Posts Tagged "doubt"

When faith is a quest

Posted by on Dec 4, 2022 in Blog | 5 comments

Jesus commended the faith of little children, seeing in it innocence, spontaneity and deep trust. But for many, faith doesn’t come easily or naturally. Indeed, for some, nothing comes easily or naturally. William Blake in his Auguries of Innocence writes: Every Morn and every NightSome are Born to sweet delight Some are Born to sweet delight Some are Born to Endless Night It’s lovely for those who are born to “sweet delight”, but what about those who seem born to “endless night”? You probably know some who fall into this category, and perhaps you...

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The Virtue and Vice of Agnosticism

Posted by on Jun 26, 2022 in Blog | 1 comment

We are sometimes too sure of things we should be open minded about, and too uncertain about the things that really matter. Agnosticism, that tantalising space where we see all sides of an argument and put a definitive answer in the too hard basket, is sometimes a virtue, and sometimes a vice. Let me give a few examples from my almost 65 year sojourn on this planet. I became a serious follower of Jesus when I was a teenager – back in the 1970’s. Some things were very clear in that distant era. I didn’t go to my school ball (even though I had a beautiful girlfriend) because...

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When Psalm 1 doesn’t work: Where questions and answers come from…

Posted by on Jul 8, 2016 in Blog | 1 comment

What do you do when Psalm 1 doesn’t work? Do you know the dilemma. Psalm 1 promises an orderly life that makes sense. Do the right thing, meditate on the Scriptures, keep the right company, love God, and in due season your life will flourish. It’s perfectly logical, and it works most of the time… probably 95% of the time. But what happens when you land up in the 5% territory – when nothing makes sense, and when you identify more with Asaph in Ps 74:1 who asks “Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your...

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Managing Monday… Some Tillich Quotes

Posted by on Mar 7, 2016 in Blog | 0 comments

Last month we introduced ‘Managing Monday’ with 3 quotes each week from the great theologian of the church, Augustine. We will carry on with the three quotes each week format, but from different thinkers each week. Here are three quotes from American/German existentialist theologian from the last century, Paul Tillich (1886-1965). While he had many notable insights (though theologically I differ from him on many, many points), these are the three most frequently cited Tillich quotes… Enjoy… The first duty of love is to listen – Paul Tillich Doubt is not the...

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Post Christmas Pondering…

Posted by on Dec 29, 2015 in Blog | 2 comments

It is unfortunate that New Year rushes in so quickly after Christmas. No sooner have we finished singing the final bars of ‘O Come, all ye faithful’ than our thoughts gallop forward to the promise of the year ahead. Worthy resolutions quickly spring to mind, and the babe of Bethlehem is tucked away for another year. The basic problem is that we are catapulted into thinking about what we are going to do, rather than being encouraged to spend time thinking about what God has done. Perhaps on this one we should join Orthodox Christians, who celebrate Christmas on or near to Jan 7...

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