Series Introduction
What is authentic Christianity?
Earlier this year, I preached on Maundy Thursday about servanthood—how Jesus, knowing His death was just hours away, chose to wash feet and break bread. He could’ve called a final meeting, held a rally, or summoned angels. Instead, He knelt down, took dusty feet into His hands, and said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
That moment—deeply humble, painfully human, and yet full of divine power—has stayed with me ever since. And lately, it’s brought other questions to the surface too.
What does it mean to follow Jesus in the same way? What does Church look like when Christ is truly at the centre—not a system, not a brand, not a programme, but Christ?
This series—“Returning to the Table: A Call to Authentic Christianity”—is my attempt to explore those questions. Not to attack the Church, but to tell the truth. To share what I’ve seen, what I’ve wrestled with, and what I now hope for.
Some of these reflections began with hard truths I explored in an earlier article on the exploitation of Christianity. This series builds on that with a vision for what’s possible.
Christ-centred faith
In each article, I’ll reflect on a different part of that journey: the bloated bureaucracy of some church structures; the way doctrine can become either a weapon or a lifeline; the loss of mystery in our worship; the dangers and the promise of independent leadership; the deep hunger I’ve encountered for something simpler, truer, and more rooted in Christ.
I’m not interested in nostalgia or idealism. The early Church wasn’t perfect. But it was alive. It shared meals and resources. It worshipped with awe. It was visibly different from the world around it. And above all, it kept Jesus at the centre.
What I long for—and what I believe many others are longing for—is a return to that kind of faith. Not a step backward, but a deeper step inward.
So if you’re tired of church politics, or weary of religious performance… if you still believe in Christ but wonder where His voice has gone amid all the noise… if you’re looking for something deeper than trend and branding…
Pull up a chair.
Let’s return to the table.
Episode 1 begins with a return to the earliest Christian communities—those who gathered simply, shared what they had, and placed Christ, not systems, at the centre.
Episode 1 will be available here, from Friday, 16 May 2025!
You may want to read this article on the early Church, as background – On shared Eucharistic life in Acts