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Powerful and violent persecutors of Christians have been around since before early followers of Jesus were called Christians. Saul of Tarsus aka Paul is perhaps the most famous early example. He positively breathed "threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord". The church remembers his dramatic change of heart and life on 25 January. This painting of the Conversion of Paul is by the Neapolitan 17th century painter Luca Giordano (1632 - 1705) . It is striking for many reasons. Paul, his companions and their horses are all shown as immensely powerful - just look at their muscles. The story from Acts 9: 1 - 20 tells how Paul was travelling from Jerusalem to Damascus on special commission with authority to arrest followers of the Jesus' Way and bring them bound to Jerusalem to be dealt with. As his group approached Damascus a light from heaven flashed around Paul and he fell to the ground. The painter has conveyed the drama of this sudden event with a stor...

Conversion of Paul by Caravaggio There's nothing new about the persecution of Christians. It began before the followers of Jesus were ever called Christians. They were people of "the Way" and seen as dangerous by political and religious authorities. In the earliest days of the Christian church, one of its most zealous persecutors was Saul of Tarsus, who positively breathed "threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord". He was given authority to arrest  Christians at Damascus and bring them bound to Jerusalem to be dealt with by the chief priests. Saul (Paul) had almost reached Damascus when he was stopped in his tracks and fell to the ground. Today 25 January the church celebrates what followed from that event. Today's holy day is The Conversion of Paul. Paul's conversion was dramatic. Luke has 3 accounts of this in Acts. The one read today is Acts  9: 1-22 . Almighty God, who caused the light of the gospel to shine throughout th...

This evening I’m looking forward to a meal out with friends, knowing the chief item on the menu will be Haggis. Tonight is Burns Night, which is celebrated even outside Scotland by some of us, in honour of the poet Robert Burns. If you want to learn 10 things you never knew about haggis click here. The Church of England festival today is ‘The Conversion of Paul’ when we remember his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus and what resulted from that. In the spirit of the worst preaching techniques of making clumsy connections between what’s making news and the Good News of the Gospel here are 3 contrived connections between Haggis/Burns Night and Conversion/St Paul: Burns called the haggis the chief of puddings. St Paul called himself the chief of sinners. Some people get drunk on whisky on Burns Night. St Paul advised “be filled with the Spirit”. Burns Night helps unite people with Scottish identity. St Paul called for “unity of mind and purpose” for those ...