Something struck me as I was writing about spiritual discipline. Normally when we think about human growth and development we thing about becoming more independent. A child learns to feed and clean themselves. Learning to ride a bike means that bike stabilisers are removed. We are said to develop in a skill first by watching… Continue reading Growing in dependence
Category: Discipleship
Spiritual discipline
Richard Foster’s book “Celebration of Discipline” written in 1977 popuylarised the idea of spiritual disciplines, practices to help Christians grow spiritually. His list, rooted in monastic ideas dating back to the early church included: meditation, prayer, fasting, study, simplicity, solitude and submission. My personal take is that really those things are ways of creating time… Continue reading Spiritual discipline
Wedding anniversary reflections
Today is our wedding anniversary. So, I wanted to start my post by saying a couple of thank yous. First to my wife, Sarah, it’s a joy to be your husband and I am grateful not just for the 19 years of married life but for the 22 years it has been a privilege to… Continue reading Wedding anniversary reflections
Is the King in residence?
It has been reported that not only will King Charles stay at Clarence House rather than moving fully into Buckingham Palace but also, the Prince of Wales intends to remain at Windsor even when he becomes king. Personally, I can’t help but wonder if this is a mistake. I’m sure that their PR advisors have… Continue reading Is the King in residence?
Just relax! The best answer to the question “what’s my purpose?”
Have you noticed something. God makes the world, he evaluates it as good, he makes man and woman in his image and commissions them to work. Then he rests. Indeed, the sense when you look at the Law in Exodus 20 is that this isn’t just about God resting, it’s about hi instituting a Sabbath… Continue reading Just relax! The best answer to the question “what’s my purpose?”
What are the issues facing pastors right now?
If we are going to apply Scripture well to our congregations, then as well as being able to read God’s word and interpret it well, we also need to be “reading the room.” We need to have a good understanding of what it is that our congregations are facing. We need to be exegeting them… Continue reading What are the issues facing pastors right now?
Mums and dads in church … The boundaries
I’ve frequently took to talking about the way that churches need “mums and dads”. I think this familial language moves us away from much of the power dynamic that afflicts the egalitarian- complementarian debate. I think that both egalitarians and comolementarians alike have missed something in their own way – the need for mums. So,… Continue reading Mums and dads in church … The boundaries
All that I have is yours …except the toothbrush
The other evening, without really looking, picked up my toothbrush and started brushing my teeth. I walked briefly back into our bedroom to ask Sarah something. It was at that point, she spotted what I’d missed. You’re using my toothbrush.” Now, you may have different opinions on whether it’s okay or gross to share toothbrushes. … Continue reading All that I have is yours …except the toothbrush
The day I achieved world domination
So …. These notifications popped up on my WordPress menu recently. If only Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had realised that you could gain world domination by simply running a blog! It would make for a more peaceful world. I suspect that this reflects an attempt to align WordPress with other platforms and tools. You… Continue reading The day I achieved world domination
Cultivating the affections
Psalm 37:4 tells us to Delight yourself in the Lord and he will grant you the desires of your heart”. Such positive encouragement should caution us to a wholely negative view of desire as automatically and only sin. We can have good desires. We may also think of those things as affections, the people, things,… Continue reading Cultivating the affections
Faithroots 