Cleansed and Clothed
‘Lord, we feel so unworthy in your presence…’ We have all prayed these words or certainly heard them expressed in heartfelt ways. Unworthiness can hit us like a bolt of lightning when convicted of a sin. Or sometimes it settles like an unwelcome cloud over our lives, a shadow of inferiority that not only taints […]
The body and mental illness
Gospel, Church and Mental HealthResidential Conference, March 2023 Session 2 Download slides ↗
I just need some tools…
I just need some tools to help me with my stress…we just need a few tools to help us stop arguing in our marriage… I wished that’s all there had been to it. Dispense a few practical tips, offer a step-by-step handout, recommend a book, pop them a podcast and hey presto: friend fixed, couple […]
Have yourself a contented little Christmas
Contentment. The puritan Jeremiah Burroughs called it ‘a rare jewel’. I wonder what images come to your mind as you think of contentment. That satisfied feeling after Christmas dinner, when the stress and rush and hassle and pressure abate, the clearing up has been done and it’s time to put the feet up in front […]
Mental health and a weary church
As I write, we are in the middle of a third national lockdown and the impact of the pandemic on mental health is a focus of concern. We can easily hear the term, ‘mental health’ and think that it represents a set of problems that is someone else’s speciality. The kind of things that psychiatrists […]
The present tense of your heart
For some, the pandemic has been a time of spiritual growth, and perhaps for others a season of struggle. I was challenged recently by the testimony of a young person in our church. He spoke candidly of it being a period of spiritual drift for him. Whether we’re growing or drifting, such circumstances can disciple […]
The dilemma of depression
Depression creates all kinds of problems. For the Christian, more than usual. It raises questions and poses dilemmas that mesh deeply with our faith. People’s experience can include: “I don’t feel like I’m a Christian.” God seems very distant. It doesn’t feel like he’s listening or even there. I don’t feel any joy, just a dark […]
Child Proof: Parenting by Faith, not Formula
If there’s anything that makes me feel guilty it has to be parenting. A sense of failure, shame, and ‘maybe they’ll turn out all right despite me’ never seem far away. What’s going on? No doubt I’ve erected idolatrous standards against which I fall hopelessly short. I know I’m not alone. Enter Julie Lowe, CCEF […]
Resilient resolutions
New Year’s resolutions. Remember those? How are you doing? Healthy eating, more exercise, a better routine, more reading, more Bible reading, more prayer… Chances are, though, you’ve struggled. Research has shown that nearly a quarter of people abandon their goal after one week, 46% after a month, and 64% after six months. That means half us have […]
Putting bitterness away
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31) He was a loner. He bore grudges. Conversations with him were spent rehearsing the latest set of injustices. The friend who never called. The neighbour whose tree blocked his light. The price of coal. […]
