN (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Truth is not to be found lying carelessly around on the surface of a holy book or in a religious building; it is the unveiling of the heart of a 'God who hides himself'

  • TRUTH . . . IS ESTABLISHED IN ADVERSITY (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Adversity can change our perspective by giving us no alternative but to focus on the present moment

  • TRUTH . . . IS PROGRESSIVE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -There is a Heart and an Intelligence behind all things. This all-pervading Spirit has been around from the beginning and is allowing everything to work out for eventual good

  • TRUTH . . . IS PERSONIFIED (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -We do not need to encounter highly charismatic personalities with grand ideologies '. What makes all the difference to our lives is an encounter with the presence of God.

  • Glimpses of Truth - Preface (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Truth is not a fact, but an experience, a personal expression, a life. Maurice Smith expresses his truth through intimate stories forged in a lifetime of public preaching and personal struggles.

  • TRUTH . . . IS NOT BLACK AND WHITE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -I made a decision to be happy or content in all circumstances. Not to make myself happy by putting on a permanent smile and doing happiness. Just a decision to be and to wait for the results to appear.

  • TRUTH . . . CAN BE PAINFUL (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Like many people, I have experienced a lot of pain; but I become increasingly sure that somehow it is all inter-mingling for good in the long run

  • TRUTH . . . ENDS SEPARATION (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -The Creator and the creation are wrapped up in one bundle of life. He is not merely transcendent, sitting far above our suffering, but is feeling it all now. He is not only living in us, but as us.

  • TRUTH . . . IS INCLUSIVE (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -God has no identity crisis. Jesus Christ, the one who made all my house lights come on, taught me how to draw a big circle and be inclusive

  • FURTHER READING (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Books the influenced the writing of "Glimpses of Truth".

  • TRUTH . . . HAS NO FAVOURITES (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -There are storms in life. But if we are weak enough to live in dependence upon the Higher Power we shall find we are strong enough to survive happily one day at a time.

  • TRUTH . . . AN AFTERTHOUGHT (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -The Truth, or reality, is right where we are on earth. Jesus said, 'I am the Truth'. Thankfully I am consciously in him, he is in me.

  • TRUTH . . . IN A POEM BY A FRIEND (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -The deepest beliefs are always the most elusive.

  • TRUTH . . . AND THE IMAGINATION (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -A strong imagination is a wonderful gift, but one not possessed by all. Those who lack in this area seem to miss much of the excitement of life yet are likely to be compensated by a much smoother ride.

  • AFTERWARD (Spiritual/Faith/Glimpses of Truth)

    • -Alan Halden adds a final comment about "Glipses of Truth" and its author.

God

• Calling God by a New Name (Spiritual/God)

  • -Childhood experiences and negative associations sometimes spoil the very best in life. LM solved the problem by changing God's name.

• Could Christ have been a woman? (Spiritual/ God) Introduction

  • -This article, from the award-winning magazine, What is Enlightenment? introduces a 2 part interview on a theme that is still controversial, despite the many advances made on gender issues since the beginning of the twentieth century.

• Could Christ Have Been a Woman? (Spiritual/God ) Part 1 Page 1

  • -The first of a two-part interview about femaleness in the divinity - a theme that is still controversial, despite the many advances made by women since the beginning of the twentieth century.

• Fanciful reflections on God and a butterfly (Spiritual/God )

  • -God is like a butterfly? Not much of a creed, perhaps... This reflective article borrows ideas from chaos theory to speculate on what God is like.

• Splendid Rebellion - poem by Phil Streeter (Spiritual/God)

  • -A robust conversation with God in the form of a poem .

• Could Christ Have Been a Woman? (Spiritual/God ) Part 2 Page 1

  • -This article, from the award-winning magazine, What is Enlightenment? is the 2nd part of an interview about maleness and femaleness in divinity. In this concluding section the discussion ranges widely enough to cover homo- and bi-sexuality.

Leadership

• Chiefs and Indians (Spiritual/Leadership)

  • -A delightful fable which illustrates how leadership can feed on itself and lose touch with the people it is meant to serve.

• Look before you lead (Spiritual/ Leadership)

  • -A look at varying models of Christian leadership - a function which can benefit to the church but can also be dangerous.

Meditation

• Meditation Is a Metaphor for Enlightenment (Spiritual/Meditation)

  • -A chapter from Andrew Cohen's latest release, Embracing Heaven & Earth, showing how the transformation and self-discovery of Enlightenment is mirrored in the stillness of Meditation.

Mystics

• Christian Mysticism (Spiritual/Mystics)

  • -Response to a correspondent who asked the author to comment on the entry in Microsoft's Encarta encyclopaedia covering Christian Mysticism.

• Revelations of Divine love (Spiritual/Mystics)

  • -Julian of Norwich was England's earliest published female author and a leading mystic of the mediaeval age. Her popular book - Revelations of Divine Love - provides a powerful message of comfort that still reads well in the 21st century

• Mystic Risks (Spiritual/Mystics)

  • -Christianity, which is based on miraculous and prophetic origins, has often acted warily towards prophets and mystics. Charismatics, prophets and mystics can be loose cannons, it's true, but the risks are worth taking.

• Mystics for pleasure (Spiritual/Mystics)

  • -A fundamentalist Protestant Evangelical opens his eyes to the wisdom of earlier times and different traditions and discovers the Mystics.

• The Cloud of Unknowing (Spiritual/Mystics)

  • -The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymous classic and one of the most ancient texts in the English language. But it has a lot to help modern seekers after spiritual peace and contemplation.

Reviews

• Born of a Woman? Oh Wow! (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -Few doctrines arouse more heated debate than the 'virgin birth' and this book takes the subject head on. But is it so shocking that evangelicals can't even consider the arguments?

• Suffering with joy (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -George Fox was one of God's great adventurers. His autobiography is a compelling account of the birth of the Quaker movement during the tumultuous times of the English Civil War and the Restoration.

• Grace to melt your heart (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -Reviewing a short book about the huge and consoling subject of Grace and how it works in practical experience.

• A mother's view of God's love (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -Julian of Norwich was England's earliest published female author and a leading mystic of the mediaeval age. Her popular book - Revelations of Divine Love - provides a powerful message of comfort that still reads well in the 21st century

• Reasonable faith (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -Faith and science are not in opposition, as some allege, and faith stands up well to reasonable analysis.

• The other side of Shadowlands (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -The story of C S Lewis and Joy Davidman has been popularised in film and on stage, but the book of Shadowlands conveys greater depths. (Book Review)

• Unknowing and forgetting (Spiritual/Book Reviews)

  • -The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymous classic and one of the most ancient texts in the English language. But it has a lot to help modern seekers after spiritual peace and contemplation.

Spirituality

• The Enemy Within - Introduction (Spiritual/Spirituality)

  • -An introduction to Archimandrite Dionysios, Orthodox elder from Mount Athos and a modern mystic. This article is an introduction to an interview with Father Dionysios by Craig Hamilton

• The Enemy Within (1) (Spiritual/Spirituality)

  • -Part 1 of the interview with Archimandrite Dionysios

• The Enemy Within (2) (Spiritual/Spirituality)

  • -Part 2 of the interview with Archimandrite Dionysios

• The Prayer of St Francis and Commentary by Janaka Stagnaro (Spiritual/Sprituality)

  • -Great prayers, like any work of literature, only last if they hold depths that can be mined for fresh insights in each new age. St Francis' prayer is of that quality. Janaka Stagaro's commentary reopens this familiar prayer for the 21st century.

• Telling the Future Through the Past by Wild Rose (Spiritual/Spirituality)

  • -"Keep a journal - That's easy advice to give, but what use is it? And why would I want to waste future time reading about my boring present? Wild Rose offers advice to make journaling a help, rather than a burden.

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