On Wearing Your Failure Like a Flag…
Perhaps you know that my next book project is on 30 Proverbs to live by. That might not be the final title, but it is the idea behind it – that we can go a long way in life if we embrace some solid truths that guide our response to life’s varied challenges. I recently floated the “regret should be a signpost not a home” idea, and in this post would like to explore the counsel to “wear your failure like a flag”. It was the proverb given to me many years ago by a trusted mentor, Jim Johnston, who I continue to rank as one of the wisest people I have ever...
Read MoreRefresh: What does a Healthy Church Look Like – 12 Indicators
There’s an old quip that says, “If you find a perfect church, don’t join. Why ruin a good thing!” Churches are filled with people in all their wonderful complexity. But what does a healthy church look like? We sometimes tell stories of sad failures – but it is as well to underline what we should look for. This post from 3 May 2016 unpacks 12 signs of church health. Refresh: What does a healthy church look like – 12 indicators. We’ve had a few posts on churchless faith and the journey towards becoming de-churched. Underneath has been the assumption that the...
Read MoreFrom Illusion to Prayer: Facing our Limitations
Is there a control freak tucked away inside of you? If so, you probably try to be subtle about it – after all, who wants to be the anxious micro-manager, determined that everything gets done their way? Beneath it there is often a deeper anxiety, the fear that everything depends upon you and that if you loosen your grip on things, they may quickly get outside of your control. But what if you realised a deeper truth, that the feeling of being in control is at best an illusion? Rather than trigger you into panic, what if this realisation opened a door to deeper prayer and trust? This is...
Read MoreRefresh: Why Theodosius vs Ambrose really matters…
Even if you aren’t naturally interested in the history of the church, this incident from c390 is likely to impress you. It set the stage for church-state dialogue for centuries to come, and remains pertinent today. It was originally posted on the blog in 2015. Refresh: Why Theodosius vs Ambrose really matters… Heard about the dispute between the Roman Emperor Theodosius and Bishop Ambrose of Milan back in 390? I thought not… Before you yawn a little too obviously and quote Henry Ford’s ‘history is bunk’, let me assure you that this case finds its way onto the pages of this...
Read MoreFrom Hostility to Hospitality: A Necessary Journey
Last week I looked at the journey from Loneliness to Solitude, the first of the three movements towards spiritual growth outlined in Henri Nouwen’s inspiring book, Reaching Out. Today we look at the second transformation – a journey described by Nouwen as being from hostility to hospitality. Perhaps like me, your first response to this invitation is a defensive, “No, I don’t think this one has anything in it for me. I’m not an aggressive person, and what’s more, I like a wide range of people (I genuinely do), and my natural posture towards others tends to...
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