Managing Monday with John Maxwell
Say the name John Maxwell (1947 – ) and most people immediately think of his work on leadership. A pastor, motivational speaker and best selling author, his ability to summarize key leadership principles into memorable axioms or striking quotes is remarkable. We will look at a few of them over the next few weeks… We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are. John Maxwell When it came to choosing disciples, Jesus picked people you and I would have missed. John Maxwell Many of us want the perks of leadership without the price of leadership. John Maxwell Goals may give...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot – Take 3
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is usually remembered for her work with the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books, was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a significant Christian leader. Here is a third and final look at some of her insights… If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!Elisabeth Elliot If we really have too much to do, there are some items on...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot – Take 2
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is often remembered for her missionary work to the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books and was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, as well as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here is a second look at some of her thoughts… Fear arises when we imagine everything depends on us. Elisabeth Elliot God will not protect you from anything that will make you more like Jesus. Elisabeth Elliot One does not surrender a life in an instant. That which is lifelong can...
Read MoreReflections on 12 weeks in the UK…
I’m writing this while sitting in the Qantas lounge in London. Having heard that the flight back to Perth has been delayed 2 hours (which as they initially said it would be 3, is actually good news), I thought it better to jot down some of my thoughts from the time away, than to spend the time making constant trips to the food counter – tempting though the latter option is. For those who are not aware, Rosemary and I have just completed a 12 week Sabbatical in the UK where we were largely based at Spurgeon’s College in London, where I served as a visiting international scholar. It’s...
Read MoreLiving Mindfully: 10 Practices…
Mindfulness is the new buzz word in many circles, and it is easy to understand why. In a world which views multi-tasking as essential, and offers far too many distractions, the gift of the present moment often passes unheeded. We are at risk of becoming human doings rather than human beings – and the consequences are enormous. During my Sabbatical at Spurgeon’s College, I have been working on a book about forming spiritual leaders, and one of the formational practices I have been reading about has been mindfulness – and I thought a few of the things I have read were worth...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Elisabeth Elliot
Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is often remembered for her missionary work to the tribe who killed her missionary husband, Jim Elliot. She went on to author over twenty books and was a popular radio broadcaster and inspirational speaker, as well as an adjunct professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Here are some of her thoughts… It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place. Elisabeth Elliot The devil has made it his business to monopolize on three elements: noise, hurry, crowds. He will not allow...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Walter Bruggemann – Take 3
Walter Brueggemann (1933- ) is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars. Though in the first instance a distinguished academic, his work has reached a far wider readership, and the depth of his insights have spoken to many. Here is a third and final taster of some of his work… Prayer is a refusal to settle for what is. Walter Bruggemann I intend to focus on the question of truth. That means I do not inquire about facticity – what happened – but what is claimed, what is asserted about reality. Walter Bruggemann Cynicism always comes clothed in...
Read MoreThe Stories We Tell: Seven Basic Plots
Though writing with a little teaching and preaching has been the main focus of my Sabbatical time at Spurgeon’s College, I have also taken the opportunity to broaden my reading, and in doing so, came across Christopher Booker’s classic The Seven Basic Plots: Why we tell stories. Now truth to tell, I did not read it all (as in 728 pages – which took Booker 37 years to research and write) but read some and skimmed other parts to get a reasonable sense of the key ideas, which I thought worth discussing. Early on in the book Booker makes the not too remarkable observation that...
Read MoreRoad Rage in London: Reflections on having to give way…
Let me start this post with some disclaimers. No, the road rage I am about to talk about was not my own. I have not driven a car in the now 10 weeks that Rosemary and I have been in the UK – and have had the luxury of being driven by others, using public transport (which overall, is amazingly effective), or walking (which is a wondeful way of bumping into unexpected delights, as you discover endless houses previous occupied by genuinely famous people). But today I observed road rage from the comfort of our one bedroom flat whilst marking student assignments – which sadly...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Walter Brueggemann – Take 2
Walter Brueggemann (1933- ) is one of the most influential Old Testament scholars. Though in the first instance a distinguished academic, his work has reached a far wider readership, and the depth of his insights have spoken to many. Here is a second taster of some of his work… The Gospel has gotten all tangled up with a sense of Western white entitlement. Walter Brueggemann How God works among us is mysterious. It cannot be laid out rationally. And the sacraments create space for exactly that liminal mystery of how God does transformation among us. And the churches that have gotten...
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