On 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...
Read MoreLet go or be dragged…
Rosemary and I are going through an interesting experience. A year ago we decided to “right size” and signed up for a new, significantly smaller home which is currently being built. It is well under way and we are probably about 4 months from move in date (and my, builders are evasive if you try and pin them down to a date. Don’t misunderstand me, they have been wonderful in every other way, but what started as “perhaps by Christmas 2025” is now “probably by the second quarter of 2026”.) Our new home will be about half the size of our present one and...
Read MoreRemembering who you are… 5 Reminders for the New Year
Apparently 88% of people break their New Year resolutions within 2 weeks and only 8% are following them at the year end. Given that most say they will achieve things without having thought through a realistic plan, that’s not too surprising. We often set ourselves up to fail by making improbable pledges that are hard to implement. When we assure ourselves that we will go to the gym every day, we are sabotaging our likelihood of success because once a day is missed, the goal can’t be met, so after a missed day or two, why not give up altogether? One insight I have found helpful is...
Read MoreReflections on Transitioning to Retirement: 5 Years On… (Part 2)
My first post on my journey towards retirement focused on what I have been doing in the 5 years since I completed my 17 year stint as principal of Vose Seminary. I worked with the philosophy that an abrupt change from the 60 hour working week of that era to a shattering zero would be unwise, and I’ve now moved to a hopefully long term sustainable 35-40 hour work week. I should probably add that whereas my 60 hour week often involved dealing with stressful situations, I’ve been moving away from stress. There is not none (and would you really want a totally stress free existence?),...
Read MoreReflections on Transitioning to Retirement: 5 Years On… (Part 1)
This is a more personal post as I reflect on the 5 years that have raced away since I finished my time as Principal of Vose Seminary… At the end of 2020 – now 5 years ago – I stepped away from 17 years as principal of Vose Seminary and embarked on a journey of transitioning to retirement. During the Vose era my working week was rarely less than 60 hours, so I thought if I aimed at a 40 hour working week it would feel like a significant and helpful adjustment – and I was right. You can feel quite tranquil when you work the same number of hours as most of the...
Read MoreRefresh: Not such a silent night…
With Christmas 2025 almost upon us, I was struck by how relevant my Christmas 2022 post was. Truly, the more things change, the more they remain the same… Hope this Refresh post from 3 years ago helps orientate you to some deeper truths this Christmas. Refresh: Not such a silent night… Back in the 1990’s I was part of a tour which started in Egypt and finished in Israel. Naturally a visit to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was part of the agenda. I had high hopes for the time, and imagined myself bowing the knee at the Grotto Cave where it is thought Jesus was born. Like...
Read MoreBecause those who don’t move, don’t notice their chains…
Before I dive into this weeks topic let me acknowledge the devastating tragedy that took place at Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday 14 December, when during a Hanukkah celebration, two gunmen shot into the crowd killing 15 people and wounding dozens of others. Yes, Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the birthing of light in the midst of darkness – so it is all so incredibly poignant. Sometimes I comment on events like this, sometimes I don’t. There has been so much commentary around this tragedy that this time I will remain silent – not because there is not much that can and...
Read MoreRefresh: In Your Dreams…
In a world where bad news and tragedy dominates, perhaps it’s time to dream again. And as this Refresh post from May 2023 reminds us, that doesn’t have to be “in your dreams”… Refresh: In Your Dreams… Language tells us a lot about ourselves. Take the three little words “in your dreams”. They really mean, “Don’t even think about it – it’s not going to happen.” It’s a pretty gloomy view of the world and assumes a planet where dreams don’t come true. And if dreams don’t come true, why bother having...
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