thinking honestly about life and faith
One of the superb insights I found in Marilynne Robinson's latest book Home (London: Virago Press, 2008) concerns the character of a life of faith.I mean here to make a basic distinction between the many activities which are called 'faith' … Read More »
I've just finished reading Marilynne Robinson's recent novel simply called Home.(London: Virago Press, 2008)It's a superbly written exploration of the idea of being at home, both in its ordinary, human sense and the deeper spiritual sense indicated by Augustine in … Read More »
I preached a sermon for Pentecost Sunday: Here are some of the key ideas: The scripture text was Acts 2. 1 – 24. Pentecost is decisive for the life and mission of the church, and is in many ways the … Read More »
Mother's Day—which was today, May 10th in Australia—is for so many people a day of slight discomfort, as we resist the commercialization, yet feel a little guilty, too. We all have a mother, to thank for the gift of life. … Read More »
In the latest Harvard Business Review (April 09) there's a terrific article called 'Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln'. Much is made of the stated intention of President Obama to model his presidency on Abraham Lincoln.The article is based on a … Read More »
I'm working on a sermon, for Lent, week 4, and just now I am reflecting on the Gospel text, John 3. 14-21. One part of this very familiar passage is about people who prefer darkness rather than light. There's something … Read More »
In the aftermath of the recent and horrendous bushfires here in Victoria, Australia, people have been calling for a system of 'early warning'. They want some scheme, perhaps based on mobile telephones, by which the authorities can warn people who … Read More »
At the end of this series comes 'self-control'.In the garden of the Spirit, we find the fruit of self-control. What can this mean?First, this is a huge challenge to all those who see religion as the deprecation of self: 'all … Read More »
The harvest of the Spirit includes gentleness.This is surely a greatly mis-understood idea, supported for example by the imagery of 'gentle Jesus, meek and mild'.It is this kind of thinking that associates faith, or more precisely Christian faith, with weakness, … Read More »
Recently I attended a conference from which I took a number of helpful ideas about leadership, and I to pass them on. The central focus is upon the person, not so much technique and style of leadership.Here are some of … Read More »