Category: Reflections
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The power of the Spirit – Pentecost reflection
A short reflection on the power of the Spirit that came down at Pentecost and enables believers to love, hope, share the good news of Jesus and become more like him.
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What physical pain has taught me about spiritual healing
There’s a real analogy between emotional pain and physical pain. If there’s something seriously wrong with you physically there’s pain before you have the operation and if you don’t do anything about it it will get worse and worse and make you sicker and sicker. Then you have the operation and you can’t feel it…
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9 inspirational women from the New Testament
I love the fact that the New Testament records a range of women of different ages and backgrounds using their skills and gifts for God’s Kingdom. We see rich and poor, educated and uneducated, single and married, leaders, charity workers, intellectuals, risk-takers, business women and craftswomen all being used by God in powerful ways. It…
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Isn’t it all about rule-keeping?
This is a question I’ve been asked a number of times recently when it comes to my Christian faith. It is a common perception that Christianity is about trying to be good by following a set of rules so that you will earn a reward and avoid a punishment. Many people see Christianity as a…
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The kindness instinct
When something annoying happens, what response comes instinctively to you? I often find that I start the day with the right intentions to be godly in everything I do and then someone cuts me up in the car, or I get stuck behind a slow pedestrian or behind a pensioner trying to pay by cheque…
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The joy of giving
This morning I was interviewed as part of some research on charitable giving at Northumbria University. I was asked about which charities I give to, how I give and my motivations, which was a great opportunity to reflect. I haven’t always given to charity and for me it’s been a process of growing in my…
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What’s your favourite smell?
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about smells and more specifically about the power of smell to recall long-forgotten people and places from the distant past. We’ve probably all had the experience when we’ve been going about our daily lives when suddenly a scent will stop us in our tracks and we feel that we…
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A furry lesson in love
Five weeks ago we got a cat. For a couple of nights before we collected him, I didn’t sleep very well as various thoughts were going through my mind. What if he’s aggressive? What if he shreds all our furniture? What if he’s sick everywhere? What if he doesn’t like us? What if he stinks?…
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Rest
This post is based on a talk I did at the Student Life Hub on the subject of rest. What is rest? How do you like to rest? Maybe you like to sleep, watch Netflix, do crafts, sport, music, get out in nature, meditate, read, or do some gardening… I’ve been trying over the last…
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