Tag Archives: sabbatical

Why I take pictures of cats

Above the Monastery in Petra, signs direct visitors to some of the very Best Views.
We scrambled towards the Best View in the World.
It was a very good view. There was also, of course, a small cat. Continue reading

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Trust

A man whose last name we didn’t know, whom we had met last night, pointed out a narrowing canyon and said, “Walk that way. I’ll meet you on the other side.” Continue reading

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Dead Sea Prayer

Floating in brine designed not for propagating but for pickling; Suspended between peace and petrification, love and devotion. When will your waters break afresh, bringing a new creation to its first astonished breath?

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Fear of God

I am a professional at proclaiming the promises of God. I make excuses not to put God to the test. Continue reading

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Sabbatical: steady

The stewardship of attention and anxiety has come to the fore as an important dimension of the discipline of preparing for Sabbath. Continue reading

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Sabbatical: ready

When I sang in a choir, long ago and far away, we were taught to stagger our breathing through long, sustained notes. As long as we didn’t all do it at the same time, each of us could take a breather from the music, replenish our oxygen exchange, without the note wavering or failing its audience. As long as we supported one another’s rest, no one need gasp for lack of air, and the music (the service, the worship) would continue unabated. Continue reading

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Love builds up

We serve Christ, who cast out demons and reconciled the word of God to its application, because love is more important than letters. Anything less brings the gospel into disrepute. Continue reading

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Illumined

If the word of God is rare in these days, it will only be because we preach it too quietly. If the worship of God fails to take into account the bodies of God’s children, the sins of unequal honour, of racism and prejudice, then it is up to us to undertake a reformation. If we are to shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, then we must obey his commandment to love: to love God, and our neighbours as ourselves. Continue reading

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Hospitality – 2: guest vs host

This week, I read in the blog of a friend, who’s spending his sabbatical in the Holy Land during the holy month of Ramadan, the following nugget:  An-Najah is a half-mile walk past Rafidia, so after church I had a nice … Continue reading

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