Andrew S M Clark

‘How did this happen? How has the church become so depleted? How has this land been given over to other gods?’ ‘It happened whilst the church was sleeping.’ This conversation, from a while ago, resonates in my heart and mind this afternoon. Some of us who were in the conversation at the time recalled the … More Reviving Faith: Whilst the Church Sleeps

It’s Sunday afternoon, and so I’m now just patiently waiting for my body and spirit to go through the wave of post-service ‘stuff’, back to some sort of equilibrium. I’m aware that I find it almost impossible to stand in front of any group and not speak passionately from the heart and invariably find myself … More The Mystery of Preaching: Reflections from a Sunday Sermon

One of the things that the 21st century evangelical church doesn’t seem to cope with is wildness, perhaps especially in men. Now, let me clarify that. I’m not talking about the ‘unruly barbarian’ type of wild, or the brash and violent kind of wild, or even the unkempt kind of wild. I’m talking about the … More Unleashing Wildness: Rediscovering the Uninhibited Spirit of Jesus and His Missionaries

A pastor can’t really sit and write a memoir. There are things shared which are for no one else to know. Neither can he really sit and write in any specific terms about the ways in which pastoral ministry becomes a cost, however articulate Paul was about these things. Just recently, more than one fellow … More Enduring Grace in Ministry: By His Wounds We Are Healed

I hinted yesterday that I didn’t necessarily come to the pastors’ conference entirely ready for it. I was (and am) tired, and just full of the regular pastor concerns a pastor has for his flock! I’m also aware I didn’t know many people, I didn’t feel very ‘people-y’ – if you know what I mean! … More Retreat: Refresh: Replenish again

I’m on the mainland this week combining some personal enjoyment (singing with friends), personal retreat in my usual Holy Island (Northumberland) location, and now on a bit of a work-related conference/retreat – the Scottish Baptist Ministers Conference here in St Andrews. A bit of travel and moving from pillar to post, but at a rather … More Refresh : Retreat : Replenish

Dreher spends a good bit of his time in ‘The Benedict Option’ speaking about education – often the battle ground of the ‘progressive agenda’ and the place where most Christians have trouble in the responsibility of parenting, or in the case of teachers, at work. He recommends that Christian communities look, at the very least, … More City on a Hill: Educating a Generation

Our island has no cities and no towns – only villages. Small, relatively close-knit communities. Within two years here, I know many islanders and even more by sight. People work hard to make the island community work in spite of the challenges we face (none of which overwhelms the sheer privilege of living in such … More City on a Hill: …the village of God