Articles by Br. Jacob Theunisz, BTh, BSc, licensed minister Church of England.Views and opinions expressed are purely my own.
At times, Jesus was really fed up with the Pharisees. When their arguments fail, they look for a sign. And then not like the poor and suffering, who seek healing or forgiveness or hope, but for a sign of power and authority, because otherwise they don't think Jesus is worthwhile. Jesus knows that such a [...]
In religious contexts, the word “ministry” nearly always refers to the work of the clergy, i.e. of the paid professionals who lead our churches and have been ordained. They can go by the title of priest, chaplain, vicar, pastor, reverend or minister. In the Anglican church there are also so called Lay Ministers, but this [...]
Introduction: The way we read a Bible text is often determined by how we have always read and explained it. Occasionally we discover new dimensions. Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit plays an important role in such insights. We can also encourage this process by asking questions. These two approaches (the intuitive and the rational) do not [...]
On the 13th of April 2021 I was privileged to be interviewed by two spiritual directors in the USA on the subject of clergy and laity. Chris and Maggie are fellow-lay-ministers who regularly produce podcasts. Much recommended. How important it is to have a good understanding of the Greek words related to priesthood, is [...]
This is part 1 of a series of 3 articles about our mental, emotional and spiritual reactions to corona. I intend to show that fear, rituals and the sacrifices we are willing to make are strongly related. First of all: Fear. An old Dutch saying goes that fear is a bad counselor. But this does not [...]
A very good day to you. My name is Jacob Theunisz. I wrote this article (with video) to share with you my passion about equality in all areas of life. The Bible teaches us that we were all created in God’s image and that God loves each one of us without any [...]
Yesterday a Facebook friend of mine shared his letter to the editor, as published in a national newspaper. I quote, “From the beginning of the corona crisis I miss our [physical] church services. I have kept hanging on to the image – call it a vision – of an entire congregation returning to church after [...]
Years of celebration and reflection Western Christian tradition The following table contains various Christian "High Days and Holy Days". They form an annual cycle, the so called liturgical year. It always starts with Advent, the expectation of the coming of Christ. Not all festive days are necessarily kept by each local Church. The order of [...]
The letter to the Hebrews is essential for our understanding of the concept of priesthood in the New Testament, as it focusses on the priesthood of Christ himself and the accompanying changes under the new covenant. The first three chapters provide a necessary introduction, explaining that Jesus, although fully human, is higher than the prophets, [...]
On the 7th of September 2018, following a meeting with the Chief Rabbi, several media reported on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s appeal to the Church of England to formally adopt “the full IHRA definition” of antisemitism. Within 4 days the bishops of the Church of England rallied behind him. By praising the Labour MP’s who [...]
