Musings Things only God sees (and angels, and lately, us) October 27, 2018 There was a beautiful sunrise this morning in Ireland—except the majority of Ireland’s inhabitants missed it. It was a dank, grey morning, but at 35,000 feet, all was different. A
A tale of two paintings October 13, 2018 Perhaps you saw the news item about the Banksy painting that shredded itself after being bought at auction? Banksy, real name unknown, is an anarchic artist whose graffiti work often provides a provocative
Psalms Guest Post: A society without Psalms September 15, 2018 My friend Andrew Roycroft, who has the soul of a poet and the heart of a pastor, wrote this thought-provoking post on the Psalms. It is wonderful both for its insight and its
worship The Weekly Ascent September 01, 2018 Someone said to me recently “I don’t know that I have ever really worshipped God.” It wasn’t the confession of an atheist or a non-Christian, but the words of a godly
Is he able…He is able August 18, 2018 I met a man the other day who asked me a straightforward question: “Tell me this, is God able to save me?” “Yes, he is able,” I answered, to which he responded, “No,
The Things that Remain Unchanged June 02, 2018 So Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to change our Constitution by repealing the 8th Amendment. This leaves the way open for unrestricted abortion. It is a sad and tragic day for our nation. I
A Voice for the Voiceless May 20, 2018 [On the 25th May Ireland votes to retain in or repeal from its Constitution the equal right to life of the unborn child.] You can’t be a little bit pregnant and you
Musings Junk Kouture for Real April 28, 2018 It’s that time of year when students turn junk into incredible outfits for the Junk Kouture design competition. Each year I’m amazed at what can be done with scrap. It seems
Scripture The first step March 03, 2018 Have you been there? A life-defining moment, and you know it. You know that if you do this it will change everything. There will be no going back. Once the ball starts rolling
Trying to Get our Morals Back February 17, 2018 In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and a whole pile of other celebrity accusations, it has been sadly fascinating watching the west trying to claw its way back to some form
Rethinking Christmas December 16, 2017 The madness is upon us again. ’Tis the season to spend a fortune. To purchase our way into our children’s hearts. To fall for the manufacturers’ thinly veiled commercialism—O look, a
Conversations with a snowflake November 25, 2017 The world outside my window lay blanketed in dazzling white. I stepped outside and drank deeply from the cold fresh air. "Good morning, Mistress Snowflake," I greeted the freshly fallen flakes.
No longer talking November 09, 2017 Have you noticed that people are no longer talking? Sure, there is plenty of chat in shops and restaurants, but how often do you phone someone? If you’re over 40 you probably
Decision paralysis and searching for paradise October 21, 2017 Monday morning. A day off for some pastors; certainly for this one.* And a good opportunity to grab coffee or lunch with my wife. The conversation goes like this: Lovely wife: “Where d’
The language of tears September 16, 2017 I came across a set of photographs of tears taken using a microscope. They are fascinating to look at; vastly different in their detail and patterns, like looking down at changing landscapes from
Always Looking; Never Wanting to Find September 02, 2017 Here’s something I’ve noticed: It’s cool to search for God, but uncool to find him. People talk about wanting to find spiritual reality and deeper meaning, about wanting to get
Reading God’s Handwriting August 05, 2017 I made a comment recently that we should be readers of three books in particular: the book of Scripture, the book of Creation, and the book of Providence. This was off the back
Fearing Christianity? June 17, 2017 It seems that in the western world there is one category of people not particularly allowed to voice an opinion; one category of people that should be denied office at all costs. Would
Missing Words May 20, 2017 I am a bit of a word geek. I have a passing interest in where words and phrases come from. A few years ago I had a “Forgotten English” desk calendar which had
Ultimate blame shifting April 15, 2017 A businessman from the south of France is suing Uber for a staggering €45 million in damages. (For those who aren’t familiar with Uber—it’s effectively a taxi company without cars.
A rose or a collection of petals? March 18, 2017 I learned something amazing about flowers the other day—that the angle between successive leaves on a stem is approximately 137 degrees. Now that particular angle is known as the golden angle. It
Catastrophizing the Trivial March 04, 2017 Someone made a wrong announcement, or at least handed a wrong envelope to a man making an announcement. Nobody died, nobody was injured, but cue more drama than the dramas themselves. When Warren
The fairness of God? February 18, 2017 Two men live radically different lives. One is morally good, reasonably honest, seeks to help those around him—an all-round nice guy. The other is a rogue: utterly depraved, vilely immoral, with a
Gerascophobia January 21, 2017 My wife and I happened to catch programme on TV about facial cosmetic treatments—it was something of an eye-opener (no pun intended). A beautiful woman in her 30s walks into a room,
New Year Weariness December 31, 2016 So the web is filling up with resolutions, lists of what to do, what goals to set for 2017; and doubtless sermons will be preached tomorrow exhorting people with all sorts of challenges
