In our life of following Jesus, we never ‘graduate’ from him.  Its not that Jesus is the first base of learning, after which we move on to other things.  There are depths to him, especially to his identification as the ‘Christ’, that we’ll never be done fathoming, expounding and exploring, let alone exploring who is … More Jesus?

Doesn’t do any harm to undertake a bit of a spiritual review from time to time.  It’s something that has been well over due for me, seeing as I’m still trying to find a new spiritual director after having moved south last year.  It is so easy to get out of the pattern or habit … More Spiritual Check-up

I find people fascinating.  One of the things I love doing is travelling into London, where it seems like people from every tribe, nation and language have gathered to live together, alongside hoards of visitors from other places around the world.  Its fascinating watching them and I’m reminded from the visions painted in scripture that … More Not all the people bite…

I can barely let the 17th October pass without some reflection on the anniversary of my conversion…or at least the beginning of my conversion!  I will never forget it and it is etched on my mind as a distinctive turning point, a decisive moment which has shifted the direction of my life more than once, … More Getting Saved!

What is firing you up at the moment? What moves you? What is giving your life purpose and meaning? Those are good questions, but also fundamentally challenging ones if you find yourself in a bit of a no-mans-land.  I’m certainly not running adrift, and I’m keeping quite healthy these days, but there are still large questions … More Passion

One of the more surprising thing for me that has arisen in recent years is the desire, and maybe even a bit of ability, to write poetry.  I know exactly when this happened – it is one of the fruits of attending the Men’s Rites of Passage event.  It introduced me to accessible poetry again, … More Poetically Speaking…

Summer is lingering here in St Albans, but very soon what seems to me to be the busiest season of life in church circles is about to begin.  For me, that means gently initiating some new things at the church I serve in and starting up some of the regulars that have had something of a … More Resetting Rhythms

A new geography and a new set of plans for the summer of 2016 gave opportunity for me to take advantage of the ‘first time leader’ concession ticket for the Greenbelt festival, held in Broughton estate outside Kettering.  I have to admit to being slightly uncomfortable at the idea of a justice-focussed event being held … More Greenbelt 2016 Review

As August wanes and September is about to appear, it seems that it has been something of a Golden Summer.  Admittedly, I’m a crabbit bugger when it comes to heat, but I do love the sunshine and the rest and the gentle pace and the literal recreation that happens in a good summer. We enjoyed … More A Golden Summer

It was Thomas Merton who said that most of us have reduced the gospel to a ‘personal salvation project’ – to something that bolsters our own views, opinions and, ultimately, our own ego position.  In actuality, the gospel calls us to a death before a completely different kind of life…resurrection life.  We lay down our … More Personal Salvation Project