iChaplain

Few Bible stories are as familiar as the account of Martha and Mary in Luke 10. It is often presented as a contrast between activity and contemplation, with Martha representing the busy Christian and Mary representing the devoted disciple who sits at Jesus' feet. The lesson is usually framed as a warning against busyness and a reminder to slow down and spend time with Jesus. While there is certainly truth in that application, I wonder whether we sometimes miss the deeper issue altogether. When Jesus arrived at Martha's home, she immediately began serving Him. She prepared, hosted and attended to the needs of her guest. Given the importance of hospitality in Jewish culture, it is difficult to see her actions as anything other than an attempt to honour Jesus. The text never suggests that serving Him was wrong. In fact, it was good. The turning point in the story comes when Martha notices that Mary is not helping. While Martha is busy serving, Mary is sitting and listening to J...

Have you ever wondered if God is trying to tell you something? Many people imagine that God’s voice belonged mainly to biblical times through prophets, burning bushes, dramatic moments. But Scripture paints a different picture: God has always been a communicating God, and He has never stopped. The challenge is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are listening. From the very beginning, God revealed Himself through communication. In Genesis, God spoke creation into existence. Throughout the Old Testament, He spoke to Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets. In the New Testament, He continued to communicate through angels, visions, dreams, and ultimately through Jesus Himself. Mary heard God’s invitation through the angel Gabriel. Paul encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Most importantly, God communicated His heart to humanity through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1–2 reminds us: “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ...

Have you ever discovered that something you've believed for years isn't actually true? Not because someone lied to you. Not because you weren't paying attention. Simply because you'd heard it repeated so many times that you assumed it must be true.  That happens with Jesus more than we might realise. Over the years, we've attached all sorts of sayings to Him that sound spiritual, inspirational, and even biblical. Phrases like  "Follow your heart,"  "Believe in yourself,"  "Be true to yourself," "Everything happens for a reason,"  "God helps those who help themselves,"  "Money is the root of all evil," have become part of our cultural vocabulary. Many people assume they came from Jesus or at least from the Bible. The problem is that Jesus never said any of them.  In fact, one of them isn't even an accurate Bible quotation. The Bible doesn't say, "Money is the root of all evil." It says, ...

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” — John 14:27 In a world that rarely slows down, where anxiety lingers and uncertainty feels constant, the promise of peace can feel distant. Yet in John 14:27, Jesus offers something profoundly different: not just peace, but his peace. This is not a fleeting feeling. It is a gift, deep, steady, and enduring. An Inspiration from Pentecost Recently, I attended a Pentecost celebration at Durham Cathedral, where people came together to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and God’s work in the world today. The speaker was Sam Ward from The Message Trust, and part of his message centred on the peace of Christ, which is something that stayed with me. This blog post is, in part, a reflection inspired by that message. When Peace Becomes Personal A few years ago, I went through a particularly difficult time. My dad was battling cancer. He had undergon...