Prayer

Graham, Mike and Jane discuss prayer with Pete Greig, a founder member of the 24-7 Prayer movement and Director of Prayer at HTB. Covering the history of the movement, they look at the growth of new monasticism and the uniting of prayer with social justice. And what are we to do with unanswered prayer? [Recorded 22 January 2009]

Why didn’t Jesus write his own Gospel? Chris Tilling joins Graham, Mike, and Jane again to discuss the legacy of Jesus in the writing of the New Testament, the sending of the Holy Spirit, and the institution of the sacraments. And can God answer the prayers of people who wouldn’t consider themselves Christians, or who follow other faiths? How might we think about the intercession of saints?

HTB leaders past and present gather together during the church’s unusually sunny annual week away to answer questions from the congregation.  Graham is joined by current vicar Nicky Gumbel and associate vicar Archie Coates, as well as worship leader Tim Hughes and former vicar of HTB, Sandy Miller, with questions deftly fielded by Andy Emerton.  What is the relationship between the church and the Kingdom of God, and do Christians have a monopoly on living out the Kingdom? How should the church work with secular organisations?

Graham, Mike and Jane offer us an insight into their own spiritual walks, chatting about how they themselves approach prayer.

Does God get what he wants all the time? How do his will and our freedom fit into the course of history, and how does prayer affect situations? Graham, Mike and Jane also look at the authority of the church as an institution and the canonicity of scripture.

Joanna Collicut-McGrath, psychologist and theologian, joins Graham and Mike to talk about her response to the work of atheist writer Richard Dawkins. Her book, The Dawkins Delusion?, was co-written with her husband Alister McGrath, and was published following the appearance of Dawkins’ bestselling book The God Delusion. In this GodPod, Joanna also addresses the question of generational sin and the role of prayer ministry.

How might we live as Christians with loved ones in our families who don’t share our faith? Graham, Mike, and Jane are joined again by Rod Green in thinking about individual salvation and the salvation of households. What is the place of evangelism and prayer in the family? And what does it mean for our identity and self-esteem to know that we are made in the image of God? 

Why did God create the world? And why has God allowed Satan to exist? Jon March, a curate at HTB, joins Mike and Jane to debate the origin of the world and of evil… and to discuss the important question of whether or not it’s legitimate to pray for your football team to win.

Our three theologians grapple with the doctrine of the Trinity and its relation to the cross. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus cries out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). What does this cry of dereliction tell us about the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Can God suffer? Can he change? Is God’s action sometimes ‘hidden’, as Pascal suggested? Graham, Mike, and Jane go on to consider the relationship between prayer and time and the nature of human participation in the work of God.