Nature, Nurture; Genes or Environment; Free Will or Predestination?
It was my very first assignment at University. The topic: “Discuss the nature, nurture controversy.” It was an interesting start to my academic career. My opening effort was awarded a modest 68%, my lecturer accusing me of mild bias, though not clarifying towards which side. My later efforts were better rewarded, but I still remember this opening gambit with some affection, perhaps because the question is as unanswerable now as it was back in 1975 – oh my goodness yes, it was 50 years ago! It doesn’t really matter if your field is medicine, genetics, politics, ethics,...
Read MoreRefresh: From Platforms to Altars – Rediscovering Servant Leadership
The importance of servant leadership can’t be overstated. In a world where the focus is on the size of our platform, this post from April 2022 reminds us that it’s the altar we serve from that actually matters. If you want to dive into the topic more, have a listen to the discussion on “The Leader as Servant” on the Stirrers and Saints Podcast. From Platforms to Altars: Rediscovering Servant Leadership You know as well as I do that the list of fallen Christian leaders is growing at an alarming rate. Many have been high fliers, leaders who were widely lauded and...
Read MoreBecause feelings don’t happen to us, but for us…
My regular readers will know how often my blog posts are sparked by throw away comments from podcasts I have listened to that don’t necessarily have much to do with what the podcast was about, but do reflect how my mind worked after hearing the comment. This is one of those posts. And the comment? “Feelings don’t happen to us, but for us.” I won’t cite the podcast, as it really wasn’t about that – or I don’t think it was, as my brain had already raced away following the idea. Feelings get a mixed rap in the Christian tradition. I remember as a...
Read MoreRefresh: Thinking about Fixed and Growth Mindsets
Much has been written on growth and fixed mindsets. I like this post because it affirms the value of a growth mindset, while adding some important qualifiers that are sometimes overlooked. It was first published on the blog in May 2022. Thinking about Fixed and Growth Mindsets While Carol Dweck’s 2007 book Mindset is no longer new, it continues to spark rich conversations about the difference between fixed and growth mindsets. The basic thesis is simple: Some people approach life with a fixed mindset, assuming that they are born with certain talents and abilities and that relatively...
Read MoreThe God of Abraham, the God of Adventure and Jordan Peterson
Regardless of whether you are a Jordan Peterson fan or foe, you will surely agree that he is always interesting and gets you thinking. I am currently working my way through his latest tome, We who Wrestle with God, and will probably write more about it when I’m through. Having read several negative reviews of the book I had decided against purchasing it, but then heard Peterson talk about it in a fascinating two and a half hour podcast on the Diary of a CEO that touched on just about everything. God was woven lightly into the first half of the podcast, and then took up most of the...
Read MoreRefresh: On being still, not silent…
This weeks refresh post originally appeared on 14 August 2022. I keep coming back to its underlying ideas. There is such a big difference between stillness and silence. On being still, not silent I recently listened to a fascinating podcast where Alastair McIntosh reflects on Quakerism and unpacks some of its convictions. In a throw away comment he notes that it is often said that Quakers gather together in silence (no drums of smoke machines for them !) but that this is not entirely accurate – they gather together in stillness. He goes on to quote Ps 46:10 “Be still and know...
Read MoreOur Many Coloured Days: On the Brown, Grey and Purple Ones…
I imagine that many of my readers are Dr Seuss fans. What’s not to like about him, green eggs and ham, the Grinch, and all the rest we are introduced to in Theodor Geisel’s wonderful world? Among my favourites are My Many Coloured Days, which attaches a colour to the different moods we encounter in life, with the liberating conclusion that whatever the colour of a particular day, “it turns out all right you see… and I go back to being ME.” In Dr Seuss’s world, some days are red, “On bright red days how good it feels, To be a horse and kick my...
Read MoreRefresh: Where our best prayers take us…
Todays refresh post first appeared in Aug 2022. Frederick Buechner’s idea that some prayers are “best prayers” and that they should take us somewhere, resonates with me deeply. It’s worthy of a re-read… Incidentally, some of these ideas are also explored on the Stirrers and Saints Podcast on Scripture and Prayer. Well worth a listen… Where our best prayers take us A post in 2022 noted the passing of Frederick Buechner and tapped into some of his wisdom. In this one I’d like to explore a passing comment which appears in a series of rapid fire advice...
Read MoreFormed, forming, reforming and deforming…
One of the hats I wear is as “Pastor at Large” of the Carey Group. While the title sounds exotic, I’m not sure any of us really know what it means, but in practice I get to speak into and participate in the life of Carey at a meaningful level. It’s an enormous privilege. We usually choose a theme for each year – something that identifies where we will place special attention, and this year the focus is on formation. It’s a choice that delights me. Why? Well, it’s not claiming a static “formed” – as though we have arrived and now...
Read MoreRefresh: Things that get in the way…
This is the 10th year this blog has been operating. There have been over 500 posts along the way. I always encourage readers to repost and republish if they find the material useful, and recently stumbled upon a website that had done just that. I vaguely remembered writing the post about 3 years ago, and as I skimmed through it thought, “Gosh, this is actually rather good! Definitely worth thinking about.” The trouble with that post, and many others like it, is that it is now buried amongst 500 others. That’s when I came up with a new plan. How about every Wednesday I do a...
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