Word on Wednesday with John Mason

Cell phones have given us an extraordinary capacity for connectivity. But does this actually lead to community? Created in the image of God, we are designed for meaningful relationships. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church develops God's expectations for this new community of people. Find out more in this podcast.

How can we weather the challenges of our divided and uncertain world? In Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 through 21, we are given a glimpse of Paul at prayer. 'I kneel before the Father', he begins, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.' Find out more in this week's podcast.

The 250th anniversary of American Independence brings to mind a key statement in the Declaration: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". This is a very Christian idea. We often forget that the opening chapter of the Bible describes humanity as being created in the image of God. Find out more in today's podcast.

Seven hundred years ago, Dante recognized that the human propensity to lie is our greatest flaw. Two thousand years ago, Paul the Apostle wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 of our flawed human nature. Find out more in this podcast.

AA Milne's Christopher Robin's prayer, "Little boy kneels at the foot of his bed ..." has touched the hearts of millions. The poem is a picture of childhood innocence, a mixture of God language and the distractions of inner thoughts. For adults it raises questions about prayer. Is it something we grow out of? If we do pray, what should we pray? Will we every grow out of the distractions in our pra...

Over the northern summer, the Word on Wednesday will offer a series of reflections on The Letter to the Ephesians. The letter plumbs the depths of biblical Christianity, opening up the riches of God that shape the mind and warm the heart. It was written to be read in churches in the region of ancient Asia Minor, modern Türkiye. Find out more in this podcast.

God is love. Yet how often is this glibly said - without giving thought to the implications? For God to love, he must have someone else to love throughout eternity. The Old Testament consistently says there is only one God. Yet there are constant reference to the Spirit of the Lord. In the New Testament the Gospel records speak of Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God. Find out more.

Over the last twenty years or so God's people have been increasingly put on the defensive about their faith. In a climate where people of faith are dismissed as intellectually inept, many are fearful of speaking up about what they believe. This podcast encourages us from Jesus's words in John chapter 20.

Why don't we pray more consistently than we do? And how often when we do pray, do we look to the model prayers we find in the Bible - and not least from the lips of Jesus? Dr J.I. Packer once commented, "I believe that prayer is the measure of God's people, spiritually, in a way that nothing else is, so that how we pray is as important a question as we can ever face". This podcast reflects on the...

The loss of someone deeply loved awakens a profound anguish and grief within us. Even some time after a loved one has gone from us, we can unexpectedly find ourselves tearing up. In the course of his last evening with his close followers, Jesus told them he was going away and that they could not come with him (John 14:3). He knew what his going away would mean for them and likened their state to o...

Glen Scrivener's book The Air We Breathe (2022), compellingly explores ways Christianity has shaped the moral values of the West. The book alerts us afresh to the question of God and, if he exists, what he is like. History suggests that the idea of God is embedded in every culture that has existed for longer than three generations. Find out more in this podcast.

Frederick Buechner, American pastor and theologian, in The Magnificent Defeat, commented: "We all want to be certain, we all want proof, but the kind of proof we tend to want - scientifically and philosophically demonstrable proof that would silence all doubts once and for all - would not in the long run, I think answer the fearful depths of our need at all ... It is not objective proof of God's e...

The decline of Christianity in the US - and in the West generally - recent decades seems to have slowed, if not leveled off. Indeed, there are signs it is slowly growing again, especially a amongst 18-24 year olds. How important it is that those of us who are professing Christians are praying for God's mercy and kindness towards all people. It's also important that we are assured in our own faith...

The decline of Christianity in the US - and in the West generally - in recent decades seems to have slowed, if not leveled off. Indeed there are signs it is slowly growing again, especially amongst 18-24 year olds. How important it is that those of us who are professing Christians are praying for God's mercy and kindness towards all people. It's also important that we are assured in our own faith...

In today's world, influential voices sometimes angrily dismiss Jesus's bodily resurrection. But when we consider the evidence, it becomes clear that his resurrection didn't occur because of some natural mechanism. It happened because the creator God chose to intervene. Find out more in this podcast.

Easter Day that we celebrate this Sunday, is a gala day as we remember Jesus's resurrection from the dead. His resurrection underscores the validity of the Christian faith. Without it, we are lost.

Easter Day that we celebrate this Sunday, is a gala day as we remember Jesus' resurrection from the dead. His resurrection underscores the validity of the Christian faith. Without it, we are lost.

Today, God is not so much dead as cancelled. He is not to be spoken about. If he does exist, there's nothing good to say about him: he is grim and uncaring. How different this is from what the Bible actually says about God. Consider the most well-known words in the Bible: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal li...

Aspects of Christianity can seem far-fetched to our 21st century minds. But before dismissing the supernatural events in the Bible, listen to this podcast which focuses on Jesus' Transfiguration.

At a time of economic challenges and inflation, it is easy to be consumed with anxiety about money and possessions. As Jesus' Sermon on the Mount moves on, he exhorts us to view life and the material world from a bigger perspective. Find out from this podcast what Jesus has to say about money and possessions.

Human relationships on the personal and international level must rate as the greatest challenge for the world's future. The season of Lent focuses on the themes of repentance and God's forgiveness, spiritual renewal and growth through Bible reading and prayer. Find out more in this podcast.

Many people reckon real freedom is the ability to do whatever you want without external restraints. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lays out the pattern for living for his people, opening up the real meaning of love for God in loving our neighbor. Find out from this podcast how Jesus frames freedom.

As Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, this podcast reflects on God's Word, focusing on Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 through 19. In the face of a troubled and conflicted world, Paul the Apostle exhorts us to stand firm in the faith, grounded in truth, living a life of integrity and trusting prayer, committed to promoting God's gospel.

Great leaders are remembered for their speeches as well as their accomplishments. This week we turn to the introduction of Jesus' memorable Sermon on the Mount which begins with his Beatitudes. We find the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 5 verses 1 through 12.

Loud voices today insist that there is no God, leaving us adrift on the ocean of life without an agreed moral compass. This podcast considers the implications of Jesus' timeless words to all his followers, "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world".