Painting at Riverview Bank, Minnesota Dear God I spotted you across the way on Sunday morning and waved, but not sure you saw me.  Sorry I couldn’t stop, but the roast was in the oven and I wanted to make the most of the sunshine: I’m sure you understand! Maybe we can put a date in for Easter when life’s a little less crazy. Anyway, hope Jesus and the rest of the crew are doing well.  As requested, here’s my monthly update – not as spotless as I’d like, but better than last month.  I know when I signed up ... Read More

Cartoon God by Jover What kind of God do we trust? Is He Personal or a cloud of divine stuff? If Personal, then in what sense? An angry Father, selfish and demanding?  A foreman, under pressure and understaffed? Does He wake us with a divine to-do list, drumming his fingers impatiently whilst we mess up our tasks? Does He need us: to bolster his ego, to do stuff and supply what He lacks? Do we need Him: or is salvation just a synonym for self-help? Does He take from us – or does He give? Does He do so reluctantly, with one arm in His ... Read More

Unloveable III: by DonaRita   In some ways, I don’t want God to love me.  That sounds crazy, but it’s true. I complain He doesn’t want all of me, but I won’t let Him past the hallway into the dark bits – where I need Him most. I keep Him on the outskirts, because if He comes in He’ll see me and I can’t have that. I’m frightened of God’s love because it opens me up to hope.  That hope will break me if it’s disappointed – but it breaks me anyway.  What is this grace?  I ... Read More

Can I ever be known and wanted in the way I long for?   My heart says no. To be accepted, I must perform. But my performance is never enough. I’m not enough and neither is the god I imagine. Instead of a loving and generous Father, I envisage a slave-master: tight-fisted and ineffectual.   Why does it matter who I think God is?  Because what I believe about Him, determines whether or not we have a relationship. It’s one thing to have a loving Father.  It’s another to be disciplined into submission.   At Sunday ... Read More

God keeps messing up my life. Just when I think I’ve got everything sorted, He sticks His oar in and changes the plan. It’s not like we haven’t discussed it.  We’ve talked about it at length.  I’ve explained (repeatedly), how it works. We’re partners, see. He’s in charge of big stuff and special occasions… but day-to-day, I’ve got it covered. If I’m stuck I’ll be sure to dial H for Holy Spirit, but it’s easier and simpler if we mostly do it my way.  In fact, ... Read More

Here’s a (true) story from the Saturday Telegraph that’s tickled me no end. The world’s first conversation between two robots has ended in an argument about the nature of God. Alan and Sruthi are two ‘chatbots’, designed by PhD students at Cornell University.  Chatboxes are computer programmes that are designed to have conversations with humans. (If you’ve ever tried to use the self-service aisle at the check-out, you may have come across something similar.  Though if your experience is anything like me, ... Read More

Over the next three days, the World Atheist Convention, guest-starring Richard Dawkins, is taking place in Dublin.  Now, I’m no fan of conventions, even  at the best of times. As  Roald Dahl observed, delegates often turn out to be witches (and as someone terrified of large herds of women, I can only say this – Roald love, how right you are). But, it’s more than that.  All these people  travelling halfway across the world  - but not to drink Guinness,  or hear Daniel O’Donnell.   Instead they’re meeting to talk about ... Read More

I’ve just been gardening. Panic not, it wasn’t planned and it won’t be happening again. Where some people have green fingers, mine are black. I’ve managed to kill every kind of plant we’ve ever been given, including those funny cacti that are supposed to be indestructible. Were it not for the generous ministrations of our friends (Tilly and Carol – you legends!),  a hacksaw would be needed to cut a swathe to the doorstep. (We’ve lost several postmen and any number of cats over the years. If you ... Read More

I wonder if, like me, you sometimes point people to safe religion.  A system of morality, with a  domesticated, pocket-sized Christ at its head.  It’s not necessarily intentional and it can be for what seem like good reasons.  But as Bonhoeffer observed, cheap grace is no grace.  A little god is no God at all. What are some of the processes behind this? Well, I can see myself as the Lord’s one-woman press office.  He needs me you see, to protect Him from bad publicity.  In an earlier post I wrote about how we can make demands of the ... Read More

‘God Doesn’t Want Your Happiness, He wants your Holiness’. Perhaps I’m just being greedy.  But there’s something about this statement that doesn’t sit well with me. Why can’t we have both? There’s no question that happiness and holiness are not always the same thing.  And there are two lies behind such an assertion, lies which the church is right to correct. The first lie is this – that if we just trust Jesus enough, He will automatically bless us with physical and material health and wealth.  That’s nonsense.  ... Read More