On walking with a limp…
The title of today’s post is not figurative. After excessive zeal at the gym, I have landed up with tendonitis. My physio advised some exercises to help settle it, the key of which involved standing on a step and lowering my heal to stretch the tendon – all good until I overdid that and slipped off the step, twisting my ankle in the process. If it hadn’t been so painful, it would have been funny. And painful it was. It was so bad I was convinced I had broken something, but have been assured this is not the case. However, it will be a few weeks before I am back to walking as...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Nelson Mandela – take 4
Many of you have commented to me how much you have enjoyed the quotes from Nelson Mandela. Today we draw them to a close (well, for a little while at any rate). Nobel Peace Prize winner, first black president of South Africa, and extraordinary leader… Mandela has so much to teach us. “As I walked out the door towards my freedom, I knew that if I did not leave all the anger, hatred and bitterness behind, that I would still be in prison.” – Nelson Mandela “After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” – Nelson...
Read MoreBusiness as Mission: A New Way of Thinking…
One of the great delights in my role as principal at Vose Seminary is that I get to see students grapple with fresh ways to live out the Christian faith in both the church and the world. One area that is now receiving an increasing amount of thought is the way in which business can be a vehicle of mission. A related issue is that of the hybrid church, where churches not only engage in classically ‘spiritual’ activities, but also run activities that might operate at a surplus, helping to fund other areas of mission, or which might provide a platform for mission in their own...
Read MoreAnother book: Could this be God?
It has been an exciting few weeks for me on the publication front. My book When Faith Turns Ugly has been out for about 2 weeks, and I have now received the final proofs for my next book, Could this be God? Bumping into God in the Everyday which British publisher Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) are releasing on 23 September. It is fairly different from my other books – a series of 90 short pieces written for a wide audience and with an intentionally laid back but devotional style. In spite of its light touch, the publisher latched onto it because they feel that each piece connects faith...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Nelson Mandela – take 3
This week we again dive into the wisdom of one of the inspirational leaders of our time, Nelson Mandela. “As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” – Nelson Mandela “When a deep injury is done to us, we never heal until we forgive.” – Nelson Mandela “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its...
Read MoreDeveloping a personal plan: Reeb’s From Success to Significance
It’s the marking time of the year – oh joy. Actually sometimes it is a joyous occasion, when a student greatly exceeds my expectations or highlights something I have not thought about before. True, it can take a fair few essays before I read one in that category, but it happens just often enough to keep me hopeful… perhaps this time. Today I was marking the personal formation plans that students in my ministry formation class have drawn up, and I’ve gotta say, there were a fair few heartening moments. Some of them used Lloyd Reeb’s book From Success to...
Read MoreTransformation Down Under: Dallas Willard’s views on Spiritual Growth
I’m delighted to post a piece written by Jules Birt, on Dallas Willard’s golden triangle of spiritual growth. It is well worth reading. Jules teaches Beliefs and Values at Carey Baptist College, Perth, where he also oversees a number of voluntary pod groups helping to disciple well over a hundred students from the school. Just as it’s a common pastime to hold a cold drink and watch another person work hard, I recently found myself watching a few documentaries about the selection process for some of Australia’s elite soldiers. Commando Regiment candidates kick off...
Read MoreManaging Monday with Nelson Mandela – take 2
Nelson Mandela was one of the giants of our time. Managing Monday is currently looking at some of his profound insights. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived, it is the difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” – Nelson Mandela “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela Nice...
Read MoreOrlando and Singing: Insights from other blogs…
You have heard enough of my voice in recent posts, so I thought I would do a cut and paste from two other blogs to vary the diet. The first is a brief response to the Orlando tragedy, the second asks why people aren’t singing in church anymore (and do you agree with that sentiment? Are people singing at your church?) Hope you find them helpful. On the Orlando Massacre (Jesus Creed) From Archbishop Justin Welby: In the wake of the appalling attack in Orlando, I’ve released this joint statement with the Archbishop of York John Sentamu: “After Sunday’s attack in Orlando, as Christians we must...
Read MoreGender Dysphoria: Tentative Theological Reflections on the Transgender Question
A few weeks ago I was the theological consultant on a panel looking at gender dysphoria at a conference in Canberra. It was a helpful gathering and I think we all learnt a lot. I am presently working on an article on the topic and will post on it in more detail at a later stage but thought I would make a tentative start in this post. Your comments and pushback will help me to clarify some of my own thinking. What theological tools can we draw upon to guide us when we consider the issue of gender dysphoria? First we need to be sure what we are talking about. Gender is usually defined as the...
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