Because you never really know what you’re signing up for: Mary’s Story…
Perhaps you have heard the story of the farmer who discovered that a beautiful white horse had wandered onto his property. Despite the best efforts to find its owner, no one came forward and he was told to keep the horse, his friends saying: “You are so blessed to have received a wonderful horse like that for nothing.” And the farmer replied: “Who knows, we shall see.” A few weeks later while the farmer’s son was riding the horse he fell off and broke his leg badly. His friends said: “Oh how terrible. Such a bad break and especially sad as he is at the prime of his life –...
Read MoreRedeeming Disqualifying Stories…
Some people have stories that follow them around: “You do know about the time he…” or “You may not realise it, but though she looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, there was the time that…” At a church I once pastored a woman had found faith in Jesus whist in prison and now attended the church. She came up to me hesitantly one Sunday. I had given the church announcements and they had included the all too often pitch on the need for more helpers – this time for the tea and coffee roster. The task was straightforward enough –...
Read MoreBecause Honesty is the Highest Form of Loyalty
It was a throw away comment in an Adam Grant podcast I was listening to at the gym. Remember, he said, “honesty is the highest form of loyalty.” Of course, just because someone says something doesn’t mean it’s true, but in this instance I thought it worth thinking about – and I guess this blog is part of that thinking process. I put the comment alongside another discussion I heard on The Rest is Politics podcast, where the ever interesting Alastair Campbell was speaking about the Shimon Peres solution. “What’s that” you ask? In 1985 US President...
Read MoreThe Different Faces of Ambition
Ambition is one of those things it’s easy to be ambivalent about. In it’s naked form, it sees some catapult over others, with neither regard nor care for the impact their scramble to the top has on those further back in the line. Ruthlessness is not an attractive quality, but it is the price some are willing to pay to get their dreams to materialise. But ambition does not need to wear this face. It can be a commitment to ensure a worthy dream comes true. It can be about using our gifts responsibly. A clearly articulated ambition can help us know what to say yes to, and what no....
Read MoreYet I Still Dare to Hope: When Hope is a Virtue.
So what virtues do you aspire towards? If you want a conversation to take a turn to the serious, it’s a good question to ask. Some people will answer promptly – perhaps citing some of the more commonly listed virtues – courage, justice and integrity. Others might be more exotic in their choice. Perhaps they will leave you perplexed because they selected procrastination, doubt and detachment. Yet others will be rendered speechless. That’s not to say they don’t have any virtues, but it probably means they haven’t spent much time thinking about them. In a recent podcast on Stirrers...
Read MorePraying for the Peace and Prosperity of our City of Exile: Jeremiah 29:7 and the Political Landscape
It’s been a big week in politics – and I don’t even live in the US! As is usual with elections, there are winners and losers – those who are ecstatic and those who are devastated. In the middle are those who are essentially disinterested, but this is probably a smaller group than is usually the case. I could pontificate at great length about what the US Presidential election says to us and about the role that Christian faith plays in elections – but I don’t have an appetite for that right now. Instead I’d like to take a journey back to some...
Read MoreMissing You: Gaps that aren’t Filled when People Leave…
I came across a beautiful poem by Irish poet Dennis O’Driscoll entitled simply, Missing God. It’s about the societal drift away from God and all the things we lose in that journey. One verse reflects on how different civil marriage ceremonies feel as they avoid words like “everlasting” and “divine”: Miss Him during the civil weddingwhen, at the blossomy altarof the registrar’s desk, we wait in vainto be fed a line containing wordslike “everlasting” and “divine”. If society misses the signs of the Divine it once paid close attention to, it’s also true...
Read MoreOn earning the right to complain…
Much of life is paradoxical. Have you noticed that those with the most to complain about usually don’t, while those whose lot has fallen on pleasant paths often whinge endlessly. I don’t know why, but perhaps those for whom things routinely go right are so accustomed to this fortunate state that they instantly react when something is a little wrong. By contrast, those who regularly struggle are more likely to shrug off a new difficulty with a “well that hardly compares with some of the difficulties I’ve gone through. So let’s just move along.” Rosemary and I saw it very clearly on our...
Read MoreBecause Genius is often just Persistence in Disguise…
I have a PhD. For those who like detail, I earned it for my research into the theological method of Stanley J Grenz and just as he worked to revision evangelical theology, my thesis attempts to revision some of his work. But this post is not about that – did I hear a collective sigh of relief? But it does have a point – a simple one. People have often said to me, “Gosh, you have a PhD. Are you are genius? You must be. That’s so hard to do.” My reply is simple: “Absolutely not. But I am more persistent than most people. And often what people think is genius...
Read MoreAspirational or Actual: Navigating the Gap…
Do you have a picture of an ideal you? What does it look like? My ideal me is wise, kind, loyal, energetic, creative, courageous, prophetic, pastoral, thoughtful, engaged, pure, free, mindful, generous, funny, impacting, sensitive, inclusive, affirming, joyous, hopeful, positive, smart, informed, full of faith and at least a dozen other hopelessly optimistic adjectives and adverbs. He also has the looks and strength of a 30 year old with the insight gained from 80 whirls around the sun. On my better days I am a few of these – but then there are more ordinary days, as well as downright...
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