Journaling: A 4 H approach…
Most of us want to grow spiritually, but aren’t always sure how. One path many find helpful is journaling. I have been using it to varying degrees for over 30 years. My journals have become trusted friends, reminding me of insights I have gleaned, things I have been challenged about, and ways in which God has broken through to me when things seemed bleak. You probably agree that journalling about your journey with God is worth doing, but might be feeling, ‘great idea, but in practice how do I go about doing this?’ First the basics. To journal, you need a journal (how profound). For some this...
Read MoreAbout teaching and learning…
Perhaps you wonder why you are reading this post. ‘I’m not a teacher,’ you say, ‘so teaching and learning really doesn’t have anything to do with me.’ But most of us are teachers of one form or another. We might be raising our children – then, regardless of if we want to be or not, we definitely are teachers. Or we might be responsible for supervising someone in the workplace. Or perhaps we lead a home group, or… you get the point. Teaching does not only take place in those formal settings called a school or college. I’ll say it again....
Read MoreSo what to do? The question of guidance…
I once vowed that I would never preach a sermon on guidance. It was an understandable promise at that time, as my own life seemed complicated and I felt that I had made one poor decision after another. But time marches along, and I realise that while there are no easy answers, it is important to think about the way in which God guides and leads us. So I preached a sermon on guidance a few years ago… nothing earth shattering – just a simple exploration of some tried and trusted principles that have helped guide God’s people over the centuries. This is what I said at Carey...
Read MoreMirroring God: Implications of the Imago Dei for Pastoral Care
I recently finished teaching an introduction to Pastoral Care course at Vose Seminary. It was a great class, and many thoughtful projects and case studies emerged. One that especially struck me was this essay by Alycia Randell on the implications of our being made in the image of God, for the provision of pastoral care. Alycia is drawing towards the end of a combined BMin/BTh degree at Vose, and together with her husband Peter is engaged in pastoral ministry in Mandurah. I thought that this fine essay more than justified Alycia being classified as one of our budding theologians, and am glad...
Read MoreMiscellaneous thoughts after a holiday in Europe…
All good things do indeed come to an end, and I am now back at work after four weeks of holiday, most of them spent on a river cruise through 5 countries in Europe. Lest you think that is the lifestyle to which I am accustomed, think again, but it was wonderful to be in a make believe kind of world for a while. Here are a few miscellaneous thoughts that came to me in the course of the trip. Seasons are real. In the first instance, that’s a statement about geography. Our trip took place during a Northern Hemisphere Autumn, in countries significantly further North than Australia is...
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