leadership Abusive Leadership November 07, 2020 Ezekiel 34 was in my Bible reading this week. What a sombre passage for pastors, for shepherds of the flock. ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Woe to you shepherds of Israel
COVID-19 Reviewing My Predictions for 2020 October 17, 2020 Who could have foreseen 2020 unfolding the way it has? What a weird year and there are still 10 weeks to go! A friend recently messaged me and asked “Well, did you get
self esteem The Myth of Self-Esteem October 03, 2020 “Never criticise” is the mantra that we are all told these days when it comes to working with young people. I don't know if it is still the case, but for a while
perfection Enjoying Imperfection September 12, 2020 There isn’t much about failure to enjoy. Depending on what it is—giving away a penalty in the last second of a semi-final and costing your side the game, a moral failure
reasonableness The Elusive Trait of Reasonableness July 25, 2020 (This article first appeared in the Reformed Presbyterian Witness--reprinted here with permission. That article in turn drew on one I wrote which first appeared here at Gentle Reformation. Anyhow, with the all the
balance Resuming Breakneck Speed July 04, 2020 Years ago I went to see a film called Koyaanisqatsi. It was like Ecclesiastes without the resolution of chapters 11 & 12. It consists of slow-motion and time-lapse footage from natural landscapes and
worship Worshipping By Faith, Not By Sight June 06, 2020 For many of us—depending on where you are—either you have been or you soon will be looking forward to meeting together as congregations for the first time in a long time.
COVID-19 The Easing of Lockdown May 16, 2020 Countries wait with bated breath. Children strain at the leash. Parents look forward to it. Here in Ireland after 7 weeks of greatly restricted movement, the prospect of some levels of freedom are
COVID-19 Mother Earth or Father God? March 21, 2020 Apparently, the city of Venice is enjoying crystal clear waters in its world-famous canals due to a lack of debris from tourists and near-zero boat traffic under Italy's ongoing coronavirus lockdown. Pollution monitoring
preaching The Need for Nuance in Preaching February 29, 2020 Once again my friend Andrew Roycroft writes with wisdom and precision. His article on the need for nuance and careful thinking and speaking in a world where simple sloganeering holds sway is well
The Power of Guilt February 15, 2020 Douglas Murray’s book The Strange Death of Europe is a fascinating read. Murray is a political commentator, journalist, and as to his religious leanings, he is atheist. Wikipedia tells me that, “he
Lack of goats made me do it January 18, 2020 A while ago I came across the story of a Swiss man caught speeding on a Canadian highway. His excuse was a classic. He blamed his actions on the lack of goats on
My Predictions for 2020 December 28, 2019 The last several years have defied the predictions and wrecked the confidence of the pollsters, soothsayers and prognosticators. How many times over the last 3-4 years have we shook our heads at election
Christian living Stepping out of the Shadows December 07, 2019 It would be easy to bemoan the state of the world in which we live. 2019 was a year of momentous change with the introduction of abortion in Ireland and in Northern Ireland,
YouTube Picks October 26, 2019 Following last week's post on YouTube I'm actually going to recommend a few YouTube videos I've enjoyed in recent weeks. There are three long ones, and two short ones. I can't remember who
Christian living YouTube Heaven? October 12, 2019 We live in the world of viral videos—at least those of us connected to the internet. The latest video becomes the topic of conversation—have you seen the one where…? Together, we
Liar, Liar September 21, 2019 “What is truth?” a jaded and cynical politician once asked. Sounds current doesn’t it? A couple of weeks ago, broadcaster and television producer, Dorothy Byrne posed the question: “Is it time for
preaching A Word to Preachers on different types of Preacher August 31, 2019 I recently saw video clip featuring Alistair Begg describing different types of preachers—poor preachers: The Cheerleader (always looking applause), The Conjuror (pulling things out of the text which aren’t there), The
Christian living Distinguishing Marks of an Unteachable Person August 03, 2019 Kevin DeYoung wrote a great piece on the “Distinguishing marks of a Quarrelsome Person”. I found it convicting and helpful. It was the sort of piece that should cause you to take a
The Unlikely Ways of God July 20, 2019 Would you pick an 80-year-old man to lead a slave uprising? A timid man to lead an army against an all-conquering hoard? A mild whisper to inspire a dejected prophet? A shameful cross
“I am my Body” June 22, 2019 Driving back home late on Saturday evening I caught an interview on RTE radio with Irish choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan. Since my girls are ballet dancers my interest was piqued. At one point the
A New Blasphemy Era June 08, 2019 Last year Ireland removed blasphemy as an offense from its constitution. It was seen as outdated and unworkable. It may have been those things—in fact the last time it was used was
Reading in a Gold mine May 18, 2019 Some years ago I read through Stephen Charnock’s rather large book “Existence and Attributes of God”. It's an intimidating book, but I was going to be preaching on the attributes of God
The God who Disturbs our Consciences May 04, 2019 Sometimes we bury things. Deep in the realms of the past. Hidden from everyday remembering. I’m not thinking of things that have happened to us—rather things we have done. Things we
Notre Dame: A 21st Century Parable April 20, 2019 There is something parable-like in the destruction of Notre Dame Cathedral. Its architectural splendour has graced the Parisian skyline for nearly a millennia. Its soaring artistry and elegance has taken the breath away
