When Church is Beautiful…
I don’t know if you have ever left a church service thinking, “Wow – that was beautiful – really beautiful.” Given the bad press the church often gets, I can imagine some of the cynical comments that could be forming, but why not put them on hold, and listen to the experience I’ve had the last two Sundays – when I’ve left the same smallish church both weeks thinking, “that was beautiful – really beautiful.” A quick disclaimer. I was the preacher both weeks. “Ha, ha, you say – you don’t think that might have...
Read MoreBusy or Productive…
I started my working life as a chaplain to university students. It was a wonderful post. I was paid to have conversations with emerging leaders, and my job description (such as it was) included taking time to think deeply together with them about things that matter, and to give talks at the many events which were hosted at the five campuses I worked on. There was only one frustration. Many of the meetings I was asked to speak at never happened. I would spend hours agonising over the morality of euthanasia or I would work out a Christian response to Marxism, and come ready to deliver my...
Read MoreBy persevering…
What’s the greatest predictor of future success? While experts express a range of views, their answers usually include words like resilience, tenacity and perseverance. Those who persevere, reap the reward. Naturally there are limits to this. If you persist in doing the wrong thing, you will be persistently wrong. What we persevere at matters, and checking we are on the right journey is important. There is an interesting aside in Luke 8:15, as Jesus wraps up his parable of the sower. It’s probably a familiar story, but lest its not in your repertoire, Jesus speaks about a farmer...
Read MorePreachers or story tellers?
Though the title might make you think this post is aimed at church preachers, it isn’t. It was a comment made in a podcast exploring communication styles. The podcaster suggested that there is a preacher and a story teller in each of us, and that we need to soften the preacher and develop the story teller. It’s worth thinking about. I think he was saying there is a bossy “I’m going to tell you what to do” part in us, living alongside a more winsome, “let me share my life and experience” self. Put differently, in communication I can put myself in...
Read MoreBecause lost direction is worse than lost time…
Have you heard the one in sixty rule? Pilots are taught it. If you are one degree off course, after sixty miles you will be one mile off course. That might not sound like much, but it is a big deal if it turns out the wheat field you thought you were due to fly over is actually a mountain – and history records some tragic accidents that have happened as a result. A bit of lost time checking your settings is far better than lost direction. OK, I’m not a pilot and you probably aren’t either. So why is this relevant? Perhaps you remember the haunting lines of the theme song...
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