I’ve just had a very weird thought. As I’ve lain awake with a teeny bit of chest pain, I got to thinking it’s been a rather unproductive year, ministry-wise. I’ve not been able to do half what I wanted to … Continue reading Active Inactivity
Before yesterday, the only thing I knew about Blaise Pascal was that he said each person has a God-shaped hole in our hearts. He meant that we are designed for worship, for a relationship with God. The other thing he said was that, if you like a gamble, it’s a fair bet to believe in God. If you follow him & you’re wrong you die like everyone else. If you don’t follow him & Christian faith is all true, you miss out on eternal life. I feel a lot of affinity with Pascal. He got sick and died young. Not … Continue reading The God shaped hole
Did you know there’s a top ten list for everything? Even funeral songs. In 2016 the favourite song, according to Co-Op Funeral Care was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. I hate this song. I loathe and detest it. Why? Well, Bernard … Continue reading Pride and Humility
A devout cowboy lost his favorite Bible while he was mending fences out on the savannah in Africa. Three weeks later, a Hippopotamus walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The cowboy couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the Hippo’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!” “Not really,” said the Hippo. “Your name is written inside the cover.” So why is my opener a joke about a hippo? Well, the chap who’s thoughts I’ve been looking at today is from a place called Hippo. Or at least that … Continue reading The Graceful Hippo
It’s a great song by The Beatles, “All you need is love” but is it true? The song seems to be saying that the sum total of all that can be known about ourselves, others, the world, can be summed up by love. Is this just 60s hippy stuff or is there a deep truth here? It reflects the teaching of many of the early Christian teachers. Origen of Alexandria said that life is about love. Specifically about seeking God, about knowing His love. It’s become a bit cliched these days, but he said almost 2000 years ago that life … Continue reading All you need is love
Matt Redman wrote a song about returning to the heart of worship. He talks about what worship is when everything else is stripped away. That it’s all about Jesus. About knowing him. At the moment I’m feeling like quite a … Continue reading “Sit in your cell and your cell will teach you everything.”
I have so many ideas for how to reach Folkestone. Great plans that, at the moment, I can do nothing about. I am hoping to return to work soon. I’m seeing the GP this morning and we will see… But then friends who have heart problems have talked about six months off. Others have talked about going back on light duties being 1 hour per day. I’m half way through series Six of the West Wing and, to be honest, I’m itching to get back & involved in my work. But I may not be able to just yet. See … Continue reading Ambition, Capacity and Calling
