Encourage the Good: Recent Episodes
Nigel Pollock
I spend my life trying to encourage the good wherever I can find it. I think about how faith relates to culture and how the Bible applies to every area of life. I am interested in innovation, leadership, creativity and sport. Ideas and stories are the currency of life and open up new horizons. I would like you to know the love of God and the joy, peace and hope that are found in Jesus.
In my experience the hardest things in leadership are dealing with opposition and managing internal frustration and disappointment. In both cases the strength of emotion that accompanies the narrative makes it hard to chart a steady course.
The people are in need, insecure and in debt. They are in despair and impotent.. This threat is from within.. The division is a diversion from the work of God and a distraction from the real enemy
I can think of a few instances where red mist has descended, and I have acted in ways which I do not look back on with pride. The primal reaction that triggers the fight or flight response tends to escalate a situation in the short term and usually leads to depression and fear.
When we get mad or threatened a desire for control and retribution rises within us. We want to put people in their place but that is not the same thing as God putting people in His place.
Opposition can feel like an indication that we are doing something wrong, but it can often indicative that we are moving in the right direction.
One of the things to consider facing opposition is what is the truth of this accusation.
Problem is that we resonate with the elements of truth in the accusation rather than considering the truth in the wider context and situation. The people are frail, it is frustrating, and they have good reason to be afraid.
When you are tired and have real issues to deal with succumbing to fear and despair become a much bigger temptations. You lose perspective and the narrative that you believe in is changed. Faith is displaced by fear and the view of the majority reshapes our view of God.
When Leaders take credit for things that God has done they grow their reputation rather than enhance the glory of God and build reliance on themselves rather than faith in God.
Everything is broken down, the state of disrepair is exhaustive, but it is addressed by a comprehensive endeavour where each person and group plays their part.
Each of us has a part to play. The different individuals and groups have a common vision and a shared purpose. Their diversity enriches the task force as they bring different backgrounds, strengths and perspectives.
In IFES we work in many different countries and contexts. But the common purpose is to help youth, students and graduates discover Jesus, develop undivided lives and grow in influence. Ultimately to see lives transformed by the gospel and companies, institutions and communities shaped by the impact of the word of God.
Nehemiah Episode 4
It is very informative to watch how Nehemiah goes about things in this new season.
He catches his breath. He does not do anything for three days. Rest and reset are important. The whole idea of recreation is being recreated in the image of God. God has ordained rhythms of rest and work, night and day, sleep and activity.
He explores the ground. He needs to see for himself what the situation is.
This is missiology. He seeks to understand the context and the nature of the challenge.
He casts Vision and calls to action. The call to action is an invitation.
He faces ridicule and prepares for battle. The quickening of the work, results in an escalation of the opposition.
Nehemiah: Episode 3
Timing is everything. One of my recurrent prayers is that I would be in the right place at the right time with the right heart, with the right words for the right people.
Nehemiah decides that this day in the month of Nisan will be when he takes the risk of talking to the king. He is a servant and although he has access to the king his position is precarious and he is fearful of losing his position, his freedom or even his life.
He repurposes a situation to turn it into an opportunity. What is interesting is that he leads with emotion rather than words. He lowers his guard and allows the king to see how he feels
If we take one thing from this passage into our daily life I suggest it might be “Pause to Pray”.
God answers prayer. It is the norm rather than the exception. Prayer is more like putting money in the bank than buying a lottery ticket.
So for me the crux of this is to remember that God is bigger than the biggest challenge I can face, That the opposite of faith is not doubt it is fear and that God can do more in and through my weakness than I can hope for or imagine.
Nehemiah: Episode 2
How does Nehemiah cope in the in between time of a growing sense of what the future may hold and continuing to carry out his responsibilities in the present. How do we cope in our own in between times, facing the opportunities of tomorrow and the challenges of today?
I often find conflict in processing experiences and reflecting on how I feel about circumstances.
There is almost always a lot to process and to be in an emotional interference pattern is not at all unusual.
Faced with conflicting and contrasting feelings being orientated to the character of God is our anchor and our only compass.
We can do nothing without God’s help and power.
Now I am an activist, I know the theory of this but the practice is much harder.
I have this idea in my head that is hard to dislodge that leadership is about doing things and that these things should all go well.
I am a servant, I wait for instruction, I seek favour and I need help.
Nehemiah has a huge amount to teach us about leadership but not necessarily the things that we might expect.
The first thing to note is the context that the story takes place in, understanding the times and discerning what God is doing in our moment is crucial if we are to follow God’s leading and allow that to shape our plans, rather than asking him to bless our initiatives.
We do not have all the answers and will not arrive at the correct conclusions solely through our own endeavours. As our understanding grows we need to seek God’s face and not just his hand. We do not conjure solutions from our imagination but humbly come to the Lord.
**“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did, mattered?”
“That about sums it up for me."**
**Covid 19 has seen many of us feeling trapped in our own version of Groundhog Day. The calendar does tick over for us but the rhythm of our lives has been disrupted. The weeks lose their distinctiveness and one day bleeds into another.
There are days when I have found it hard to be motivated because every single thing on my to do list could be done tomorrow.**
Poetry can give us an epiphany. A different perspective or sudden appreciation of understanding something in a new or clear way.
Historical narrative can also give insight, sometimes through recorded observation, sometimes through myth and legend of how unexpected events or experiences brought an epiphany. Archimedes in his bath, Issac Newton heading the apple, Mendeleev’s periodic dream, Einstein on the street car in Bern all produced incredible new insights that shape our understanding of the world.
I know a number of wise men and women around the world who are seeking and still haven’t found what they are looking for. I pray that this will be the time when their thirst is quenched with living water.
I hope that in 2022 we will all be marked by this curiosity to know and experience more of the Lord and a fresh commitment and desire to act on what we know.
Without curiosity we will not have an epiphany!
Projecting strength and preserving image can too easily become a fashion in leadership as well as design. If we be obsess over our own perfection we will project unrealistic expectations on others and have no way to process failure or deal with trauma. This vulnerability and honesty is one of the things I appreciate about the Psalms.
The Psalms have been helpful in affirming the reality of help in struggle and the light of the Lord’s love through darkness.
**While we do not know all that is coming or understand all that is going on we do have a choice about how we respond and that does impact and affect what happens next. Romanticised pietism will not prevail through adversity.
The Psalms give a perspective of praise that is both realistic and real. If being battered by troubles punctures our pathetic perfectionism and breaks its tyranny we will be better off for it. God is with us and because of his mercy, grace and hope we are not demoralised or defeated.**
Most of us get to a place where we can begin to coast, we have put in the hard yards to get up the hill and now we can free wheel the final stretch. We can hold onto what we’ve got and think it doesn’t matter if we make it or not, especially if we feel we are well over half way there.
I am yet more thankful how the number 99 reminds me that there is further to go and more to do.
Ministry is not a career. It is not better to be the pastor a large church in a city or a small rural parish, it is not more significant to be the President of an organisation or the junior administrator. The key thing is to serve and to use whatever platform you have to advance others and encourage their growth.
The relationship between the little guy and the son of encouragement is a fascinating example of leadership development and helpfully identifies some key issues around encouragement. I am struck by five of these lessons from The Barnabas Files. I will share three of these today and save two for tomorrow.
The soundtrack of my life has a playlist pressed through memories and reflects my loyalties, passions and choices. My songbook is full of my greatest hits, the archeology of my tastes reveals many clues to my identity.
What is different about this new song is that is sung to the Lord and it is for everybody. It is to be sung in the present but it’s melody is timeless. It is not for special days or occasions but is to be proclaimed day after day.
Paul and Silas endured all this. They could have asserted their rights as Roman Citizenship when they were being accused of being Jewish agitators subverting Roman law and order. But instead they gave up their rights and freedoms and endured suffering.
What happened to them was unfair but their response is shaped by their citizenship of heaven rather than that of Rome. Instead of being angry at their treatment and protesting they pray and rather than planning revenge or scheming to sue, they sing. In the darkness and pain, they turn to the Lord.
What do you do in leadership when things do not pan out as you expected they might or you hoped they would? It is easier if there is someone to blame but harder when people are looking to you and wondering what is going on. We can have an easy out if “circumstances beyond our control” provide a ready excuse.
New beginnings are frequently fraught and change is always challenging but at least someone knows what is going on. I need the humility to give up on plan A and to not defend plan B but to look for the new opportunity that will I believe always open.
**I do not remember as a child asking on car journeys if we were nearly there yet. But pretty much every hill I have ever climbed I get excited that the next ridge is going to be the top or at the very least will allow a peek of the peak and I become piqued when it is not.
Discouragement only turns to defeat when we give up on the climb. A pause does not indicate doubt or despair but may in fact be an opportunity to enjoy the view. The encouragement in the hills is that while keeping going for the summit we can turn around and see how far we have come**
**The love and faithfulness of the Lord are to be proclaimed and celebrated from when we wake at dawn to when we sleep at night. Our worship responds to the Lord’s greatness, impressive work and superior knowledge.
The thing I find helpful about this is that it expresses truths about God. The joy is not conjured from within but is rooted in the person and work of the Lord. My feelings change day by day and hour by hour. The Lord does not change. Better that I sing his melody in his key than hum my own dissonant tune.**
**Today marks Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is long overdue. The date was picked to coincide with Orange Shirt Day an indigenous grass roots initiative honouring the lost children and the survivors of Canada’s Residential Schools system. Recent discoveries of unmarked children’s graves in the grounds of a number of former residential schools has brought this shameful history into the spotlight but it only confirms what many indigenous people have been saying for years.
Today is a day to listen and understand the truth of what happened and its enduring impact. Without truth there can be no reconciliation. It is also a day to embrace and celebrate indigenous culture, express solidarity and advocate for action. Inequality, injustice, abuse, violence and discrimination continue to be present realities for many indigenous people.**
As a newcomer to Canada I am still listening and trying to learn.
**“Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength.”
Like soldiers we often cannot see how the battle is progressing, our immediate experience in the conflict can be encouraging or depressing, frightening or exhilarating. The call is to keep going, to join in suffering and endure.
We do not have the luxury of questioning why the advance is not going better, complaining about our mission or longing for civilian life.**
**We do not spend time and give to people because of their potential. We do not engage in student ministry primarily because we are working with the leaders of tomorrow but because we care about the youth of today.
In the economy of God many of these young men and women will have a growing influence but we can never predict what the future holds. Our primary motivation is not strategic significance but love. Some acts of kindness and generosity have implications through the generations.**
I do not expect to see either my children or my parents all the time but I do not enjoy not seeing being able to see them at all. The problem with having family scattered around the globe is that it tends to be a famine or a feast.
**Paul writing to the Philippians tells them that he has learned the secret of being content in every situation. He is commenting on his circumstances but doing so in the context of an important relationship that had been interrupted and has now been restored.
The recipe for contentment that Paul is talking about is not circumstantial. He has experienced both times of plenty and of need. He is familiar with the famine and the feast. I find it much easier to be happy with my lot in times of abundance.**
**Little Canada was founded by Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer an immigrant who had a vision to build a model world inspired by a visit to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg. He reached out to model railway clubs to try to find people with the skills to develop the idea. He met Dave MacLean a civil engineer who had a life long passion for model railways.
I am always interested in the collaboration that can emerge when people with vision have the humility to recognise their limitations and seek specialist help and technical expertise. In this case their shared enthusiasm has grown a community that has opened a world.**
One of the things which I have remarked on during this long and difficult pandemic is that we are all in the same storm but we are not all in the same boat. The impact of covid 19 has varied enormously through geographic, ethnicity, personal circumstance and life stage.
We are particularly concerned about the disproportionate impact of the past two years on young people, especially those in their mid-teens to early twenties. While COVID interrupted life in some way for all of us, it has deprived many young people of experiences that will never come their way again.
**We are committed to finding more opportunities to reach those we have missed and to bless those who have missed out.
The gospels remind us that faith can grow in the middle of storms when we encounter Jesus.**
**From our earliest experience of teams being picked in the playground at school we learn that being big, fast, strong, skilful, funny or popular are the qualities that get you chosen.
God’s selection process does not follow the same pattern.**
Today I am thankful for the grace of God. I am grateful that God’s choice is not based on my qualifications but is rooted in his great love.
I am thankful that being unqualified is not the same as being disqualified. I appreciate being called into a team and the privilege of playing together.
If by some chance we are involved in some thing of significance in our lives and service, the credit for that belongs to the one who chose us. If it all goes wrong and our best efforts turn to custard we have one who is well able to handle that as well.
**I have very mixed feelings as we come to the start of another year.
2021 has not been an easy year for many of us. There have been highlights and celebrations of course and we give thanks for these. But for me the year has been overshadowed by disruption, disappointment, deception, division and despair.
I pray that as we enter 2022 we will know the Lord’s mercy, truth, light and power and that this will frame our perspective as we go forward together.
And that we will not lose heart.**
**The Niagara Falls are breathtaking but white water can also be scary
I have spent a little bit of time on the Amazon. It is a lot wider than the Niagara River and 20% of the fresh water in the world flows through it. As the Amazon meanders it continually adjusts it’s course so that charts are out of date almost as soon as they are published. On flatter land water tends to follow the line of least resistance but at times of changes in elevation or the headwaters in the mountains it behaves differently.
When under pressure the river has drive, direction and depth.**
**I have lost the ability to feel instinctively at home anywhere.
The flip side of my own sense of misplacement is that I do feel a little at home everywhere. This is also the nature of heavenly citizenship, we have authority given to us to go everywhere from the one who has had all authority given to Him. We become all things to all people to live out the good news right in the middle of their lives, in a language they can read.**
Philemon is a short, personal letter that Paul and Timothy wrote to a friend and fellow worker. It is interesting that Paul does not mention his being an apostle in this epistle but rather greets Philemon as their dear friend.
I strongly believe that friendship is the basic building block of effective and fruitful teamwork and meaningful community.
The gospel is advanced by groups of friends who work together for a season and continue to care for each other when that time of closer collaboration comes to an end. I was struck again by the message of this letter written by friends to friends.
**Yesterday my friend Arlen was helpfully commenting that having physical or geographical limitations does not mean that we are not able to have a significant impact. The key thing is not what constraints are placed on us but in how we respond to them. There is always the potential to find opportunity and to encourage the good no matter how daunting and difficult our situation.
Some of the best and purest wild honey can be discovered in clefts and crannies on rock faces and in caves. The sweetest substance found in some hard places.**
Although I have not gone far I definitely feel that I have been on a journey.
The debate that propels Phileas Fogg on his epic voyage, around the world in 80 days, takes place in the Reform Club. Some of those considering the possibility of the challenge wish that they could make the journey themselves rather than wagering on it. Jules Verne describes the scene.
“The noble lord, confined to his armchair, would have given his whole fortune to be able to travel around the world, in ten years even; and he bet four thousand pounds on Phileas Fogg.”
The challenge of my current journey revolves around a constant choice between the armchair and the adventure. There are always excuses that can be made about why we should follow the line of least resistance. Worry can easily lead to analysis paralysis and limit our horizons and our selves.
The Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard commenting on this dynamic wrote:
“To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self.... And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self.”
Faith grows at the intersection of fear and risk
**These thoughts were a result of going to live sport for the first time in over a year.
The title is intentionally ambiguous because sport is also life to be lived.
Many of the seven things I mention also have significant implications for a faith community.**
It is good to play, to belong and to hope. Perseverance, inspiration, humility and discipline are core values in life and faith as well as sport.
What do we love about what we do? What gives us a sense of identity and place in the world? What do we hope for and work towards with energy and enthusiasm? How do we encourage each other to keep going through adversity? Who are our heroes and examples? How do we keep perspective on who we are and how we fit into the team and community? What do we need to give up and focus on to express our commitment?
Today I had planned to be in Rocky Mountain House in the foothills of the mountains. Pioneer Alberta is celebrating 70 years of camping at The Ranch. My current limitations meant that I had to cancel the trip but I am happy that many friends will be there to give thanks.
They say it takes a village to raise a child and it definitely takes a community to run a camp. Through the generations staff and volunteers, have given, prayed, served and helped. The value of this investment over time can only be glimpsed but it is highly significant.
Camp is a place where lives are changed as young people encounter God in creation, discover Jesus in the Bible, grow in faith in community and take their first steps in leadership with support. Memories are built as friendships are formed, fellowship shared and fun experienced. It is an environment where creativity can thrive, gifts can be nurtured, character can be formed and resilience can be developed.
At our core is a commitment to invest in the next generation.
It is not that this music drowns the wails of Rachel. Rather that songs of jubilant praise and desolate heartache both have a place in our songbook.
Christmas brings into focus the extremes of life. Families gathered and separated, laden tables in warm houses and hungry homeless shivering outside, squealing children opening presents at the tree and an empty chair at the table. It is the best of times and the worst of times. Maybe you can see a better time when all your dreams come true but that may just be a fairytale.
This dissonance leads to a greater appreciation of the reason for the season. I don’t know what song you will be singing this Christmas. If it is lament I pray that the good news of Jesus brings and sings some grace notes to your score. If it a symphony of happiness I hope it will harmonise with the requiems from the margins. I suspect for us it will be a bit of both on Christmas Day.
My friend Lynda has a series of posts that she calls “Perspective Adjustments” sharing pictures of nature in her neighbourhood that help her see life differently.
When I have thoughts in my head repeating “this is not what I signed up for” I need my own perspective shift. There is nothing in my employment contract, marriage vows or Christian commitment that says I will have an easy life and every day will be full of laughter and fun.
I am not sure where I picked up the idea or bought into the myth of the perfect life. It did not come from the Bible. The reality of God meeting people in the midst of trouble is much more the narrative of scripture rather than God guaranteeing people the absence of trouble.
A Special Christmas to you and for you. I hope this will bring you a wee smile.
**This is a little bit experimental or as my friend Neil would say “a wee bit mental more like”
It is a remastered and slightly updated version of the very first pod cast I ever made on Christmas Day last year.
Who would have dreamed back then that we would be celebrating another Christmas in the shadow of Covid.**
Some ideas on leadership and ministry from “Clarkson’s Farm” on Amazon Prime and “The Biggest Little Farm” on NetFlix.
“They start by clearing the ground. The farmers believe a natural ecosystem will produce the highest possible level of biodiversity. One of their initial objectives is to get rid of things that never should have been planted in the first place. In New Zealand, I observed a similar focus on regenerating the native flora and fauna to correct problems resulting from imported wildlife and plants.
The same observation can be made missiologically: importing ideas and resources from offshore doesn’t always help develop ministry that connects with the particular culture of a place. It may in fact do more harm than good in the long term.
Secularism, relativism and consumerism have leached the soil of Western society resulting in less receptive ground for the gospel. As churches and mission agencies, we need to recognise how some of our own strategies and ideas may have inadvertently contributed to this demise.
We want to value, build and develop a diverse culture of ministry that is rooted in the ground that we “farm”. This means there are things we need to move away from as we seek to move forward. I believe that Covid has actually accelerated change and underlined our need for innovation, imagination and courage.”
**We have a tendency to compare ourselves to people who look like they are doing better than us.
If my security is based on a positive or negative comparison with other people when my circumstances change my strength will fail and my confidence will evaporate.**
So today I am mindful that meeting with the Lord is the only thing that brings true perspective. I am thankful that when I am unsteady God takes me by my right hand. I am grateful that God tenderly and wisely leads.
I am thankful that although I am, at times beleaguered, I am not overwhelmed.
Today I am thankful that I live at a time in history where this promised king has come. I am grateful to have seen more of that better country that the heroes of the faith in the Old Testament were looking forward to. I am thankful that I can read this psalm knowing Jesus and to be able to join today with the chorus of the psalm echoing through history.
Last night I dreamt I went to Ecuador again. This was at the invitation of Ruth rather than Rebecca and I was not dreaming. I went by Zoom and my entrance was halted for a while not by iron gates but needing a passcode to get in, which was duly provided.
I have had the joy of being in Ecuador physically in the past. There has been a long partnership between TSCF in New Zealand and CECE the movement in Ecuador through Ruth, a graduate from New Zealand who went to Ecuador. With her husband and family they have visited New Zealand and I spoke at their National Student Conference a few years ago with the support of the Pacific Partnership Trust. In fact if I had not had been for Ruth rescuing me I would probably even now be wandering around the bus station in Guayaquil, one of the most confusing places I have been in the world.
Last night CECE were holding an online training event for their student coordinators around the movement and invited me as an IFES guest to share a story of discipleship.
It turns out I am much better at accepting other peoples shortcomings than my own.
It is not easy for me to accept underachievement, limitations and circumstances I cannot control. I prefer things I can change, and timelines and plans I feel I can manage. Of course this sense of control is mostly illusory at the best of times. There are always some things I can influence the outcome of and many more things that I cannot. One of the big challenges always is working out which is which.
Faced with frustrations and adverse circumstances many will offer answers and consolations that prove empty. We need to locate ourselves in a timeline that has tangible hope for the future and a mandate for what to do in the meantime.
Shards
On wooden bench
The glass lies ready
Soon stained and fixed
Hot work and heavy
Leaded and cemented
Finally raised in place
Illuminating space
On sandy beach
More glass is ready
Ground down by time
Cool work and light
Tumbled and salted
Precious but hidden
Waiting the artist’s hand
And resurrection
**People talk about an emotional roller coaster but some days it feels more like going up and down and round and round with not much forward momentum.
Sometimes I compound my own heartache through inflating my expectations. I realise that being more of an optimist leaves me more susceptible to disappointment.**
Patience may well be a virtue but today I am feeling more frustrated than virtuous.
Yet even through my frustration I know that hope, like love, always carries risk and the price is worth paying. it is better to hope and experience disappointment, better to love and know hurt. If we try to avoid the negative consequences by sacrificing these precious things on the alter of self protection our lives will be much emptier.
The safer option is not the better bet.
**It is a common misconception that dedication will increase commitment and greater time will result in higher productivity. In fact if we value outcomes more than outputs we will understand that high commitment, long hours and limited focus will more likely be a route to fatigue, frustration, conflicted families, divided teams and burnout.
I firmly believe that the way a nation, company or organisation treat the lowest level of worker says much more about their vision and values than the way they treat the higher echelons. In any HR decision in leadership I have always considered how change will help those who are worse off than me. I am saddened by the social, economic and racial inequalities that continue to grow in each of my home nations.
Some of my heroes are business people who have gone out of their way to improve the lives of their workers.**
**This is part of my challenge in reading and understanding the Bible. I am a westerner looking through an urban lens at a book that mostly comes from an agrarian society.
Remote places have mattered to God and been part of his plan from the beginning. There are no boonies in the sovereign purposes and love of God. Urban and rural, city and village, nation states, provinces and unceded lands are all included.
Sometimes we forget that Jesus was born in an unfashionable area in a little regarded province. What started in the wop-wops of the Roman Empire spread from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth, including the places we today know as Scotland, Canada and New Zealand and many points in between.**
**The highlight of today was being part of an online reunion for those who started the Relay Program in the UK 20 years ago.
The virtual reunion today was incredibly moving. It was fabulous seeing 40 plus faces on screen and listening to their stories. Just in this group we had 12 nations represented as people joined from 5 continents. We heard examples of church leadership, sustainable development, mission, business, education and entrepreneurship. These stories were inspirational in the extent of their impact and in the honesty of their struggles.**
Together they testify to the grace of God, the influence of a gospel lived and shared, the blessing of friends and family and perseverance born of hope.
At it’s birth Relay looked like it might be a moment but it has turned out to be a movement.
When we started Relay I had no idea what I was really doing. It was not an organised program with a set curriculum. Relay was shaped by a few key ideas and adapted as we went along. I have a page from an old Filofax where five of these ideas are scribbled.
**Feeling that we have nothing left to give puts us in a vulnerable position. It is tempting to respond to the aftermath of intensity with escapism, addiction, indulgence, self pity or anger.
I am thankful for the reminder that my perspective is skewed by many factors and that the way I see things can be warped and distorted. We need restoration, rest and reset.
This may be obvious to us when things have been tough but it is also to be expected after times of growth and encouragement. After our greatest highs we are often at our most vulnerable. This can be true not only of the most significant events in our lives but in the rhythms of our year, month and week. We need to take care of ourselves and watch out for each other.**
**Leadership is about service not self importance, sacrifice not self actualisation and it is exercised through love not power.
Each of us has a part to play, no part is more important than another. It is not better to be a President than a director, more significant to pastor a large church or a small one, more strategic to be running programs or cooking meals at camp.**
**I like watching individual competitors in athletics and tennis but overall I prefer team sports. There is something about a team that works well where the whole becomes more than the sum of the individual parts. One of the challenges of leading a team is working out what contribution each member can make.
My preference for team extends to superheroes as well as sports. So I favour The Avengers, The Justice League and The Fantastic Four over the dysfunctional individual even if some of them do recruit lesser associates as companions or helpers. A sidekick is not the same as a team.**
**There are times in the last three years when I have been afraid and when I have been discouraged. Much of that has been connected with facing opposition, with adapting to a new culture and a new organisation, experiencing loneliness, dealing with the frustration of deficits and making difficult decisions.
Just as it looked like there might be light at the end of the tunnel it turned out to be the covid train. We were unexpectedly forced into a new reality of restrictions and limitations.
Some words from Joshua at Davidson’s Mains turned out to be more significant than we knew at the time.**
As yesterday went on I found myself becoming increasingly less positive. It involved me in having to apologise for being a bit grumpy and difficult. We don’t get much post so it was nice when Ailsa brought a card back from the mailbox. It was from Ben Carswell with a picture of Otago on the front. He said he was was mostly writing to cheer me up or cheer me on, it was hard to tell from his hand writing I am not sure when it was posted but it arrived at a good time to fulfil his intention.
It got me thinking about transition and succession. I am really thankful to have such good relationships with the two people I have handed on significant responsibility to. Andy Shudall with Relay and Ben with TSCF. It reminded me of some ideas that I scribbled on the back of an envelope in April 2019.
**It was titled “Lessons Leaving New Zealand”. I decided not to share it at the time in case it sounded like I thought I knew what I was doing in the middle of coming and going. It is a bit of a quick and dirty dozen.
It was one of the most liked Counting my Blessings posts.**
The best laid plans of mice and men
It feels like every time a plan is starting to solidify it liquifies under changing conditions. Ideas run through my fingers and trickle away.
Virtually nothing in the past 18 months has had any resemblance to what I was planning
**Today we have two days for the price of one.
Our feelings on moving into a new neighbourhood and some thoughts on counting time.
When I get something new, like a bottle of shower gel, it seems limitless and there is no need for me to keep track of what I am using. But when the bottle is running out I become much more careful and conscious of making it last.**
**One of the things the pandemic has done for many of us is to deepen our appreciation of the passage of time. They have made us realise that time is more limited than we thought or at least there are more limitations on our time than we anticipated. Months in lockdown, weeks until vaccine shots, days until reopening, have defined a different rhythm to the year
None of us knows how many days we have. Each one is a gift. It is great celebrate progress, birthdays, anniversaries and milestones but we don’t want to live in the past. It is fantastic to look forward to births, weddings, holidays, events and new beginnings but we don’t want to wish our lives away.**
**Aida is from Spain and has been pioneering student ministry in Equatorial Guinea.
She is part of the IFES Breaking New Ground Network.
An encouraging start was disrupted by the global pandemic but this turned out only to be an interruption as new opportunities have arisen.
Aida has been in Canada this week and we took the opportunity to chat before she went to the airport.**
This is often the problem when I decide something has to be achieved by a certain date. Frustration and disappointment arise fuelled by my failure to meet a deadline that I am often responsible for inventing myself.
Audacious goals can challenge, inspire and move forward but we can also fall into a tyranny of achieving the objective at all costs.
I need to take care when my way and my time take on greater urgency than God’s way and God’s time. Much as I do not like this, my vision and optimism must be tempered by the reality of my circumstances.
I need to remind myself that although most things are beyond my control it does not mean they are out of control. I continue to believe that God is working out his purposes for humanity and that I am counted in that number.
Waiting for slow people can be frustrating. Dealing with difficult people takes a lot of time and energy. The influence of a difficult person spreads and impacts others. The resources a difficult person consumes are disproportionate.
At the moment I am a difficult person. Now to be fair I would prefer to think about myself as a person in difficulty rather than a difficult person but I am not sure I always make that distinction when dealing with others.
Three dangers to watch out for as we run the race of faith
Part of the inspiration of the Paralympics is watching people embrace challenges where many of us in the same situation may well have given up.
**There is a definite temptation as we get older to take the line of least resistance and to settle. I have days where I am not sure I can face the hassle of the stairs, getting in the car, going to the office and meeting people but I know it is better to move.
In leadership you will often hear from people who want things to be done differently. This can be viewed as an irritation but often it can be an agitation. Which comes from the same root as agitos (the symbol of the Paralympic Games). What we experience as stressful upheaval can be an opportunity to shake things up and move beyond what we have grown comfortable with.**
“The words of great coaches fuel great athletes”.
**Some of the recurrent themes that come through these stories are humility, care, commitment and focus. The coach athlete relationship is about the coach helping the athlete’s growth not the athlete enhancing the coach’s reputation.
InterVarsity and IFES have always been leadership development movements from our beginnings. We look for younger leaders to entrust and develop to multiply the impact of the gospel now and to lay foundations of greater and growing influence through these men and women in the future.**
Seven things to bear in mind in an appointment and selection process.
Selection for a team, in sport or work, is a huge responsibility. It is a privilege to be involved in processes and decisions that profoundly affect peoples lives. I never take it lightly. Putting your hand up for consideration places you in a vulnerable position and I always try to be as positive as possible and give each person the best opportunity to showcase their talents and explore their potential contribution. Of course there are times when tough decisions need to be made and people are disappointed and sometimes hurt. It is especially painful when a decision appears to be political or personal rather than being principled.
Selection is always a judgement call and it is always harder to accept the decision when it goes against you than for you. I am grateful to have had both experiences multiple times on the way through life. Someone else being preferred for a position invariably feels like rejection, although it often leads to a different door opening and a new opportunity.
**If something has gone well or badly we live with the lingering aftermath. The medals of victory hold great memories but are easier to set aside than the scars of defeat.
Failure is hard to face up to. We have a tendency to refuse to take responsibility, to cut ourselves a little slack and apportion the fault to other people. When we do something wrong we deflect blame, deny responsibility, dispute the facts and destroy the evidence or the accuser.**
David is a leader who faces up to failure. This is a marked contrast to the response of many in leadership in recent scandals which have rocked evangelical churches and organisations. As I was reading a reflection on one such situation a phrase stood out to me. “Evasiveness, misinformation, intimidation — this is what we all tend to turn to when we try to achieve by the flesh what can only happen through transparency, confession and repentance.”
**This is the problem with measuring progress. It is not easy to see what is going on beneath the surface. We can have key performance indicators and attainment targets which will chart growth and potentially help with motivation but these rest on what can be observed and assessed. What is going on beneath the surface is unseen.
Safe to say that while I would like my ankle to be making faster progress, in myself I wish I had made more progress. I am frequently a disappointment to myself and a pale imitation of who I aspire to be.**
But I do not give up and I do not despair because I know that I am a work in progress.
**The philosopher draws a rather depressing conclusion, that there is nothing that really delivers lasting contentment. He says that he tried projects, pursued pleasure, amassed possessions, and achieved prominence.
He found these things to be meaningless. He has got what many long for but filling the void at the heart of his search has proved tantalisingly elusive. When we do attain our objective the view from the top is different and we often find that what we craved does not sustain or satisfy in the way that we thought it would.
Above all else it is our mortality and the brevity of life which brings real perspective to our hopes, dreams and aspirations.**
In harder times it is helpful to remember that there are seasons. That neither good or bad things last forever. This is not to advocate fatalism it is that there is a certain beauty in the way this symmetry is articulated.
Life is about difference. We appreciate the victory because we have tasted disappointment, we learn through defeat and come back stronger, we celebrate because we have known sadness and we grieve in the light of happy memories.
**Our lives fluctuate, our emotions are mercurial and those that we are closest to experience the full reality of those extremes with us.
There is so much craziness, conflict and confusion in the world right now that it is hard to know how to respond.
Lord give me eyes to see what you are doing here, help me encourage the good that you show me and to love the people as you love me.**
The presence of the “Believe” sign on my shelf behind my head began to draw some comparisons with Ted Lasso
His statement that: “For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field”, has been part of my coaching philosophy for over 15 years.
But beyond that the comparisons are not altogether clear. I am a bit folksy but am not American, I can be seen as unsophisticated but I am not necessarily smarter than I look but I do love to coach and I do care about people although I do prefer to win.
I guess the parallel is that the story is about someone coming into a situation from outside and that I do get the importance of belief.
I confess to using the fast forward button on the remote quite often. It enables me to skip adverts, avoid the less interesting sections of sports matches and enjoy programs I am more interested in. I confess to even fast forwarding through elements of online church services during Covid. There are times in this season where I wish I could fast forward a bit through life. I guess I am not alone in this.
In both wanting to get through something hard and arrive at something good accelerating time seems an attractive option. Other times I would like to slow time down to make something last, or rewind to experience it again.
**I need to remind myself that every day matters and every day is a gift. I do not have the ability to make painful things pass quicker or happy experiences last longer. There is no remote for my life, I cannot pause, rewind or fast forward.
It is not that God plus something is the key to experiencing protection and stability it is that strength are refuge are located in the Lord. He is our strength and refuge. This is one of the critical points of difference between the Bible and other sacred texts. The Bible does not primarily depict a way to live, it points to God himself.**
In most weddings the centre of attention is definitely the bride. Although the mothers of the bride and groom and the bridesmaids share (but obviously never steal the limelight.)
Here the focus is very much on the groom the bride does not appear until later in the song.
This a love song about a king but the hyperbole goes beyond poetry to prophecy. It is a description that goes beyond what any human king could be or do.
**Family failure is not fatal. What happens when we are young invariably marks us but it does not have to define us. Patterns in families can perpetuate or they can find new shape.
Korah experienced judgement and death, his sons grieve and lament but the rebellion in the desert and the judgement that follows does not define the family for future generations. The name of Korah will be remembered through his sons for poetry and praise more than his arrogance.**This is number forty four of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Since writing about Andrew Walls I was reminded about these thoughts again more recently when I had the privilege of attending the funeral of Don Lewis who had taught at Regent College in Vancouver for 40 years.
These men were born more than 20 years apart and made their homes on different continents. As well as both studying at Oxford they had many other things in common.
There was no self importance in either of these men. No sense of their time being more valuable and them having to allocate it strategically.
They both had a global influence through writing and teaching. But you wouldn’t know that when Andrew would make you a cup of tea or Don would pray with you on his sofa. They made time and space for people.
A few footnotes in honour of these professors
-
I only really thought of this title after I had finished the recording
-
1 A “Don” is a term for a University teacher or a senior fellow at Oxford or Cambridge.
2.2 Although only one of these academics was named Don they were both Dons.
3.1 In addition Andrew Wallis spent a good chunk of life in Aberdeen which is between the Dee and the Don river
3.2 A former student from Australia talks about calling Don Lewis “The Don”, less because of his given name and more as a mark of respect in their culture for their greatest sporting hero Don “The Don” Bradman.
**What started as a humorous photo opportunity when I spotted a book titled “Leading with a Limp” in the thrift store turned into much more when I began to read what was inside. It is challenging and helpful call to leading out of brokenness,
“To admit we are foolish, weak, and in need of repentance gives the vindictive and self-righteous camp plenty of ammunition to turn against us and to turn others against our leadership. But the alternatives to living in and living out truth are far worse: we either hide from truth or we choose to spin our sin and our story.”**
“To the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues”
“This is the strange paradox of leading; to the degree you attempt to hide or dissemble your weaknesses, the more you will need to control those you lead, the more insecure you will become and the more rigidity you will impose - prompting the ultimate departure of your best people”This is number forty two of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**By and large society pays more attention to the strong. Leaders especially are prone to value judgements about the ability and capacity of those in their charge. I find myself thinking more about the folly of this as I look at many who do not fit the bill but are having a significant influence.
A high cost, high commitment, high performance model of leadership will not succeed if the behaviours of the senior leadership are orientated around personal power, promoting those who have the strengths that fit the mould they have constructed and pushing out those who are deemed to be weak.**
The Bible consistently promotes an upside down model of leadership which challenges cultural norms.
You might expect a king to say blessed are those who invest in the strong, their might and influence will multiply. But David starts this psalm by highlighting the importance of a concern for the weak.
This is number forty one of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
How do confidence and vulnerability relate to each other? If we acknowledge failure and weakness does that indicate that we lack confidence or that others should lose confidence in us? If we are self assured and capable does that mean we should not show any frailty or deficiency?
I am slowly coming to the conclusion that if my confidence is in the Lord and what he has done, I am more aware of my own inadequacy and more willing to face it.
But if my confidence is in my own strengths and abilities I will rather tend to become more focussed on other peoples shortcomings and be less able to live with them.
**Vulnerability grounded in grace will be resilient
Confidence based on performance will be brittle.**This is number forty of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Emotional maturity does not develop automatically as we age. In fact some experiences can stunt our growth rather than accelerate it.
I have had first hand experiences of experienced leaders whose behaviour has more in common with a toddler having a tantrum than an elder sharing wisdom.
How we cope when we are under pressure has great significance in determining if we grow up or slip back through the experience.
In facing difficulty and handling complexity there is a time to shut up and a time to sing.This is number thirty nine of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
I feel the general assumption is that leaders should at least look like they know what they are doing. Self confident, poised, competent and in control would be a reasonable summary of the image that is expected to be presented.
There may be a small inner circle who are shown a little bit more but even there limits are often applied to limit vulnerability and protect our image.
**It is deeply shocking to hear a leader sharing a very different experience. “I am done in, I have nothing left to give, I am wounded and falling apart, some of this is self inflicted and I am under censure”
Listen to someone who is falling apart physically, emotionally and spiritually.**This is number thirty eight of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
There is a great Scottish expression “Dinnae fash yersel” which means don’t get frustrated by a situation or annoyed with someone.
It is way too easy to get worried about things which are inconsequential.
Overall I am too tolerant of worry in my life. My excuses are that everyone does it and I have always done it. Part of my identity is entwined with plans to secure the things I want and need and doubts about whether it will work.
The stupidity of this is obvious. It diverts me from what is most important and does not get me what is less important. Day by day, worry will distort my view of God, erode faith and put my focus in the wrong place.
This is number thirty seven of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**Watching the final Relay races at Tokyo reminds me of the start of the Relay Programme in the UK.
The idea of this internship was born in a chat with Nigel Lee walking round a golf course in Leamington Spa.
I had known him for a number of years through OM and he had recently started working with UCCF. I was planning to finish my time with the organisation at the end of the year and he asked
“If I was trying to persuade you to stay to help lead some change and you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be?”**
This is number thirty six of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender, I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.”
So speaks a washed up and washed out boxer, who took a fall but wonders if he could rise again. This self reflection is characterised by regret. He did not work hard enough, took shortcuts and bought into the myth of talent trumping hard work.
Many people look back on life, feeling that they were more gifted than has been sufficiently recognised and have missed out through circumstances beyond their control or have made decisions that they look back on with regret.
David is not making excuses or considering how he could better contend. He is calling on the Lord to fight against those who fight against him He does not take a dive, he calls for reinforcements.
He recognises the need for shield, armour, spear and javelin but is not ordering armour from Amazon he is asking that the Lord take up weapons on his behalf.This is number thirty five of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**I wonder how I will look back on these days. I do my best to present as happy and resilient but there are certainly frustrations, fears and doubts. How do I lead when I don’t feel up to it? What is my back up plan when things crumble or fail?
This whole series of events does not paint David in the best of lights. I like David better when he is trusting God running towards Goliath than when he is in fear of his life running away to Gath. The problem is that I have way more Gath than Goliath moments in my own life. I too easily default to become like David where fear drives his behaviour and he chooses denial and deception. Loneliness and isolation in particular make poor decisions more likely. David is alone on this journey from Nob to Gath. His attempts to make things better only make them worse.**This is number thirty four of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
In Act 5 of Richard III the king is frustrated and desperate. He has been battling on foot and killed a number of decoys dressed as his enemy but he now badly wants a horse so utters the famous line. “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse”
In a moment of appreciating the enormity of his circumstances he is willing to trade everything for a chance of victory.
Where we put our security can change under pressure. Our hope and longing can find focus on things that seem like our only chance.This is number thirty three of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
The central purpose of InterVarsity in Canada is to grow faith and develop leadership in the next generation.
Crucial to this is an understanding of the good news of Jesus. The Christian message is not that life can be better, that we can be fulfilled or find purpose.
There are many philosophies, ideologies and religions that offer these things.
The good news is about the promise of God being fulfilled through Jesus death and resurrection and how this makes possible a change of heart and forgiveness of sins in his name. This is why the cross on the hill supersedes the sermon on the mount as the central message and enduring symbol of the good news of Jesus.
This is not a popular or easy message. Most modern ideologies have little space for the idea of “sin”. Right and wrong become social constructs. Morality is relative between people rather than having any relationship with God and his word. Most things are acceptable if they pass the test of achieving the greater good or avoiding intentional harm.
This is number 32 of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**Reading the psalms it is easy to become frustrated with David. He seems to cycle through faith and confidence mixed with anxiety and uncertainty. That is a reality check to the perfectionism we often pitch or feel pressure to present to the world.
Life’s experiences erode our confidence. Trouble and opposition can hollow out our sense of purpose and leave us questioning our worth and value.**This is number 31 of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
This is what is frustrating and encouraging about the psalms. They are born of a lived reality where confusion, pain, doubt and fear are experienced. David calls for mercy, he is unable to resolve his circumstances through strength of character, experience or intellect - he needs God’s help,
Rather than find it depressing that I am listening to someone who is going through this particular trial, I find it encouraging that God takes his people through these things. David sings of this transformation that the Lord has done for him. Wailing has been turned to dancing and sackcloth replaced with joy. The one who mourned has been comforted but has been brought from facing a funeral to a festival. He has new clothes and is dancing and singing with joy. The light at the end of the tunnel was not the train coming to meet him but a lamp leading him home.This is number thirty of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
The presence of anyone without hearing their voice is a worrying thing. “Who’s there?” or “What do you want?” are questions that probe the unknown. What is true of people is even more true of God. The presence of God without the word of God is a deeply troubling and foreboding eventuality.
The God of the Bible is a God who speaks. He does not leave us to divine in the dark to discern what our response should be.
It was by the word of the Lord that the heavens and the earth, the land and the sea and everything who dwells there was brought into being. The voice of God continues to be heard.
The language here likens the voice of the Lord to a storm.This is the twenty ninth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**The epithet “they are my rock” is ascribed to a friend or colleague who is stable, who can always be relied on. Rocks have a permanence about them, they speak of strong foundations and feelings of safety and security.
The idea comes from this phrase used in the Bible.
But here David is not ascribing this quality to another person. He addresses the Lord directly and says “you are my rock”. There is great comfort in knowing that there is one who provides strength, shelter and stability.**
This is the twenty eighth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Fear is not a pleasant experience. It is a powerful and primal emotion that heightens our senses and can alert us to danger but can also overwhelm us. There are many things which can cause us to be afraid.
We can be afraid of the unknown. Anyone who is not afraid of the dark is somewhat lacking in imagination and has not considered what might be out there. More seriously we can fear outcomes that are uncertain, situations that are new or people we do not know.
We can also be afraid of the known. A legacy of a negative experience, an undesirable outcome that seems increasingly inevitable, people and situations that make us uncomfortable or threaten us.This is the twenty seventh of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Many experiences and circumstances can erode our foundation. Without a secure platform it is difficult to stay upright. There are people whose influence can destabilise us and who even try to see us fall. In Psalm 26 David is buffeted and looking for vindication and level ground.
David starts this Psalm asking that he will be cleared of blame, that charges against him will be shown to be false and that he will be declared innocent. This request for vindication is what all who face trial or accusation desire. David appeals to God as the one who will do this and his appeal is based on the fact that he is innocent.This is the twenty sixth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
There are many things people put their trust in. We can trust in our own talents, intelligence or ability. “I back myself”. We can trust another person, their love or professional knowledge or expertise. We can trust in an object, tool or implement to get the job done. We can trust leaders in church, politics, culture or thought.
The problem is that we are often let down, either because our expectations were unrealistic or because we are disappointed.This is the twenty fifth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Who can have access to God? Who can stand in his presence?
What are the the qualifications for entry.
You may have stood at a kiosk in an airport and answered questions to determine your eligibility to enter your destination or been asked a series of questions during Covid to be allowed admission to a restaurant or store.
Potential students will consider and weigh the entry qualifications for a particular course or university. Graduates applying for a job may need to meet essential requirements.
To work or visit another country we may require a special visa or permit
There are many places and experiences where there are entry qualifications but this is perhaps the biggest question of all. Who can come into God’s presence?
David spells out the criteria.This is the twenty fourth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Because we have a good shepherd we are to be shepherds of others. Recognising that they do not belong to us, they are just under our care. We are called to be honest, humble examples who are eager to serve more than to be served. This all happens because we are charged by the chief shepherd who gives out crowns.
Leadership goes wrong when we try to be kings, think we are important and dominate and control others. The CEO must never be the preferred leadership model in a church or mission agency.This is the twenty third of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
When we are disorientated and feel lost it can easily turn to accusations against God.
Why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far away? Why do you not answer me? Our anguish and pain causes us to question the presence of God and the love of God. It is a spiral that can quickly spin out of control.This is the twenty second of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
I have good days and bad days. That is not really the most earth shattering admission but in a leadership culture where weakness can be seen as failure and the tyranny of perfection assumes success it is often harder to be honest about our negative experiences.
We have seen David in fear, heard him pleading for help and rescue as he faced mortal danger. Here we see David on a day that he is confident and full of faith.
This psalm is a celebration of the Lord’s provision and victories. There is thanksgiving for all that God has done for David and also for God’s unfailing love.
This is the twenty first of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**It is not easy being in distress. Wear and tear, anxiety, sorrow and pain take a toll. It is hard for us to admit when we need help and support.
It is a blow to our pride and reputation when we have to acknowledge that we are facing challenges beyond our personal resources. Distressed can be a selling point with a piece of furniture or a pair of jeans but is a far less attractive quality when experienced directly.**
Psalm 20 is a prayer for those who are in distress.This is the twentieth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**I wonder what you think about God. I mean quietly. What thoughts circulate in your head? I guess we would like to think that God loves us because if not, then who does? But does that love feel more like a reluctant obligation or an enthusiastic commitment? I believe we want to trust in God’s power and provision.
But is God really up to the job, does the Lord understand the complexity of my life and is what he gives me really what I need, what I want or even any good? What is the limit of my wonder, living in a big city with bright lights, fast food and sirens?**
David in Psalm 19 looks to a different horizon.This is the nineteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
I find myself wondering again today if it is not time for David to compose a more positive ballad. It feels like we have covered some of this ground already.
But some experiences shape us profoundly. Often, especially those where we have been on the receiving end of abuse of power or violence or both. This experience of threat, danger and imminent death has clearly marked David. Even after the fact he rehearses what happened to him and how the Lord rescued him.
This is the eighteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Psalm 17 reminds us that everything that we say matters. Words have an impact to build up or tear down. What we say is one of the clearest indications of who we are. Whatever is inside us tends to come out through our mouths.This is the seventeenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**David understands that God’s provision and protection go together. That God supplies all he needs and he can say with confidence that the boundary lines have fallen for him in pleasant places.
Often boundaries cause discontent. The phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” is rooted in the notion of looking enviously over the boundary line at what our neighbour has.
This desire for more shifts our focus to what we do not have and is what the false Gods and their emissaries use to lure and ensnare us with empty promises.**
This is the sixteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
At any major sporting or cultural event access is a big issue. You are issued with a ticket or a pass depending on your role and status that determines where you are allowed to go. An Access All Areas pass opens pretty much every door and gives you the right of entry to areas restricted to the general public. David is asking questions of access in todays Psalm.
**Who is allowed access to the Lord? It is not just an issue of temporary access like credentials that are issued for an event.
The question is who may make their home with God. Who can dwell in your sacred tent or live on your holy mountain? The adjectives highlight the holiness of God. Who can enter and remain in the presence of the holy God?**This is the fifteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public posts.
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
I tend to think that when people stop believing the truth - they don’t believe nothing, they believe anything. I understand how we can be misled by different claims and confused by the overwhelming amount of information. I also appreciate that negative personal experience or more engaging current priorities can be a contributing factor in people dismissing God. I am well aware how the echo chambers that we inhabit recirculate our opinions and reinforce our prejudices. We are perhaps the most informed and least thoughtful generation in history
But this old Psalm starts with strong words which resonate through time. This Psalm and Psalm 53 start with the same opening refrain. That the fool says in his heart there is no God. This is a judgement being passed on a way of thinking and a way of living.
Many philosophers have advanced their view that there is no God.
From the post enlightenment declaration of the death of God, to the French existentialists to the four horsemen of the “new atheism” there has been a constant articulation of the non-existence of God. This has been popularised by musicians, artists, writers and comedians. At it’s core is the position that belief in God has no intellectual basis. What David says here that it is the reverse that is true.
This is the fourteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Sometimes we are in situations where what we are experiencing does not fit with what we believe.
David feels that God has forgotten him and that God has hidden his face from him. This speaks of a loss of intimacy, an inability to hear God’s voice and a sense of being under censure, unloved and abandoned.
These feelings find focus in the opening words of the psalm “How long, Lord?”. We can all endure short periods of doubt, loneliness and insecurity where the Lord seems far away. But how long will this go on for?This is the thirteenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a personal daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my public post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Do you ever feel like an absolute minority. That everything in the world is wrong and that evil seems to have the upper hand?
David calls to the Lord and asks for help. He feels alone.
Those he thought he could depend on have disappeared. Those who were loyal have vanished. This means there are none to make the world a better place, none who stand for truth.This is the twelth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**David is in a situation where he is in fear of his life. Arrows are aimed at him from the shadows. There is an ambush in place. The bows are bent and are ready to fire. The threat is imminent and the danger is real. The advice he is hearing is to flee to a place. To get away and seek refuge on a mountain. But David speaks of taking refuge in the Lord.
David has been called and appointed to a particular role in a particular place. His defence is that he is upright in heart. That God who called him to this responsibility will protect him.**
What is at stake here is not just personal safety it is the security of the work of God in the people of God. The very foundations of the identity of God’s people are being undermined. What is the appropriate response to this? What is to be done?
In fact the question is posed as “what can the righteous do?” The unrighteousness will of course do nothing because they approve of what is going on, they may even see some personal benefit or gain from the status quo.
Interestingly David does not answer his own question and come up with a strategy or an action plan. Rather he affirms some truths about God.
This is the eleventh of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
Arrogance and pride are the markers of lives opposed to God’s plans and purposes
Pride is like kryptonite to Godly living and effective leadership
If your struggle is pride it may well be worth stepping away from leadership and seeking to reduce your influence over others.
Because although your schemes and dreams will find some enthusiasts attracted by the potential of sharing in the rewards.
For the weak and the vulnerable the consequences will be wounding and entrapment and you will likely make shipwreck of your own soul.
Godless influence will reap its own harvest
In the short term interestingly it will lead to prosperity
Hang on hang on - that cant be right. Narcissists get promoted because they promise to get results and often do. Saul politically was a more successful King than David but not a great example of spiritual leadership.This is the tenth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
David is confident that God will look after all who trust in him. He encourages the people to remember and proclaim what God has done.
One of the techniques that we talk about in coaching sports is using memory to store away a process or an attitude. Under pressure if things are going awry we try to access that memory to mentally recover, replicate patterns of behaviour and boost performance.
Remembering does not happen accidentally it is an intentional act and an important discipline. The psalmist instructs the people that they are to recount what God has done among the nations. This deliberate activity is a witness and a testimony.
**It is a reminder that God also remembers and in particular remembers the cries of the afflicted, the persecuted and the needy. David again asks God for rescue and restoration.
It is a seductive trap for any of us to begin to believe our own publicity, to step onto a pedestal and begin to believe that somehow we have a different level of importance and entitlement. The reminder of mortality is an important corrective for all in positions of power or authority.**
This is the ninth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**“The Big and the Small of it”
God’s glory is not confined to the earth but is clearly visible in the heavens.**
The next line is interesting because it speaks of God establishing a stronghold against his enemies. Were this to be a physical structure it would be a fortress or a walled city, an impregnable place of security for His people. But this castle is not built of stone it is established through the praise of children and infants.
The voices of the young drown out the lies and godless chatter of the foe and the avenger. It is yet another example of God using things that are disregarded and devalued in the eyes of the world to advance his kingdom.
It is good for me to remember how small I am
But important that at the same time I remember how big God is
And to review my calling and renew my commitment to following him in the company of his people.
This is the eighth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“**Seeking Sanctuary”
Where do we find shelter, security and safety when we are facing storms? Where do we find sanctuary when we are pursued by our enemies? The answer in this Psalm is that refuge is not found in a place but in a person.
We spend a lot of emotional, mental and physical energy trying frantically to make things better. Running from that which would overwhelm us or trying to defeat that which is stronger than us. Much is beyond us but nothing is beyond the Lord.**This is the seventh of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“Through Snot and Tears”
**Pain can attune us to our deepest needs and elevate our hidden fears.
This is a great encouragement to me. This is someone the Bible describes as being someone after God’s own heart. Here we see a leader chosen by God, a hero of the faith, a mighty warrior and we hear him letting it all out through snot and tears.**
There is no quick fix, no snap out of it, no pull yourself together. This is real pain.This is the fifth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“Lamentable”
This is a lament, a passionate expression of loss, grief and sorrow.
**It is easier to listen to songs of celebration, laughter and love but often pain is our portion and lament our only lullaby. In this psalm we hear, through the pain, a cry for help.
In conflict it is easy to allow our behaviour to replicate that of our enemies. To return hate with hate, arrogance with arrogance, self righteousness with self righteousness, lies with lies and violence with violence**
David understands that being on the Lord’s side means doing things in the Lord’s way.
This is the fifth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“A Song to Sing Quietly”
How long will you love delusions and seek false Gods?
It is not sustainable because these things are not sustaining because they are not real or true.
How easy it is to fall in love with our own imaginings, to start to believe our own narratives, to become unable to see clearly. These false ideas will inevitably lead us away from the one true God and to seek or manufacture variations who will grant us our desires and fulfil our wishes.
This is the fourth of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post.
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“Leadership under Seige”
When we have supporting evidence and things feel good and are going well it is easy to think we are walking by faith. But when all is well we often walk by sight and draw confidence from the visible. But the real test of faith comes when we are faced with circumstances that cause us to question God’s character and commitment to us. It is the storm that tests the depth of our roots and the reality of our faith.
This is the third of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post.
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
**“On Good Government”
This conspiracy of nations and plot of peoples is in VAIN. Their manifesto is based on a lie. The lie is that they will deliver freedom and end enslavement.**
They propagate a false idea about God
Their propaganda says that is that it is God who oppresses and that they will set free when it is actually the reverse of that which is true.
This is the second of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post.
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
“**Am I more like the chaff or more like the tree?”
The contrast to the fruitfulness of the tree is the rootlessness of the chaff, stripped of use and goodness and blown away by the wind. It is a depressing conclusion. That those who live away from God who keep in step with the majority and walk in wickedness and sinfulness will not be able to face the righteous judgement that comes to all people.**
The wicked will face destruction but the Lord will watch over the righteous and assemble them together.
Of course this is very challenging and quite sobering.
Am I more like the chaff or more like the tree?
This is the first of a series that began life as a commitment to Counting my Blessings every day after ankle surgery on July 2nd 2021.
Initially I made a brief post on social media and wrote a daily reflection on a Psalm following the same numerical progression.
Later on in the 100 days I began to also reflect on other scriptures and combine those into my daily post.
These thoughts from Psalms earlier in the journey have not been made public until now as I was writing primarily for my own benefit. I have been encouraged to share these now.
This is Day 1. “Am I more like the chaff or more like the tree?”
One of the things I have been learning about since coming to Canada is the Underground Railroad. This was a network that was created to help escaped slaves find their way to freedom.
The Underground Railroad was neither a railway nor was it literally underground. Rather it was a movement where people of different political persuasions, faith convictions and ethnic backgrounds found common cause in working for liberty and standing for justice.
The Underground Railway was developed by abolitionists and sympathizers to help slaves avoid capture and navigate to safety. Because the penalties for helping escaped slaves were severe it was dangerous work. It was a secret organisation that had it’s own terminology, music and symbols.
As part of an underground organisation that is also working to help people find freedom I am interested in what I can learn from this story that can encourage us today.
New Year is always an appropriate time to look back and look forward.
This year begins with some hope that the tide may be turning in the global pandemic but we continue to face substantial disruptions and uncertainty.
Four old poems may help us navigate as we seek to move forward together into 2021.
You might have heard this story. It’s certainly been told for a while. My memory is a little fuzzy. I may be getting some of the details muddled, with things that have been occupying my mind recently. From what I can recall, it goes something like this...
I redid the audio for this and published it in the Episode “Christmas Special”