Every employment has its own particular perils and pitfalls, occupational hazards which are simply attendant on fulfilling the task in hand. In this post I want to share three healthy and holy fears which should characterise the mind and heart of a faithful minister. These are not the pathological fears which seize all of our … Continue reading 3 things pastors (should) fear →

For those of us who remember Amstrad and Spectrum computers (!) it is still an almost unthinkable thing that we carry around so much computing horsepower in our pockets and on our tablets. There is in our constant grasp a world of information, of connection, and of temptation which our forebears could never have imagined. … Continue reading Dwell app: first impressions →

Our world is on fire for want of good listening and gracious engagement, and some of the flames are burning brightest between believers. Individuals who would avoid face-to-face confrontation at all costs in their everyday lives are warring with words, brusquely asserting their theology, and refusing to indulge in true conversation in their online world. … Continue reading 4 ways to disagree well: some lessons from Spurgeon →

The impact of e-books on mainstream paper publishing is a hotly disputed topic. Several years ago the demise of the physical book was confidently predicted in some quarters, while fiercely denied by others. Recent research has suggested that sales of e-readers has been in steady decline for some time, although how much this is the … Continue reading App Review: The Heuristic Shakespeare →

I've been preaching over the past twenty year period, and I've never once managed to do so without being nervous. In talking with friends and colleagues I have a sneaking suspicion that this is not personal to me nor owing entirely to my temperament. Standing Lord's Day by Lord's Day and declaring what God has … Continue reading Preacher’s Nerves →

In Primary 7 I was fortunate enough to fail my 11+ exam and be sent the following year to our local high school (a 'Comprehensive' for readers outside of Ulster). The place was named Gransha Boys High (GBH for short), and it carried a glowering reputation of facilitating having one's head periodically flushed down the … Continue reading The guy with the brick →

The frontier between evangelical belief and culturally assumed ethics has been high in the headlines over the past weeks in the UK and Ireland. The referendum on the 8th amendment to the Irish constitution and the announcement by the Presbyterian Church of Ireland regarding same sex unions/church membership have powerfully highlighted just how much of … Continue reading Three Points of Departure →