I was reminded this morning of one of our set texts at school—Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. In particular of Barkis, the local cart driver. Specifically of the minimalist way he proposes to Peggotty, the Copperfield family’s servant. Barkis got the young David to take the message:
"Tell her, 'Barkis is willin'!' Just so."
What a romantic he was.
It’s 40 years since I read David Copperfield, but “Barkis is willin’” has stuck tenaciously in my mind. And it came back to me this morning as I wondered about that word “willing”. It struck me that, although it can sound conditional, it’s really a statement of intent. Like the bride who says: “I will”. So I looked it up in Collins English Dictionary:... continue reading
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells eleven men to “go and make disciples of all nations” (28 v 19). But who was he talking to?
I’ve heard and read several times over the years that this “Great Commission” was:
The rest of us are called to live distinctive lives, and answer people’s questions (1 Peter 3 v 15); but we’re called only to be reactive (waiting for the question to come), rather than proactive (aiming to talk about Jesus).... continue reading
Caught a snatch of a discussion on BBC Radio 4 Today programme about marriage this morning. It centred around research that showed the decline in people who marry young and stay married - childhood sweethearts for life - but quickly became much more general.
At one point, one of the panellists TV agony aunt Denise Robertson said this:
"A good marriage is the nearest thing we get to heaven on earth. A Bad marriage is the nearest thing to hell."
How true. On two different levels. Having supported several friends through messy and painful divorces, I have glimpsed the agony, stress and torture of a marriage gone wrong. And having known many strong, loving committed marriages - both Christian and non-Christian - I can testify that these relationships can be truly beautiful things.... continue reading
Here are five things to ask God for, guided by Ephesians, as you look at the small, precious miracle of creation lying peacefully crying unstoppably in your arms…
Heavenly Father, please give this little one…
1. Faith in Christ.
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…” (Ephesians 1 v 18). More than anything else, your baby needs to know the certain eternal hope of a future with Christ. This is the most important thing you can pray for them. You probably know this, but it’s so very easy to pray for health/happiness/a good night’s sleep instead.... continue reading
Dissatisfaction - Desire - Opportunity - Indulgence
4 words that broke the world.
4 words that mar our relationship with God every day.
4 words that will challenge us until the moment Jesus returns.
4 words that defined my choice of lunch today ...
I'll be honest with you, I'm bored of egg sandwiches. Ham is little better. And the salads I make for myself (if I get up in time) are wonderfully healthy but don't always survive the hot and bumpy journey to work well. Lunch is not my favourite meal of the day. I was reflecting on that fact last night. I'd just finished dinner - a much more inspiring and satisfying delight, concocted with the full armoury of herbs and sauces available in my kitchen...... continue reading
I'm delighted to have worked with Sam Allberry on his new book Is God anti-gay? It's a subject close to my heart as I have many close Christian friends who have wrestled with this issue. In any sizeable church there are likely to be two or three present for whom this is an issue in some way.
Part of the issue was the need for secrecy. It is only relatively recently that "the love that dare not speak its name" has become normalised in society as a whole. And as Sam articulates so compassionately in his book, there are still many believers who feel unable to share the nature of their particular temptation for fear of being judged, rejected or misunderstood by others in their fellowship. I am praying that the message of this book, as it is read by whole congregations will start to remove the fear and ignorance which many of us have - and make our churches more intelligently caring in this area.... continue reading
Football’s Suicide Secret is a programme shown a few days ago by the BBC. It was extremely well presented by footballer Clarke Carlisle, and I was impressed by how balanced it was. But it also got me thinking. How like footballers are we?
Here are some of the main points that come out in the documentary:... continue reading
"So, which sin are you tackling this week?"
It wasn't a question that took me by surprise. My friend and I are both working on a counseling course at the moment. One of our projects is to identify a persistent sin in our lives, analyze it and take biblical steps towards change. Not the most comfortable of assignments but undoubtedly useful!
As I wrestled with some of my heart-issues last week, a range of questions flitted through my mind. But one of the biggest was this: why on earth had I waited for a piece of coursework before starting to address my rebellion?... continue reading
Sat and watched The Impossible last night with teenage daughters.
It tells the real-life story of a Bélon family who were caught up in the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004. The mother, Maria, was horrifically wounded and almost drowned, but manages to find her eldest son Luke. Fearing that dad and the other smaller boys had been killed, there follows a gruelling fight for survival - helped by local Thai villagers, and ending up in a packed and chaotic hospital. I won't spoil the (happy) ending - but the superb acting makes this an emotional ride.
We had to wring the sofa out afterwards.... continue reading
The sense of panic began to rise. Her heart-beat quickened. Her throat tightened. Her stomach began to churn. And she knew that yet again, she would flee the room, the meal lovingly cooked by her friends left uneaten. A true story - a not uncommon story - but one that is desperately misunderstood.
In churches, and the wider society, anorexia and bulimia get quite a lot of press. The issues are known. The patterns for recovery, discussed. But food phobias - that's another matter. All too often considered strange or just plain attention-seeking, the people in our congregations who are genuinely terrified of certain foodstuffs are misunderstood.
So, what is a food phobia? It's when specific foods trigger reactions of anxiety or panic. At their most mild, phobias involve feelings of nervousness and nausea. At their worst, full panic-attacks ensue with strugglers reporting an inability to swallow, breath normally or even be in the same room as their trigger food.... continue reading
