Truth, Goodness, Beauty: Cultivating a Christian Voice
I recently spoke at the Christian Media and Arts Australia conference on “Truth, Goodness, Beauty: With What Voice Should we Speak in Today’s Culture?” It’s a genuinely important question, and AVENIR, the Leadership Institute I now lead, was closely involved in the program design and presentations. It was a real privilege and I think it was a very significant conference. Given that the voice of Christian media is heard by several million Australians every week (and there were representatives from other countries as well) – it is obviously important that those...
Read MoreMoody Weeks, Volatile Weeks…
I don’t know if you are a “steady as she goes” kind of person, or one who is a little more stormy. By and large I fall into the calm category, but this week I have been reminded that even calm people have volatile periods – precisely because I have had one! Interesting how things go wonderfully to plan – until they don’t. Yup, it’s been that kind of week. Goodness, there was even the death of the Queen. Her passing leaves a void that is unlikely to be filled. In short, it’s hard to see how things could have been worse. Pleasingly several of my...
Read MoreBetween Toxic Positivity and a Deus Remotus…
Toxic positivity is a new buzz word which rightly laments the irritating habit of attributing something positive to everything that happens, the kind of “if life serves you lemons, make lemonade” mindset which undergirds most bumper stickers and many sermon slogans. It’s an attitude that makes it near impossible to own failure, unless it is spoken of in the past tense: “Once long ago, before I solved everything.” It leaves us viewing lament with suspicion, and blocks attempts to face and own the pain of life. You can find it in the workplace, in churches and in...
Read MoreWhere our best prayers take us…
My previous post 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 in his memoir Telling Secrets. It’s:”Go where your best prayers take you.” Why do I love this? First, it’s refreshing to acknowledgment that some prayers are better than others – we have our “best prayers”, but also our selfish prayers, our tiny prayers, our insular prayers, our sectarian prayers, our fearful prayers. What do our best prayers look like? They...
Read MoreRemembering Frederick Buechner
Like many, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Frederick Buechner on Monday 15 August. He was 96 and is survived by his wife Judith who he married in 1956. I always think of Buechner as a theologian and preacher, though most remember him as a novelist, justifying their choice by pointing to his 39 books, one of which (Godric) was a finalist for the 1981 Pulitzer Prize – so this is no light weight we are talking about. Ordained as a Presbyterian minister, he never pastored a church, but through the honesty and the depth of insight in his writing he was, in many ways, a pastor to...
Read MoreOn 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 that I am God”, which is not the same as saying “Be silent and know that I am God.” Silence or stillness, is there a difference? Most assuredly there is. We live in a noisy world....
Read MoreWhen Belief is Aspirational
Have you ever asked if we do what we believe, believe what we do, or sit in an uncomfortable space of a bit of both, with belief and action sometimes congruent, sometimes not. It’s worth thinking about as it digs into the gap between what we say we believe and how we then live. For example, what are we to make of the simmering resentment we might feel towards another while we continue to happily pray “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Or how do we evaluate ourselves when we have a failure of courage in the face of a challenging situation while we continue to affirm...
Read MoreYours, Mine and God’s: Holding Anxiety Well
I direct the AVENIR Leadership Institute and we recently hosted an exceptional masterclass on Managing Leadership Anxiety led by Steve Cuss, the author of an outstanding book with that title. I can’t remember if it was during the class or in conversation afterwards, but at some point Steve commented that when faced by people working through a problem or facing a difficult issue we need to decide what of the problem is ours to carry; what is theirs to carry and what is God’s to carry. It also works in reverse. When I am facing a difficult situation, what part is mine to carry,...
Read MoreA Cold Dark Night on the Side of Everest: How Expectations Shape Outcomes
I recently enjoyed listening to psychologist Alia Crum speaking on the Hidden Brain podcast about reframing your reality. She recalled a crisis point during her time as a PhD student when she was working in the early hours of the morning in the basement at her University. Feeling overwhelmed by all that was required by her, she was surprised when a friend walked into the room and seeing the distressed look on her face, said simply, “ah. It’s a cold dark night on the side of Everest”, and left. Crum said it took a while for the significance of what had been said to sink in,...
Read MoreOn Turning 65…
Well, the title is a give away. This week I turned 65. No matter how hard you try to massage it, that’s pretty sobering. You know it because some try to gently tell you that 65 is the new 55 – but since when has 55 been a deeply desirable age? Others console you that you are “only” half way through the 60’s, presumably not realising you are struggling to accept they have started. Yet others reassure you that age is a matter of the mind, and you are only as old as you think you are – which is fair enough until you look in the mirror and it gives its own...
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