Three big questions. Sorry to spring ’em on you like this; but otherwise you might run. 1. What makes you worthwhile? Now, you’re not on a date with someone you want to impress and this is not a job interview. I want your gut answer. The one that roars in your ears before your brain can override it. Complete the sentence: “If only I do or have [BLANK] I’ll be ok,” Next question, 2.What sets you apart from others? How …Read More
This isn’t the post I began writing. The post I began writing was based on a chat I had with a friend, who’s moving home and looking for a new church. We were talking about what she should look for. And that was my original post – a wish list for church. It was quite a long list. It had things like ‘real relationships’, ‘commitment to pastoral care’, ‘the priority of loving Jesus over skills or gifting’. I based a …Read More
There are some conversations that don’t have a script. And when a friend tells you that they’ve been abused, there are no easy answers. But here’s some thoughts on listening: Don’t silence them. Let the person know that you want to listen to them and hear how they are feeling if and when they feel ready and able to talk. But equally, don’t push it if they don’t want to and allow them to talk at their own pace. Don’t …Read More
As a church, we’re good at talking about how Jesus dies for us. But we’re not always as strong on how He rises for us too. Problem is, if I get one without the other, then I tie myself into all kinds of crazy knots. I first encountered this at Bible college when writing an essay on the significance of the resurrection. These were my main points: 1. it’s good that Jesus isn’t dead. 2. it proves that the cross …Read More
I’ve always thought that hope is more frightening than despair. With despair, you seal off your exits. Like in dreams when you’re being chased by an axe-man and it’s easier to stop and be killed, than keep running, keep trying and keep going. The upside of stopping, is you can pretend control. The downside is, you always die. So, here’s the question: Better to say to the axe-man (and yourself), ‘I told you so’ and die feeling righteous? Or take …Read More
I’ve got a gift for guilt. For one thing, I was born with what mum calls a ‘guilty face’. It looks like I did something bad, even when I didn’t. But the more I’m quizzed, the more I start to think I did it. Like at primary school when someone blocked the toilets and the headmaster said we weren’t leaving until the guilty person owned up and I had to sit on my hands to stop myself confessing even though …Read More
Tonight is our home group. Also known as ‘house group’, ‘fellowship group’, ‘bible study’, ‘cell group’ and ‘bible group’. The name’s not important. What’s important is that, right now, I don’t feel like going. And, about this time every Wednesday, I start thinking the same things: I’m busy. It would be much better to catch up on x,y and z than have to schlep out in the car. I know this passage. We’ve done it before. Many times. I don’t …Read More
It seems like modern life is designed for panic. You open the paper. Everyone knows that carbs are like, evil. But apparently sugar is KILLING you and you ought to halve your intake. Problem is, even if you want to change you can’t because all the sugar is HIDDEN. Fat gives you moobs but a high-protein diet is totally as dangerous as smoking. This leaves fruit and veg: but remember, they’re crawling with pesticides and there’s the whole business of …Read More
Once upon a time In a land far, far away There lived a man called Jesus. Jesus was the son of God. Not in a technical sense of course, because that would be ridiculous. But in a lovely, general way. You could tell because he was so Nice. He was the nicest man that ever lived. He liked everybody. And that was his message. Everyone should love everyone, he said. Jesus was nothing like his dad. His dad had a …Read More
