Stuff happens. Jobs are lost. Relationships are broken. Ends don’t meet. Illnesses take unexpected downturns. We make mistakes. The pressures of Christmas crash in. Life feels unpredictable. And most of us, to a greater or lesser extent, respond by worrying.
Some days the nagging insecurities about the future play irritatingly in the backs of our minds. At other times we’re overwhelmed by a torrent of panic that leaves us utterly inert. We want to know it’s all going to work out ok in the future. And we feel we can’t relax until there’s some tangible evidence it really is going to be fine.
But when we turn to the Scriptures we’re confronted with the inescapable fact that the Bible says, “don’t worry”:... continue reading
Maybe it's a personality thing, but I never thought that following the herd was a good thing.
Safe, perhaps. If you didn't want to be embarrassed by standing out from the crowd perhaps.
So seeing this advertising line encouraging me to "be smart" by "following the herd" on the back of a van got me thinking about the whole cultural tension we feel between fitting in and being individuals. Our culture seems to encourage individuality. We are constantly being told to "be ourselves" and to "think different".... continue reading
I've always struggled with remembering people's names. It's frustrating and embarrassing to run into someone at church or in the street, and fail to drag their name out of my memory banks. Although I've had a few embarrassing moments, I've never done anything quite like this however.
British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham who started the world famous Prom concerts was famed for his sharp wit, but struggled, like many of us, with attaching names to faces as he grew older. ... continue reading
There are 2 things that everyone engaged in biblical pastoral care needs:
The first is a Bible. No surprises there. It’s God’s living and active word (Hebrews 4:12) that transforms us by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). It’s pretty hard to be biblical without a Bible and any pastoral care that ignores the Bible runs a high risk of being little more than well-meant common wisdom.
The second is less well known. It is my contention and humble assertion that anyone involved in pastoral work needs a hippo. Not necessarily a real one - that could be cumbersome - but a small, unobtrusive toy or model hippo has value beyond measure.
Just in case the significance of a hippo isn’t immediately obvious, please allow me to explain.... continue reading
Recently seen on the front of a Bible. And we thought it worth passing on ...
If you want to:
...Please keep me firmly and permanently closed.
The internet has boundless potential to surprise. Each week we stumble across bizarre, thought-provoking or just plain weird sites. My favourite find of the last few days (courtesy of an evangelistic talk given at my church pub quiz) is The Death Clock. Now, it’s probably fair to say that this is not a site to visit if you are already feeling melancholy! But how it works is this … you type in your age, gender and a couple of indicative health facts and the death clock calculator guestimates the date of your death. Then (and this is most intriguing bit) it calculates how many seconds you have left to live, starts a clock and you can quite literally see your life ticking away …... continue reading
After yesterday's suggestions on how to get it wrong - here are a few suggestions on how to get it right! Let's take our lead from the message the angels gave to the shepherds:
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Luke 2 v 10
1. It's Good News…
People will be scurrying around and fretting to get everything done - you may be one of them. But let's keep Jesus at the centre of what it is all about. How about:
These are all things that I find it very easy to do each December, regret in January, and then repeat the next Christmastime…
1. Be more excited about presents than Jesus. It’s great to think more about what we give to others than what we receive from them. But ultimately, Christmas isn’t about us giving, it’s about us receiving—receiving the precious gift of the Lord Jesus. All of which we know. But all of which we find easy to forget in our excitement at Christmastime.
2. Leave the Carol and Christmas morning services straight away. You may have family and mulled wine and turkey to go back home for. Chances are, there’s someone sitting in those services who doesn’t—who has only an empty home to return to. Why not plan to stick around for twenty minutes after the services, to be a friend to anyone who has nothing to rush off for? Why not prepare some extra mulled wine or cook some extra turkey in preparation for meeting them?... continue reading
So how do we tackle our own laziness and send it packing?
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
(Proverbs 6 v 6-9)
Ever watched an ant at work? To make an ant-hill, each little piece of soil has to be carried by an ant to the top of the mound. That’s a huge number of trips up and down. And even though the ant has no boss keeping an eye on it, it doesn’t stop until the work is finished. God wants us to use our time wisely. That means working hard. It means doing stuff for other people, not just pleasing ourselves.... continue reading
The BBC news website has published a collection of reader’s stories about being single. This grew out of an initial radio broadcast and article about why couples are “so mean” to singletons. As a result most of the stories defend the advantages of being single.
What struck me was how self-focused most of their comments are. A big emphasis on freedom to do what you like when you like. The lack of ties and duty. A smorgasbord of sexual partners to choose from. Avoiding the stresses of being in a difficult relationship.
This is such a contrast to the biblical view. Yes, there are times when other Christians are tactless or even hurtful. But the Bible isn’t!... continue reading
