Deciding or Discerning: It’s not always the same…
It was a discussion we were having on our Uber ride to a Baptist World Aid Board meeting. We agreed that we were all familiar with the steps that go into making good decisions. There are many valuable models but here is a common 7 step approach: 1 Clarify the decision to be made (So simple to say – sometimes complex in practice) 2 Gather relevant data to guide your decision (Tap into more than one source) 3 Identify alternatives (And there are almost always some, so beware of those who insist there aren’t) 4 Weigh evidence (An important stage. Avoid echo chambers. Genuinely...
Read MoreBecause Everything Depends Upon You, and Nothing Does…
If you’ve spent more than three minutes in theological circles you will have come across the free will/ predestination debate. An astonishing number of theological, philosophical and practical issues come back to it. Am I the author of my own destiny, or a pawn in a wider plan? The pawn option doesn’t need to be trivial. After all, while I may strut around with a sense of great importance in a tiny pool of my own making, does that really compare to the honour of being a pawn in a game that is Universe and eternity wide? Now let’s be clear, this teeny blogs eleven hundred...
Read MoreOn Knowing Who You Are and Whose You Are…
One of my strangest pastoral conversations was with an elderly member of the congregation who asked if I would be willing to keep the headstone for her grave in the garage at the church manse, until it was required. She told me that at her age, she liked to have everything ready and in order, and the headstone was all made – Her full name was on it, plus the date of her birth and, if my memory serves me correctly, just two words: “Greatly Loved”. All that was needed was for the date of her demise to be added. She said that her family was finding it off putting seeing the...
Read MoreBecause it’s not about position but trajectory
With the school year about to get under way, I’ve been involved in several staff Professional Learning days. I always enjoy leading days like this – especially towards the start of the year when people are fresh and motivated for what lies ahead. One of the topics we looked at has stuck with me. It can be summed up by the comment, “It’s not about position, but trajectory.” In other words, it is not where you are right now that really matters, but where you are likely to be if you carry along on your present pathway. While I covered some of this terrain in a post...
Read MoreWhen Heroes Fail: Thoughts on Philip Yancey and other Mortals…
I wasn’t going to write this post. There has been more than enough publicity given to Christian author extraordinaire Philip Yancey’s announcement of his 8 year affair with a married woman, and other than saying “It’s not the first time something like this has happened, and it is highly improbable that it will be the last” I didn’t think there was much I could add to the discussion. While I am always willing to face and discuss reality, I try not to wallow in what has gone wrong, or to point the wagging finger – and attempt to align blog posts with...
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