1 In the household of God, I have stumbled in recitation, and in my mind I have wandered. I have interrupted worship with discussion. Once I extinguished the Gospel candle after all the others. But never held the cup to my mouth … [Continue reading]
The Beatitudes, mostly, are things we do, rather than things we are. There’s hope in that!
The Beatitudes are the blazing heart of everything Jesus taught. Once you’ve got them, once you’re living them, then you’ve begun to “get” Jesus and the way he thinks. And I am only beginning to! For the Beatitudes to travel the longest … [Continue reading]
In which Jesus Promises Rest to the Meek
I like Jesus’ great invitation at the end of Matthew 11:“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For … [Continue reading]
Prayers are Prophecies: The Transcript of your Prayers becomes your Life’s Script
I am reading Mark Batterson’s The Circle Maker, a brilliant book on prayer and am already praying more, and praying better: one test of a good book on prayer. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter: Bold prayers honour God and God honours bold … [Continue reading]
How Persephone Marlowe can Keep You Straight
Image credit When we moved to Oxford, and my daughter, Irene, was five, she sat next to a little girl in school called Persephone Marlowe. And in church, to our surprise, there was Persephone Marlowe. And the whole Marlowe family who were lovely … [Continue reading]
In which Annie Relocates the Wirral to Birmingham, and I am Chastened
One gets spoiled in Oxford, gets used to fast-moving, intelligent conversation; to hearing of new books and new ideas, and having your own thinking challenged. And sometimes, after living here for years, you can think of Oxford as the world. … [Continue reading]
A Table in Presence of my Foes
I am reading the story of Jacob in Genesis. Jacob was in a most unpromising position to make a fortune. “Name your wages,” Laban said, and Jacob did, modest ones: the streaked and speckled sheep and goats, and dark sheep (Gen … [Continue reading]
In which Difficult People are Angels Unawares
I read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson at a difficult time of my life, with a great deal of pleasure, awe, delight, gratitude (and envy at the perfection of her writing style). However, I did not remember this beautiful passage which Canadian … [Continue reading]
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