On Silence…
Photo by Nandor on Pexels.com At present I am recovering from a skin graft to my lower leg, and it has meant that my usual activity has been severely restricted. Apparently the lower leg has a poor blood supply and to prevent swelling and the risk of the graft being rejected I must spend most of the day lying down with my leg raised and doing nothing. While I understand some might view that as bliss – a medical invitation to do nothing but sleep and read – I have found it more than a little tedious. Though the day has been interrupted with the inevitable zoom meetings, these have been...
Read MoreThe Case for Martha…
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com My last post explored the Luke 10 account of Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha – and noted that the interchange on Mary’s decision to sit listening to the teaching of Jesus rather than to help Martha in the kitchen, left Mary with a choice. Would she accept Jesus’ verdict of her decision (Mary has chosen what is better), or Martha’s implied view (Mary is a lazy, impractical leech)? Whose voice we listen to is indeed important. Some lively discussion of the post followed – both on Facebook and in the comment section on WordPress – and an...
Read MoreMary’s choice…
Many people love the account of Jesus’ meal at the home of Mary and Martha. For those of a more contemplative disposition, it is the quick trump card justifying stepping away from the fast lane and spending time with Jesus. For those with a more activist bent, it’s a reminder to sometimes slow down and sit at the feet of Jesus. Here’s a quick rehash of these 5 verses at the end of Luke 10. Jesus and his disciples arrive at a village (likely Bethany) and Jesus is invited to the home of one of the locals, Martha by name. While Martha prepares a meal (and it is not entirely...
Read MoreWhat makes a life worth living? Four lenses to ponder…
Matthew Croasmun directs the Life Worth Living program at the Yale Centre for Faith and Culture, and in a recent podcast suggests there are four levels at which people live, and invites us to examine our life to ask if most of our living takes place at a level of significance. It struck me that the exercise is worth undertaking towards the start of the year, when we might be a little more open to self-reflection and change. While the stages are progressively more stretching, there are benefits and challenges at each. The underlying questions are “what is the shape of a flourishing life”, or...
Read MoreHow to listen when the preacher doesn’t have anything to say…
I always like to be fair, and as my last post was on how to preach when you don’t have anything to say, I thought it only proper to look at the other side of the coin – how to listen when the preacher doesn’t have anything to say. Now don’t misunderstand the motivation behind these posts. I am not anti-preaching, albeit I am not in the camp that believes the world might end if a church service doesn’t include a sermon. I think that preaching can accomplish an enormous amount of good and that the sermon remains the means through which the majority of Christian...
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