Heaven is important but it's not the end of the world

My copy of Tom Wright's new book, "Surprised by Hope" has arrived and gone to the top of "waiting-to-be-read" pile. This has encouraged me to revisit some of NTW's other work in "Simply Christian" and elsewhere. Wright challenges the contemporary gnosticism that the world is inherently evil and the task of Christians is to escape the world and take as many people with us as possible.

Listening to NTW speaking about "Simply Christian" I am reminded that Jesus' Kingdom project was about the the kingdom coming "on earth as it is heaven", that in the person of Jesus heaven and earth overlap."

NTW's assertion that "Jesus is Lord and therefore Caesar isn't" challenges all competing world views.

These are themes I have looked at before but I find that now I spend a lot of time preaching on the Kingdom that I need to return to them, and as I reflect on other aspects of our ministry here in Failsworth, God is teaching me new things about His purposes.