“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” ~ Jesus of Nazareth Pastoral ministry isn’t glamorous. It’s a unique and holy vocation;...
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Col. 2:6–7 One of my favorite hymns is Amazing Grace. Written by...
"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." - John 14:4 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 Jesus...
I love reading. And being a parent has further convinced me of the value of reading. My favorite time of the day is reading time with my daughter Sophia, just before she goes to bed. Spiritual Reading In the mid-1990s, I discovered the art of “spiritual reading”...
The Jesus Way · Movement 3 · From Power to Servanthood The Shape of the Whole Life Every life takes a shape. You can see it in the way an old photograph reveals patterns that weren’t visible at the time. The career arc. The relationships sustained or abandoned. The...
The Jesus Way · Movement 3 · From Power to Servanthood The Reasonable Voice Most temptation, in my experience, doesn’t come dressed as evil. It comes dressed as a reasonable solution to a real problem. It comes wearing the language of stewardship, responsibility, and...
Simplicity Parenting: Raising Kids with Less Noise and More Grace Somewhere in the half-light before dawn, a parent sits at the kitchen table with a cooling cup of coffee and a list that already feels like a verdict. Permission slips. Snack rotations. The...
The Jesus Way · Movement 3 · From Power to Servanthood The Room That Stopped Breathing There are moments in life when the temperature of a room changes. You’ve been in them. The conversation has been flowing easily, jokes and small talk, the comfortable noise of...
The Jesus Way · Movement 3 · From Power to Servanthood The Request Imagine you’ve been following a teacher for three years. You’ve left your home, your family business, your entire previous life. You’ve watched him heal the sick and feed the hungry and silence the...
I’m on spiritual retreat at the Hermitage in Mittagong at the moment, reflecting on what 45 years of following Jesus and his Way have taught me about faith and discipleship. Here’s some of what those years have taught me. Maybe it’ll encourage others on the Way. 1....
The Jesus Way · Movement 2 · From Competition to Compassion The Debt You’ve Forgotten There’s a moment, possibly many years ago now, when someone let you off the hook. Maybe you were a teenager and you did something that should’ve had serious consequences, and a...
The Jesus Way · Movement 2 · From Competition to Compassion What Still Gets to You? There’s a question I’ve been asking people lately, in conversations over coffee, in small groups, in the quiet margins after church. It’s a simple question, but it tends to open...