An Irish personal evangelistic site. I'm not representing a particular church, but it's broadly evangelical in tone. My aim is to cover topics I've encountered in discussions I've had over the years, mainly here in Ireland..
As I keep stating, most of my vivid memories of being introduced to new hymns and songs come from the early 1980s. In Baptist churches, we liked the older hymns, but some of the newer ones did drift in from time to time. I was introduced to three of them in the summer of 1987, … Continue reading Hymns: 1987 Memories
So many hymns touch on the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, but few are wholly focused on it. The resurrection is at the very core of the Christian faith. It comes at the end of the gospels, but the book of Acts, and what follows, touches on it again and again. Somone once asked … Continue reading Hymn Themes: Resurrection
All hymns point to God, and thinking about God is always going to bring some element of joy, but here I’m thinking particularly of songs with joyful melodies, sometimes associated with Jewish folk music. Way back in the 1970s, Stuart Dauermann wrote Trees of the Field (You Shall Go Out with Joy) for the Liberated … Continue reading Hymn Themes: Joyful Melodies
In September 1983, I returned to Ireland (from London) and settled back into Cork Baptist Church. I started teacher training in Limerick, but I returned home to Cork every weekend. In London, I had met Christians from all sorts of backgrounds, visited various types of churches, and engaged in all sorts of theological debates. Some … Continue reading Hymns: 1984 Memories
Some of my favourite hymns are on the theme of majesty. In common language we use the word for royals or in sarcastic comments – Here’s your crown your majesty or Here you go your majesty (Simpsons)😀. But when used for God, it’s altogether different. The word “majesty,” when used in relation to God, conveys … Continue reading Hymn Themes: Majesty
Welcome to Hibernia Gospel! Why Hibernia? Well, I just wanted to think up a domain name that no one else had used – and quickly 😀. Hibernia is the Latin name for Ireland (I am Irish), which was used by Roman historian Tacitus back in 98 AD. Incidentally, Tacitus also gives us one of the … Continue reading Introduction
I left for London in September 1982 to spend a year as a voluntary evangelist (VE) with London City Mission. In today’s terms, it could be described as a gap year program. Most were approaching their 20s or in their 20s. The 23 or so other VEs came from all parts of the UK. I … Continue reading Hymns: 1983 Memories
There are many different religions and philosophies in the world. Jesus never pointed people to any of them. He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 Whatever your background, it’s at least worth a look. And, if Jesus is correct in … Continue reading Gospel in a Nutshell
Sometimes, when someone from an Irish evangelical church talks of when they became a Christian, people are puzzled. Isn’t everyone in Ireland a Christian by default? Such a question doesn’t make much sense in modern Ireland. Firstly, there is much more religious diversity than there was when I was asked that question frequently 45 years … Continue reading Isn’t Everyone a Christian?
I make much mention of my background and experiences at various points in this blog, so I thought it might be useful to present a brief outline of the years coming up to my conversion. As I mention elsewhere, I grew up a Roman Catholic in Cork, Ireland. I don’t remember a lot before my … Continue reading Conversion Chronology
Hibernia Gospel 