Ministry. Theology. Culture.
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Preaching from a Place of Fullness
I have preached from a place of emptiness and from a place of fullness, and the experience of the one makes me long for the other. A settled ministry in one congregation is a privilege beyond description, and a responsibility beyond the strength of any pastor. The weight and momentum of feeding hungry souls, preaching…
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Blessed at a Distance: some thoughts on the passing of Rev. Edward Donnelly
It is by now old news that we are living in a hyper-connected age, a period unlike any other in history in terms of our access to people, places, and information. This is often lauded and occasionally lamented, the bittersweet blessing of being part of a global village with worldwide reach continuing to create new…
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The Queen’s Funeral Sermon: some early thoughts
In what has been billed ‘the most watched sermon in history’ the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, today spoke at the funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For those who never preach, and for those of us whose audience figures are drastically more modest, it is easy to be overly-critical about what is…
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2 Things I Admired in the King’s Speech
At 6pm UK time a new era in world history began – King Charles III made his first formal speech as sovereign. Closure and commencement were neatly combined, the conclusion of his much loved mother’s life and public service opening out into the beginning of his tenure as monarch. The weight of history was everywhere…
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A Prayer on the Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
ADORATIONAlmighty God, ruler of heaven and earth, we bow before you today in awe of your majesty, and in open confession of your glory. We come in the name of your risen Son, Jesus Christ – King of kings and Lord of lords, rejoicing that in him we have access to your throne. THANKSGIVINGYou, O…
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After Disruption
If you happen to visit Berlin it would be well worth looking out for the Chapel of Reconciliation on Bernaeur Strasse, in the Mitte district. The building, and the history that lies behind it, bear testimony to hopeful things that can emerge from terrible disruption. The original chapel was constructed in the late 19th century,…
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Who in the world am I preaching to?
I preach over 100 sermons annually. That amounts to more hours of preparation than I can hope to quantify, and around 250,000 words of written material produced for the pulpit each year. This is one of the main activities that I have been trained, commissioned, and employed for by the local church. This is what…
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Book Review: The Least, the Last, and the Lost
The privilege and challenge of reaching non-Christians in the most deprived areas of the UK is the focus of this landmark book from Mez McConnell, the fruit of two decades of frontline work and deep-dive research. Mez, founder of 20Schemes and Pastor of Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh leaves no stone unturned in his analysis…
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Considering a Call
On this day one year ago I received a phone call from an esteemed elder in a Baptist church over 50 miles from where we were serving the Lord. It was a conversation which had clearly been preceded by prayer, thought, and planning on the part of the elder team he was representing. The terms…
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An inherited garden (a ministry parable)
We recently moved to a new home and, given how much outdoor spaces are now being used for entertaining, we have poured some energy into our inherited garden. Previous occupants have worked hard to maintain, cultivate, and increase the ground, and that shows. Many of them remain in the neighbourhood, and have pledged themselves to…
THINKING PASTORALLY 