Fire of the Spirit

This morning, I had one of the most intense spiritual conversations I have had for some time - with one of the fire fighters who visited our Holiday Club. We talked of good and evil, of love and death, of angst and expression, of the dark side and edgy music, of the pursuit of happiness and inner contentment...
Conversations like that used to be more frequent when I served as a hospital chaplain but, now that I am a parish minister and, in many ways, more identified with the institutional church, it is, for some reason - probably many reasons - hard to get beyond the religious and denominational pleasantries.
This morning, it was good to be able to affirm once more that I am "right off religion" and not experience a shocked reaction.
A brief encounter - but a breath of fresh air. Thanks be to God.

Signs of the Kingdom

Jesus, in the gospel, asks: What is the Kingdom like? And goes on telling stories to illustrate the Kingdom.
Looking around today, what stories point to the Kingdom?
Of course we would want to point out that the slayings in Norway, carried out by "a fundamental christian" are far from the Kingdom.
Pictures of drought stricken communities and war ravaged cities are not obvious signs either, though, in all of these stories, we find God at work despite human beings.
The question for us, though, is: To what stories do we contribute that point positively to the Kingdom of God existing in our midst?
How do we become signs of the Kingdom?

Wayside planking

Two pastors planking on a wayside pulpit in McDowell, Virginia.

It reads: U R born 2 B a blessing 2 D world.

Amen to that!

Light up the darkness

I've just discovered lightning bugs for the first time - magical little creatures that light up the darkness of a summer evening. As far as I know, we don't have these in Scotland. I'm giving thanks this week for these little harbingers of light - watching these while listening to the refrain of bull frogs and cicadas is truly wonderful. Celebrating creation with all the senses!

The old and the new?

Planking on Girvan Bowling Green

I found it necessary at our annual church bowling outing to do some planking. It struck me that this was merging the new with the old - the ancient game of lawn bowling with the modern craze for planking. Ministry is a call to introduce new elements to ancient traditions. I wonder where Jesus would have "planked"?

Rock of ages

In all the cracks and crevices

in all the gaps and hollows

the hand of God 

is evident.

In the amazing complexity

and sheer wonder 

of geology

we glimpse a brief theology:

the God of creation

assaults our senses

at every turn

with awesome sights

and sounds

so that we are compelled

to silence

in the face of

unspeakable beauty.

For everything...there is a season.

I was sharing with a colleague recently how, so often, when the frustrations that are not the essence of ministry seem overwhelming, God allows us to encounter others at a deeply spiritual level, making a connection the like of which is one of the huge privileges of ministry. And, in such encounters, exhausting though they be, we are affirmed in our calling, in our worth and as beloved children of God. Such affirmation brings its own energy along with  healing and restoration. Giving thanks today for that energy that allows us to rise above the life sapping hurdles that we meet along the way.