This is the fourth in a mini-series looking at how different traditions celebrate Lent. They build on each other, so you might like to catch up on the first three:Ā Fasting in the Old Testament Jesus and the Early Church Orthodox Practices Looking for Lent stuff on Pinterest (a current, geeky hobby of mine) leads […]
This is the third in a mini-series looking at how different traditions celebrate Lent. You might like to start with the first post on Old Testament fastingĀ and catch up on the second on Jesus and the Early Church. It wasn’t until I moved to New Plymouth, next door to a lovely Egyptian family, that I […]
Stuck at the traffic lights? Is your honey at your side? Have a kiss. Every time! That’s a micro-tip, but the much more serious and important point it’s part of is this: take every opportunity for a positive, loving interaction. Small is fine. A recent study found that couples in thriving marriages have at least […]
This is a mini-series leading up to Lent, which begins in 2014 on March 5. You might like to catch up on the first part, looking at fasting in the Old Testament, before reading this one.Ā In the Old Testament, fasting is usually portrayed as a spontaneous response to what Scot McKnight calls a ‘sacred, […]
No one can be right or wrong about how to celebrate Lent, I realised the other day. Lent is a church tradition, not something instituted by Jesus or the apostles. So we’re all in the same boat, theologically speaking, of needing to figure out how Lenten practices might sensibly and meaningfully connect us to God […]
Holocaust denialĀ is now its own special category of insanity. If you want to hold a conference telling people that there was no such thing, that the Jews of Europe exaggerated the impact of the Second World War, then we won’t just say you’re a rubbish researcher, and we won’t indulge you in respect for your […]
A warm welcome today to my good friend Rob Kilpatrick, who wrote this reflection on Facebook yesterday and let me filch it for the blog. You’ll be glad you read it.Ā Ā I’m incredibly lucky to be granddad to 11 wonderful kids. I don’t deserve to be but there you have it, grace upon grace. I […]
Lucy from Lulastic and the Hippy Shake has been reading Parenting for Social Change by Teresa Brett and snipping quotes for her Facebook page along the way. Here’s one that has stayed with me. I’m convinced this is helpful and would change how many of us feel when we are at our most frustrated with […]
This is an introductory post to our Lent with Kids series, explaining how and why we’re using candles and a bunch of other things to make Lent meaningful at home. I wrote this several years ago now, and it has become a cornerstone of our family spirituality. Skip to the bottom to see the basic […]