Managing Monday with Evelyn Underhill
Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) is remembered as a pacifist and for her writing on Christian mysticism, her best known book being Mysticism (1911). An Anglo-Catholic, she was doubtful of state religion and placed great store on the heart and experience. She led many spiritual retreats for the Anglican Church, was an active proponent of contemplative prayer, and served as a spiritual director to hundreds of people. Beauty is simply reality seen with the eyes of love – Evelyn Underhill For lack of attention a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day – Evelyn Underhill God is...
Read MoreEaster: With head and heart…
Here are some Easter musings from my book Could this be God? Bumping into God in the Everyday. This entry is called Easter: With head and heart… I was a guest preacher last night (well, no longer last night by the time you read this), and had been asked to speak on what Jesus accomplished at the Cross. So how do you fit that into 20 minutes? I went a pretty traditional route, unpacked the reason for our creation (relationship with God), followed it up with the problem of our alienation from God and then explored how and why the Cross overcomes the barriers our rebellion against God has...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Charles Wesley
After a few weeks of John Wesley quotes, it only seems fair to give a voice to his brother, Charles Wesley (1707-1788), also a leader of the Methodist movement, and best know as the writer of over 6000 hymns, many of which continue to be sung. Keep us little and unknown, prized and loved by God alone – Charles Wesley Amazing love how can it be that Thou my God shouldst die for me – Charles Wesley Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done – Charles Wesley The person who bears and suffers evils with...
Read MoreManaging Monday with John Wesley (take 3)
Here are a final batch of John Wesley (1703-1791) insights – well, final for a while. Wesley was an Anglican minister who founded the Methodist church. His theology has a particular focus on holiness, though as you will see from the quotes, the scope of his interest was wide. When you do what you can, you do enough – John Wesley Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can – John Wesley Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame, if I cannot write better sermons now that I did seven year ago – John Wesley Give me 100 preachers who fear...
Read MoreWhen “darkness is my closest friend”: Reflections on Psalm 88
I was in a meeting a while back where a man said that he and his family had been living in Psalm 88 for a fair while – especially in v18b. Naturally I had to look it up. The tone of his comment had alerted me to expect something that fell a long way short of cheerful, and my instinct was right. The psalm is hauntingly sad. While it starts hopefully (“you are the God who saves me” – v1), it finishes in a very different place, speaking about abandonment, rejection and suffering, before finishing with the sobering conclusion that “darkness is my closest...
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