Martin Saunders

• The Cross in fashion: Appropriation or opportunity?

  The popularity of the Christian Cross in fashion is both perplexing and remarkable.

• Kingsman: The Golden Circle review – sin, but not very original

  If you gave a teenage boy at the peak of hormonal disruption a film crew and a $100 million budget, he'd make a Kingsman movie.

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  Four bad reasons to be kind to other people

  Why are you kind? Why do you serve and demonstrate love to other people? Of course, the 'right' answer – certainly if you're a Christian – is that as follower of Christ you simply want to replicate his example.

• 'Reaching the unreached' – and other phrases guaranteed to alienate your community

  A newly-refurbished church near where I live has just had new signage done, in an effort to engage and draw in passers-by.

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  Hollywood director hands out 'Lord's Prayer' cards before horror premiere

  It's said to be one of the strangest – and most theological – films of the year, and its director has underlined both of these elements with an unusual audience gift at early screenings.

• Seven gendered Bibles for manly men and girls who like flowers

  There, in the gleaming window of my local Christian book shop, the book – or rather the version of that book – that had been missing from my life for all these years.

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  If necessary use words...What did Francis of Assisi really say?

  The Christian gospel involves hearing as well as seeing; word as well as deed.

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  Lying for Jesus: why it matters that our preaching illustrations are actually true

  The rewriting, mixing up and complete invention of stories to fit our purposes might feel like a necessary evil in the fight to inspire and encourage our listeners, but as communicators we have to call this what it really is: lying.

• Church signs and wonders: a spotter's guide to a great American tradition

  Church signs are a familiar landmark in towns right across the country, and while for the most part they're just intended to display the service times and pastor's name, a maverick contingent of witty church staff often subvert them to impressive effect.

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  How to talk to children about colour

  Obama's tweet struck such a chord because it helps to illuminate a question that is being asked across America and around the globe right now: how is racism formed?

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  The Dark Tower review: a Christian actor incarnates the devil

  The Dark Tower certainly isn't as terrible as some are suggesting, and as an action-packed sci-fi / fantasy / western / quest movie, I found it entertaining throughout; a bit like a more grown-up version of cults 80s kids movie The Never-ending Story.

• The best Christian movie you've never seen: Meet The Pretender

  Thank the Good Lord for Amazon Prime. Without it, we'd have no access to the swathes of terrible, obscure and until-recently-deleted-from-sale movies and TV shows that have found a new home in its back catalogue.