Journal: it's part of the job!

Last week I managed three hours in the study surrounded by books and studying the Bible. I also managed a couple of undisturbed (No telephones) hours reflecting and praying (outside the usual daily round of reflection and prayer) and it was wonderful. The same is destined to happen again this week - but, despite the thoughts of some, it's not time off - it truly is part of the job!

One of my internal challenges comes in the shape of thinking that being out visiting and 'doing stuff' means that back in the study I need to work - and this often means an evening shuffling paper! But, as the wife has always said, "It's part of the job, not a skive!" The same goes for me when I shut the door and snuggle down with a God book and read, pray and reflect.

Today was a partial day off - but it felt like it was a day off as I took most of the afternoon and evening off and found myself using the Meerkat app to go and have a cheap trip to the cinema to see Hacksaw Ridge - an inspirational, yet uneasy, piece of cinematography. It is a stunning film and one that speaks of the valour of those who hold to religious views that separate them from the mainstream; well worth a watch if you can endure the carnage depicted.

Tomorrow is a day filled with funerals (back-to-back in the Crem') and funeral visits and stuff - the stuff my ministry is made of - and I'm ready for it; in fact I'm looking forward to it!

So Lord, for the day ended and the challenges and joys it held - may I have been a blessing to those engaged with - and may I have been your man in the places I found myself.

I will indeed praise you for not only and I fearfully and wonderfully made, but a gloriously redeemed. Your love provides, surrounds and upholds me and Your Grace enables my every breath.

Lead me in the ways I ought to go and keep my feet from flipping, my tongue from folly and my hands from sin.


This place of reflection is here for me to dialogue internally and gain insight and perspective. It first appeared in this current form for some of those looking at creating their own journal as part of the their journey to discerning vocation. The Morning prayer is there also for that same purpose: to create the discipline of prayer. Dialogue, insights and experience of others concerning this entry is always welcome - all grist to the mill.

Aberfan - 50 years on

And the pain will not have subsided;

not for those who lost children;

not for those who lost family members;

not for those who lost schoolmates and contemporaries and survived that day;

not for those who feel the resonance for themselves in the loss of a child.

not for a community that was irreparably and awfully changed in that moment in time marked today fifty years on.

Today at 9:15 - please stop and spare a moment to think, and pray, over those who are gone and those who remain.

As we enter our season of remembrance just a little earlier than usual with this - make time to pray for the repose of those gone and the presence of God's healing power in those who remain.

The Daily Office

Greetings one and all,

I'd like to recommend the practice of getting into the habit of doing a 'daily office' as part of your Christian discipline and discipleship?

When I first suggested this to someone the started doing this (but nowhere near as well!):

Another person's response was to do this:

Another person said: 'Oh, isn't that what Matthew six talks about when it speaks of those who babble on repetitively in the hope that their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.' They're in a trendy [sort of] evangelical nonconformist something or other independent congregational church - so it's understandable that they knew little of anything important ;-)

The reality is that the morning office, taken at it's simplest is an opportunity to read the Bible (Old and New Testament and the Psalms) and to reflect on what you've read and (listening done) pray.

It's an amazing opportunity to set you up for the forthcoming day (morning prayer) and an opportunity (if you have a go a Night Prayer) to reflect on what is past and pray intelligently for it before laying it down and taking up a good night's sleep.

It's a brilliant way of getting the read the whole Bible and develop a wider understanding of what is in it - and it's amazing how many Christians don't have a clue once they've left the comfort of their  'favourite verses' .

It's a discipline (I know that's not a popular word) - one that pays dividends. Like a marathon runner begins with a short distance and progresses as they become stronger, the same is true in a spiritual sense too!

So give it a try - there are great apps that let you do the daily Office, you can find an abridged morning prayer (lite) on this blog - it's perhaps a little more testing than some of the one verse and reflection books I was looking at recently but then again you don't want lightweight or twee?

Do you?

Give it a go for a month and tell me what it has (or hasn't) done for you

Click here for the Church of England Daily Prayer site (with links for ipad/phone and Android)