well said, john ortberg

Reflecting on the search process for a church leader, John Ortberg writes:

But I do have a conviction that when it comes to getting leadership right, 98 percent of the ballgame is relationship. I believe where there is a relationship of joy and commitment and mutual submission and trust and authentic love—then the division of labor issues can flow freely and effectively. But where the relationship is broken, all the org charts in the world can't save it.

Well said, says I.

john stott: the cross of Jesus

There is wonderful power in the Cross of Christ. It has power to wake the dullest conscience and melt the hardest heart, to cleanse the unclean, to reconcile him who is afar off and restore him to fellowship with God, to redeem the prisoner from his bondage and lift the pauper from the dunghill, to break down the barriers which divide [people] from one another, to transform our wayward characters into the image of Christ and finally make us fit to stand in white robes before the throne of God.

from The Preacher's Portrait

don't plan

Fried & Hansson recommend that we downgrade our planning for the future into guessing about the future - that way we're freed from obsessing over it and able to improvise along the way. They make a number of helpful points and conclude with these words:

Working without a plan may seem scary. But blindly following a plan that has no relationship with reality is even scarier.

(They're talking businesses but you can think 'church' too and find their work stimulating and helpful. The above example put me in mind of James 4:13ff.)

judgement: the return to chaos

I linked a few weeks back to some posts by Peter Enns in which he mentions that in both the flood and the exodus plagues, judgement is seen as a return to primordial chaos. The point was well made and securely-grounded.

I think the same is also seen at the cross when the sun is darkened - it's Genesis 1 in reverse: the sun is (effectively) blotted-out and the earth returns to the chaos of darkness.

Maybe those instances help to clarify the nature of God's judgement upon sin, that it results in de-creation, in chaos and an absence of meaning and order and vitality and the associated anguish of such a state.

step outside, posh boy

A deeply perceptive article in The Guardian, laying bare the British electorate's underlying sympathies with 'the hard man'.

keller on proverbs, via the city

In a piece on why he puts an emphasis on Christians and churches aiming to reach cities with the gospel, Tim Keller says something about the book of Proverbs that I've found, over the years, really helpful in handling the book - but he probably says it far better than I could (and the thought wasn't original to me anyway):

When I studied the book of Proverbs, I came to see that a proverb is not the same as a command or a promise. Proverbs say things like, "In general, if you work hard, you won't find yourself lacking the basics, but there are plenty of exceptions. So work hard, but don't be shocked if something goes wrong." That's not an iron-clad promise (that everyone who works hard will be well off) nor a command. It is a statement about a wise course of action. When I say that we need to put more emphasis on city ministry, I'm speaking 'proverbially.' The Bible and history shows us how important cities are as centers for ministry, yet the amount of effort the church puts into cities is not proportionate to the need or opportunity.

sample chapters on preaching

You might want to check out the samples of these couple of books on preaching - and maybe even then buy the books.

William Willimon - Undone By Easter (Keeping Preaching Fresh)

T. David Gordon - Why Johnny Can't Preach

blending stories and doctrine

This is a really helpful article by Brandon O'Brien, reflecting on the ministry of Walter Wangerin.

rework

I liked the sound of this book and I really like Mike Rohde's graphic work, so it's on order with Amazon.

Here's a clip of the authors chatting about it on ABC.



(HT: Mike Rohde)

in extension

Inspired by an album I saw on spotify, I decided to put together a playlist of my favourite extended versions of old 80s hits.

So, without apology for the unashamed nostalgia, here's the link:

The 80s extended remixes playlist

Any additional suggestions welcome.

friday night spotify (again): the best of the pretenders

Some bands are best remembered this way - all the joy of their singles crammed onto one disk. This collection by The Pretenders is so full of memories - ah, the early 80s - what heady days you were! We remember you well and without blame.

And who could ever resist the sublime I Go To Sleep? The autumn of 1981 was its natural home all along.

friday night spotify: london calling

Punk and post-punk was never my bag especially, so The Clash were never on my list, although I did quite like the title-track of this album. But what a treat this is! For sheer musical variety and general fun (despite some of the themes) it's a standout album. I guess it has a chance of making it onto my list of great albums...

If you're into physical product, Amazon have it on sale at £3.93.

eat that frog

(Disclaimer: this has nothing to do with people on the other side of the English Channel)

Some great advice from Gina Trapani on handling procrastination, especially in terms of 'eating your frog' (which is Mark Twain-speak for the worst thing in your day).

Get it done first thing.

So, what's your frog?

a great food blog

I don't think I've ever mentioned food on here before, but I love cooking (not that I do that much of it) and I love cookbooks (not that I have that many of them).

I just came across a great food blog that you might also like to visit - Stonesoup. It helps that it's a terrific-looking blog.

I'll feedback any results if I ever try out some of the recipes. In the meantime, here's a photo of some broccoli and chick peas with tahini sauce. Looks great!

mary oliver: evidence

It was a delightful surprise to discover that Mary Oliver has written a further volume of poems and that the good folks at Amazon were willing to send it to me in exchange for some silver and gold.

Evidence duly arrived this morning and is sitting on my desk, waiting to disclose its pleasures like a bud waiting for the rays of dawn.

I can't wait for daybreak.

ted hughes: the thought fox

I imagine this midnight moment's forest:
Something else is alive
Beside the clock's loneliness
And this blank page where my fingers move.

Through the window I see no star:
Something more near
Though deeper within darkness
Is entering the loneliness:

Cold, delicately as the dark snow
A fox's nose touches twig, leaf;
Two eyes serve a movement, that now
And again now, and now, and now

Sets neat prints into the snow
Between trees, and warily a lame
Shadow lags by stump and in hollow
Of a body that is bold to come

Across clearings, an eye,
A widening deepening greenness,
Brilliantly, concentratedly,
Coming about its own business

Till, with a sudden sharp hot stink of fox
It enters the dark hole of the head.
The window is starless still; the clock ticks,
The page is printed.

making the most of the free kindle app

OK, so you got the free Kindle app on your PC. Trouble is, you read something that you find helpful and want to clip it for future reference. Can you do so? No.

Except you can. If you're also using Evernote (and who wouldn't be?), you simply press the PrintScreen button on your keyboard, then highlight the Kindle text you've just fallen in love with and - voila! - you have the text sitting in Evernote (as an image).

Apparently (I haven't tried this yet), if you have the Kindle iPhone app you can highlight text natively and add your own notes, which are then saved to an Amazon page for you. Then, you'd simply clip from that page into Evernote (using the normal clipping tool, not the PrintScreen one).

Neat!

(HT: Tony Steward et al)

the great albums (4) - the rising

This list could (and might yet) have more than one album by Bruce Springsteen on it. In many ways, The Rising might be a fairly surprising choice from his canon but, in other ways, it is definitive.

The album is a reflection on the events of 9/11 but not in an overtly political sense. Rather, this is 9/11 from the perspective of loved ones, lost ones, left ones. And it works for Bruce in ways it never could for most other artists.

There are spiritual depths on this album as Springsteen looks to find some possibility of healing and redemption in the face of desperate loss. Maybe the high point is the fabulous gospel-chorus on My City Of Ruins.

It's an album that has moved me to tears more than once. Not an easy listen, in some ways, but the E Street band are on top form and, despite the subject matter, it ends up being deeply satisfying.

(nb: the review on spotify is mostly spot-on)

herbert: easter wings

Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more,
Till he became
Most poore:
With thee
Oh let me rise
As larks, harmoniously,
And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

My tender age in sorrow did beginne:
And still with sicknesses and shame
Thou didst so punish sinne,
That I became
Most thinne.
With thee
Let me combine
And feel this day thy victorie:
For, if I imp my wing on thine
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.


(HT: Englewood Review of Books)

sara groves: fireflies and songs

It's a great album; well-written, well-sung, well-played. Beautiful.

You can check-out the lyrics here.

it's a sweet, sweet thing
standing here with you and nothing to hide
light shining down to our very insides
sharing our secrets, bearing our souls,
helping each other come clean

secrets and cyphers
there's no good way to hide
there's redemption in confession
and freedom in the light
I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid