Neil Rees's Blog: eatingwithsinners

The inclu­sion of Gen­tiles in the early church forced a theo­log­i­cal re­think that was an up­hill strug­gle. The way it was ad­dres­sed, with no clear teach­ing from Jesus, offers us an example for the in­clu­sion of LGBTQIA people today.

(This article was a 2024 CBE Writing Contest grand prize winner and first appeared in CBE International’s blog, Mutuality, on 04/03/2025. For translations in a multitude of other languages, please see the original available at cbeinternational.org/resource/mutuali....) I still remember —albeit somewhat vaguely— being woken up by my father in the early morning hours of July... Continue Reading →

The first person to speak always seems right until someone comes and asks the right questions. (Proverbs 18:17, ERV) We all have opinions. And thoughts. And convictions.  All of which guide us in our choices. Our decisions. Our actions. We boldly proclaim the inviolability of human free will — even if unable to explain quite... Continue Reading →

Sometimes you run across something that just stops you in your tracks and makes you take a second look, that prompts a “I can’t have read that right, surely it doesn’t mean what it seems to be saying?” sort of reaction. Earlier this month, that’s where I found myself when stumbling upon an image on... Continue Reading →

The content explores the historical rejection of women's testimony in Jewish tradition, tracing interpretations of biblical texts that support this exclusion. It highlights the debate over scripture's meanings, cultural biases, and the impact of patriarchal norms on religious practices. Emphasis is placed on the need for critical examination of these interpretations in contemporary contexts.

In Zafra, a joint event marked the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, highlighting unity in shared faith experiences in Jesus. Neil's message emphasized humility, respect, and passion as essential attitudes for fostering ecumenical relationships. True Christian unity stems from personal encounters with Christ, transcending doctrinal differences and promoting love among believers.

Pride elicits strong emotions, on both sides. There are those who go all out to celebrate their queer identity and the positive gains attained by and for LGBTQIA+ people. And then there are others who have nothing but negative comments to make, and would ban the whole thing if they could. For some Christians, the... Continue Reading →

Holy Week in Seville has got off to a rainy start today, Palm Sunday. But the presentation of its controversial poster, work of the Sevillian artist Salustiano García, was much more of a storm. Salustiano’s hyper realistic Renaissance style painting, chosen by the cofradías — the confraternities that are custodians of the figures and in … Continue reading Art, Jesus, and Holy Week in Seville

The article discusses the need for churches to address historic prejudice and imbalance against women in leadership and teaching roles. It emphasizes the importance of encouraging, training, and mentoring women, setting explicit goals, and providing suitable role models. It also highlights the need to support mothers in church leadership and ministry without neglecting their caregiving responsibilities.

By the time Jesus walked the dusty trails of Judaea, centuries of mistrust and mutual accusation had created palpable enmity between “true” Jews and Samaritans. So, when making the journey between Galilee and Judea, respectable Jews would choose the hotter, longer desert route that ran to the east of the Jordan river rather than the … Continue reading “Talking with a woman…”