"An honest answer
is like a warm hug"
(Proverbs 24:26)

Last night at Fusion we looked at the Spiritual Disciplines. I was trying to work out why I love this subject so much and a few ideas came to mind...

1. The first is that it is so counter cultural - our society is marked by the disposable and the instant. Even things that once had the air of permanence, such as marriage, are throwaway. A life of discipline is the antithesis of this culture. It values life change above the quick fix. Our lives become more focussed on the eternal.

2. Our feelings towards the word 'discipline' are often negative, other words like 'punishment' come to mind. In contrast to this response - that they are somehow constrictive - the spiritual disciplines can function as tools towards a life of greater peace and freedom.

I could ramble further, but I won't...

This morning I visited Form, who had a visit from Jon the Freelance Theologian. His challenge was to teach the broad sweep of Church history in the space of two and a half hours. He did a great job considering the time constraints.

For a few days back there I slipped off google's radar. I'm not sure what it was, but both my pornstar and politician namesakes overtook me in the top spot when searching my name. It's nice to be back.

I visited Cardiff this weekend, which was great fun. It was a swift visit (just over 24 hours) which included Shot in the Dark and Inncognito on Friday night, a trip to the Bay, a fringe trim, a roast dinner and a little sleep on Saturday.

I always think of the best things to blog when I'm riding my bike between home and the office. Last night, when I reached a junction between Downend and Muller Roads, I noticed that there are two distinct varieties of those who cycle on road. For one it is permissible to cross a junction when the pedestrian signal is sounding, for the other this is a cardinal sin. Interesting? Maybe not. But true...

The housegroup leaders' weekend at Glenfall House was great. It was good to be in a different context with people who don't always get to hang out, to minister to one another and to ask questions of our journeys in leadership.

On the Sunday morning we had a ministry time in which I really felt God addressing the issue of the 'fear of man' in my life. I know that I'm called to 'live before an audience of one,' to care more about what God thinks of me than I do about what others think of me, and it seems that God is consistently chipping away at how, where and from whom I find affirmation.

Go On Loving You
This is my prayer
This is my cry
I want to go on loving You
All through the joy
All through the fire
I want to go on loving You
I want to go on loving You

Seasons will change
People depart
I want to go on loving You
In times of pain when life is hard
And when the journey seems so long
I want to go on loving You

Your love for me, new as the dawn
older than time
Stronger than death, greater than life
This love is mine

In everything, through all my life
I want to go on loving You
This is my prayer, this is my cry
I want to go on loving You
I want to go on loving You

After one night of throwing up my stomach (not just its contents) and two days of disorientated aching, I'm back in the office. I'm just grateful that the experience was swift and that I can think about orange juice without finding my head in a bucket.

This weekend is the housegroup leaders retreat at Glenfall House, which should be fun.

Why is it that even when you have an early and full night of sleep you still wake up tired? That was the story this morning, the lids seemed heavier than usual, but I managed to get up without a single snooze.

It was the central prayer meeting last night, which was a really good time. Last week at the NLC Lance Pittluck brought us the challenge of embracing the life of prayer, in our solitary lives and in the lives of our communities. While it is good to have a motivated community of doers, or activists, that activism has to come from a place of deep intimacy with the father otherwise our works are empty.

cuttingedge:uk is now out.

Well, back from a crazy week in Bournemouth. It was a great time hanging out with old friends, meeting new ones, hearing some great teaching, walking by the sea and lots of fruit.