Room to Try Something New
I've always been inspired by innovation. I remember the launch of the iPhone. Steve Jobs stood on stage and announced three things: an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator. Then he revealed they were all one device. It blew my mind, and it changed the way we live. It began with someone imagining that things could be different.
I think the church is ready for moments like that too. Not in what we believe, but in how we organise ourselves.
One of my favourite stories is Moses and Jethro (Exodus 18). Moses is settling every dispute himself, from morning till night. His father-in-law watches and says, kindly but plainly, "What you are doing is not good. You will only wear yourselves out." Together they redesign the whole thing, sharing the load among capable people. Moses gets his life back, and the people are better served. It's one of the first leadership restructures in history, and it began with someone asking, "Could we do this differently?"
At Ocean Church we're trying, in small ways, to ask that question too.
We use the advice process. Instead of every decision climbing a committee ladder, anyone can make a call once they've sought advice from the people it affects and the people who know most about it. I'd love to see more ideas followed through using this process.
We meet on a Saturday, because that's when many of the people around us are actually free.
We don't have a building. We gather outdoors, in the park and on the beach, with no roof to fix and nothing between us and the people walking past.
None of this feels revolutionary. It feels more like rediscovering our roots: a church on the move, in the open air, sharing decisions together.
And the Bible is full of moments like this. The apostles creating a new role so that overlooked widows were fed (Acts 6). Peter walking into Cornelius's house (Acts 10). A mixed, unlikely church in Antioch sending Paul and Barnabas out into the world. Each time, God's people tried something new, and the kingdom moved forward.
"See, I am doing a new thing!" God says through Isaiah. "Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19)
So what new thing might God be inviting you to try? A new time, a new place, a new way of deciding together? I'd love to hear what you imagine.
Matter Matters
Have you considered what’s large, grey with a trunk but doesn’t matter? It’s irrelephant.
And did you know, no matter how kind you are, German children are Kinder.
A GCSE in German or a quick Google Translate will open the door to the hilarity of that last sentence. It’s a significant segue from there to considering why ‘matter matters’ but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Growing up, I was made aware of the need to interact in spiritual realms. Prayer was important and finding ways to incorporate it into the corporate activity of the church as well as your personal life was stressed. In teaching I grew up with, much of the emphasis seemed to be on actions of the will and the mind. Self-control was focused on policing your thoughts.
My understanding is that Celtic Christianity had a different emphasis. Creation was viewed as revelation. A deep connection was viewed between the land and the people who lived on it. It feels pertinent at a time when the government are issuing advice about how people should ensure they have enough supplies of food and water at home in case of an emergency. It makes me wonder how separated we as a civilisation have become from the land, the earth, the soil where our nourishment comes from. The Psalmist declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” but do we individually or collectively seek to look after it? What is the church’s voice amid climate change?
It feels intuitive that using our senses to experience the divine is what a God would want us to do. Our minds, souls and intellects may feed into this too but most of us are fortunate enough to be able to experience the warmth and comfort of a bed to rest, the refreshment of water whenever we want, the taste of a variety of foods on a daily basis and the beauty of creation not far from our doorsteps, if we choose to look with intention. We have the chance to thank the creator, the orchestrator of these experiences and to recognise their source.
Our thoughts and minds are important conduits to our understanding of God and what God is like. But matter matters too. Our senses can open us to sensing more of the divine, increasing our awareness and gratitude for what we see, taste and touch. We can join with those saints of the past by choosing to notice God’s everyday presence. And as we do so more often, maybe it will change us and increase our sensitivity of God’s handiwork in more and more places.
The Saucepan that keeps on giving
Have you noticed how sometimes God speaks to us through the ordinary things in life and even the mundane? This morning I was standing at my kitchen sink minding my own business when God started talking to me about one of our saucepans. Random, or what!
Last night some food had been cooked in the pan that had burned dry. This saucepan was a bit of a work horse in our house, so this was not the first time this had happened. However, as I tried to scrape the burnt food away, it felt like this time things had gone too far, and we might need to throw it away and buy a new one.
As is customary, I put the pan in to soak overnight, and on coming down this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the soaking had worked and the pan was salvageable. In fact, after cleaning it up, it was good as new.
Here comes the random again. I wonder whether you ever feel like that pan?
For some, life is good; you feel like a brand-new pan, and you have lots to give. Enjoy the season and reach out to others who are finding things more difficult.
There are those of you who have walked with God faithfully over the years. Your pan has been well used, but there is still more wear in it. Your faithfulness is seen by God particularly in the things that are not seen by others.
And there are those of you who are finding things tough at the moment. Life can be hard. Things happen that can leave unwelcome deposits in our lives, like burnt-on food in a pan. Sometimes it can seem like there is no wear left in you.
You are the people I particularly want to speak to. Like my pan, there is still a lot for you to give. You just need a little soaking. As you immerse yourself in God, he can cleanse those unwelcome deposits so that they can be washed away. It may take a while, but take heart.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43 v 19
And
Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30 v 5
If you feel like life is not working out the way you want it to, know that God has a plan for you. He can be trusted. His ways are not our ways, but He is 100% faithful and wants the best for you.
Give yourself some time to soak in God. He has got you. He wants to restore you to a shiny new pan that can be seen front and centre. We are all on this journey together, even if we are at different phases in our lives. Let’s journey through the ups and downs of life together.
Rocks
Walking some of the South Coast footpath with groups from Ocean Church has been a great experience recently. There have been lots of time to enjoy spending time in nature and appreciating the beauty of our surroundings, as well as the chance to go deeper in conversation and relationships.
On my first trip, I found a small rock that I liked. It had layers of different coloured rock. It wasn’t smooth or perfectly formed in a conventional sense but fitted fairly comfortably into my hand. Something of the layers spoke to me about how it has endured in comparison to the relative fleetingness of human life. It wasn’t especially attractive or that remarkable but it seemed a good memento of the journey.
On our next walk along the Devon coastline, we tackled a fifteen-mile walk one day with plenty of elevation to conquer. When we stopped for lunch, I discovered another rock, this time more marbled in appearance. It was fairly substantial and could operate as an effective doorstop if required. Lunch is a great opportunity on a walk to shed some of the weight you carry by you and your family eating it. I negated this benefit by choosing to carry the somewhat impractical 1.5 kilogram weight for the next section, until passing it off a few hours later when we were met in a car park.
During our latest escapade, I had taken myself off on the Sunday morning for a quick run to a beach in a nearby estuary. Littered across the space I had chosen to stop were mixed in some reddish sandstone, one of which caught my eye. It was flattish but chunky. To return it to our accommodation, I would have to carry the kilogram stone back up a hundred metres of climbing on my return run. Which is what I did.
Carrying extra weight is not normally recommended. It is awkward and ladening you down, making it hard to move at speed. When you are out of breath, randomly running along countryside lanes before breakfast holding a large rock, it also appears strange to passers-by!
My recent small-scale geological scavenging caused me to think about the different metaphorical weights we carry. Some of the responsibilities we hold we are in no position to lay down. Looking after children or parents may be an example of something that takes our time and energy that we wouldn’t choose to abscond, even if it were an option.
A different type of weight might be a role we voluntarily take on. Often these are good things but there is a cost on our time and energy. Too long spent or picking up too many of these can lead us to feel exhausted or burned out.
A further type of load can be the messages we have been told or have somehow chosen to believe about ourselves. Negative thoughts or mindsets can potentially prevent us from progressing. They can become an additional burden that no one has asked us to take on but weigh heavy on our hearts or minds.
In Matthew 11, Jesus encouraged people to come to him, saying his yoke is easy and his burden is light. It would have conjured images of followers walking alongside Jesus, like a pair of cattle, sharing the load. The Greek word used for ‘easy’ is chrēstos, which means well-fitted and suited for use. In the context of other religious leaders had the time, Jesus was moving away from a legalistic framework but a kind and collaborative way of life.
Perhaps when we consider the weights, burdens or responsibilities that we carry, we can think about why we hold them and whether it is time to lay them down, especially those no one has asked us to pick up. And we can mull what it means to take on Jesus’ yoke at the stage of life we are currently at and how we can work in unity with him to find his promised rest.
We need connection
I was waiting in the optician's this week when a familiar song started playing. Without realising, spontaneously my foot began tapping to the beat. You know what I mean; it has happened to you.
I was alone, but somehow, I felt connected to the music.
Music gives us connections to the world around us, and our brains soak it up, filling our bodies with emotions and experiences. Tapping our feet is like our brain doing a little happy dance to the patterns and emotions music brings. Wait 'til it happens to you again; it will bring a smile to your face.
We need connection because social bonds are essential for survival, mental health, and overall well-being, influencing everything from stress and resilience to longevity.
COVID has somehow interrupted our social bonds. Many of us used to work in an office interacting with colleagues every day. Now those same people are working from home, hidden away day after day with just a screen for company, without the same human interaction they used to enjoy. We put on a brave face, but that human interaction has been taken from many of us.
Connection satisfies one of our deepest motivational drives: the need to belong. No matter who you are, we all have this need ingrained in our DNA.
Human connection is not optional; it is a fundamental need rooted in biology, psychology, and social evolution. Prioritising meaningful relationships and fostering social bonds is essential for a healthier, more fulfilling life.
So, let me ask you, how are your human connections? Are they good? Are you fulfilled in your relationships? Or do you have a desire for more human connection? If you do, don't suffer in silence. We would love to help you make some new connections.
My family moved from Winchester to Hamworthy 2 years ago. New friends are emerging, but it has taken time. I have realised (with help from my wife) that I need to be proactive in joining new groups. To put myself in the way of people.
Close friends encourage personal growth, remind us of our potential, and help us stay grounded during difficult times, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Ocean Church is good at creating a sense of belonging. Many different groups are meeting for people to try. So please do get in touch to find out more. Whether you are new to the church or have been part of it for a while, connection is a gift ready and waiting for you to enjoy.
Get connected!
Thin Places
As a student, I visited a chapel attached to a monastery in Normandy. The group I was with sang a simple acapella chorus. It felt ethereal, special, as if access to God had somehow been made closer. There was a sense of uniting with the thousands of others who would have sung in that building over centuries.
A couple of years later, I found myself in Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador, and with the day free, I decided to hike up the steep trail in the mountainside, following the route of the Stations of the Cross. The panoramic views were incredible, high in the clouds, like a flavour or glimpse of heaven. Despite being on my own, the sensation of presence and the immediacy of something otherworldly was strong.
Celtic Christianity uses the language of ‘thin’ or ‘liminal’ spaces to describe these sorts of experiences. They evoke the sort of idea that you are on the threshold, where the distance between what we understand as the material and the spiritual or divine seeps away. Thin places can lead to profound religious experiences.
I have recently been involved in some discussions around this notion of thin places at Ocean Church. We have considered what qualities a location has that means it is a thin place. Some may have a history of worshippers being present. Others may contain a beauty, natural or man-made, evoking something that resonates in many people. Regardless of these characteristics, most of us would recognise that some places we have been to seem different or mystical somehow.
From my understanding of Celtic Christianity, there was less of a separation in their philosophy between the material and the spiritual, things of the earth and things of heaven. This can lead us to consider, what areas of our lives can we recast or create as thin places? If we reject the dualism of the sacred and the secular, we can intentionally look for God in more areas of our lives. In the quiet, in the everyday tasks, in our conversations, in the times when we are with our families or friends and choose to reframe the situation as, “I get to do this!” God is present and sometimes we need to open our eyes wider to see or attune our ears and hearts to listen.
Choice seems important. Thin places often seem to be experienced when you choose to climb the mountain, enter the building or intentionally open our souls to what is already there. What one choice today can we make to make an encounter, a task, a free ten minutes a thin place, taking us closer to that threshold where we can meet the divine?
A blog blessing
Or a blessing blog…
Diving into Celtic spirituality with Ocean Church- something I know little about- one thing that has struck me so far has been the abundance of blessings. Blessings feel like something that I, and perhaps others parts of the wider Church have moved on from. I vaguely remember a Lion book of children’s prayers that included quaint and slightly odd blessings for waking up, going to bed, meals and so on. One of them in particular seemed to insinuate that I’d better say these words or I may not actually wake up again the next day.
So I moved on. As a family we rarely bless our food these days- a habit that was very prevalent in my childhood. So is it worth taking a look again at the practice of blessings?
What actually are blessings?
Blessings are directed towards people or places or objects, not actually to God like a prayer. They are specific and call something concrete and named into being, rather than being a vague wish of good intentions. Interestingly, they also involve authority in some way: a parent blessing a child, a Priest or Pastor blessing a marriage, a host blessing a visitor. To bless someone or something involves taking ownership and responsibility in some way, however small. You see this in Biblical blessings of parents to their children such as Isaac blessing the schemer, Jacob (thinking he was his favourite son Esau). Once spoken, that blessing carried power and authority, it couldn’t simply be overwritten.
This gives pause for thought. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too hasty to bless and think carefully about the content and meaning of blessings we feel drawn to.
Traditionally, blessings are bound to major life events: weddings, new homes, births, even death. Celtic spirituality takes this further though and includes beautiful, powerful blessings of the small details of daily life. It teaches that there is grace in the ordinary things of normal life and recognises and calls out where the grace of God is already at work.
This is clearly seen in this famous Irish blessing:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
What a blessing. Simple, powerful, grounded and real. Calling out God’s grace in the wind, the sun and the rain.
As we get into Celtic spirituality with Ocean Church, you also may feel drawn to the practice of blessing. On the Ocean Church App there is a treasure trove section which contains lots of blessings that are a great place to start speaking God’s love, grace and peace over a person, place or moment; drawing attention to God at work in simple everyday activities and taking responsibility and a small amount of authority in these moments.
The wonderful Nicola shared some of these blessings with our young people during Ocean Church youth. I wonder where these blessings will lead.
To end, I will attempt a blog blessing for you as the reader- especially if you’ve made it this far!
May you find a moment to slow down
take a breath
recognise your loving God
at work in the small things of this day
and hear His heart for you.
Good in the Beginning
Shortly after the birth of one of my sons, we were visited at home by a medical
professional, checking on our general well-being. During the early days of
parenthood, family and friends want to bring gifts, to cuddle the newborn and offer
kind words to dampen the shock that the impact of being solely responsible for a
brand-new human. I have forgotten all but a few words of that visit, when the doctor
shared shared their opinion that all babies look like naked mole-rats!
The vast majority of people would see something precious and good in the face of a
baby (especially when they are sleeping!) and Celtic Christianity was no different.
Core goodness and the divine light of God were believed to be present in every
newborn child. It sounds true, it rings true, it feels true. However, much of Western
theology that has influenced the church is the idea that sin or wrongdoing affects
every part of human nature and effectively, that from birth we are totally depraved.
There seems to be a disconnect with reality. Just as the comment about the naked
mole-rat leads to a double-take, it is hard to arrange your mental furniture around the
idea that a baby is somehow marred from birth.
This is not to negate from the impact of wrongdoing in our world or the human
tendency towards selfishness and worse. However, framing human existence as
beginning from a kind of holy goodness means that we can be encouraged to aim
towards returning to being our true self.
At our gathering at Ocean Church recently, we were encouraged to find goodness in
an object we found and then consider what that spoke to our own goodness. For me,
this was a bit awkward. I am in my comfort zone when being self-depreciating and
my natural reaction is to deflect compliments. Perhaps this is my first challenge when
thinking about what I have to learn from Celtic Christianity. Life’s journey may involve
uncovering what was originally good, from the first breath and enabling the divine
light within us to be revealed more clearly, both to ourselves and to others.
The importance of creativity
I started my day thinking about creativity and how it impacts our daily lives. It made me think that it showed its hand very early on, right back in Genesis chapter 1.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” You could say it was the biggest light bulb moment in history! From nothing, something incredible was created.
Here’s a thought. DNA contributes to our capacity for creativity, but creativity itself is not "written into" our DNA. It's an emergent trait shaped by both biology and experience.
Did you know that being creative in music, science, engineering, or writing involves different combinations of skills, knowledge, and personality? The same person may be highly creative in one domain but not another.
I love that. It’s a bit like snowflakes. No two people will have the same creative traits. We are all unique. This displays God’s amazing creativity in designing each of us differently.
So how does creativity impact our daily lives? Creativity is a practical skill as much as an artistic one. It helps people solve problems, communicate effectively, adapt to change, and make everyday experiences more meaningful and enjoyable.
As I have gotten older, I have realised that creativity is an outlet for expressing what is inside, for being heard, and for connecting with ourselves and others. It definitely affects my well-being in a good way. It makes me feel better inside and out. It is also like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger you become.
So, let me ask you what your creative traits are? Are you using them at the moment?
Work is an area you might want to think about. We spend around one third of our lives at work, wow, that is a significant part of our cradle to the grave experience.
Question – Are you using your creative gifts at work? Could you be using them more? That could be a challenge for us all to think about. To put it another way, what are your gifts, and how could you use them to make more of an impact at work?
How to encourage creativity at work
Create an open and supportive work environment.
Encourage brainstorming and idea sharing.
Promote collaboration across teams.
Allow employees time to experiment and learn.
Recognise and reward innovative ideas.
Provide opportunities for training and skill development.
Maybe you could choose one or two of these to run with.
Whether it is at work or some other part of your life, there is always room for more creativity. Just this week, I have started going to an early morning creative writing course on the beach at 6.15 am. It lasts for one hour, and I am back home in time for breakfast, and then I start work. The positive impact was immediate; I felt more relaxed and more inspired just by doing some creative writing on the beach. Perhaps it's time for a light bulb moment in your life? Loosen that creativity in you.
Chris Taylor – July 2026
Lost
Have you considered getting lost as a spiritual practice? I read about the concept in a book by Barbara Brown Taylor. Possessing an inherent poor sense of direction, I thought it might be fun to take myself off on a run to Canford Heath, take a path I hadn’t been down before and then meander my way back home at my leisure. This was my plan. Then I got lost.
By definition, I suppose, being lost is disorienting. I deliberately chose not to check the maps on my phone until I eventually arrived back home. Had I done so, I may not have ended at almost exactly the same dead end of private land which I approached from a different path a few minutes previously. I might not have run down the track resplendent with brambles and stinging nettles. I could have avoided the time I spent in the middle of heathland, picking my feet through the heather, feeling like I was turning in circles (this part I was right about) with no idea really which way I was meant to go.
There are times when it feels like life’s journeys aren’t leading anywhere. I notice this in a number of areas of life. Writing doesn’t flow. Work is a means to an end. Exercise is just a routine, seemingly with limited purpose. Faith ticks over, idling. Can you relate?
In the stories of the Old Testament, the Israelites, who identified themselves as God’s people, found themselves free from slavery from the Egyptians. They understood that they were to be led to a promised land. However, due to decisions made by this group of people, the Bible tells of how they were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years as a people.
It may not be for four decades, but a large part of my own faith journey has felt like wandering, lost in the spiritual weeds. Earlier flames have dampened and I’ve often not really known which direction to take. The confidence of previous divine encounters has diminished and following the caveats and nuances of my responses in conversations about faith requires significant patience.
I noticed my senses heighten when I allowed myself to get lost on Canford Heath. I became aware of those around me or in my case, that I hadn’t seen a single person for over half an hour. Although it was my intention to be lost, I seesawed between laughing and cursing at myself due to the consequences of my decisions. I noticed more, listened more, followed my instincts more, searching for clues. Ironically, I failed to notice that for a couple of miles, I was running back the exact path I had been on at the start of my adventure in being lost, bringing me almost exactly back to where I took my first turn into the unknown. Some extended metaphor. Pick the bones out of that one at your leisure.
I wouldn’t choose to put myself in a position of being lost too often. Despite being insightful, it’s also inconvenient and time-consuming. However, I take heart from the fact that Israel of the Old Testament chose to retain in their history of being a people that they wandered without knowing their final destination. And even arriving at their destination of the Promise Land didn’t prove to be a eutopia for them. It means that when we find ourselves lost, intentionally or otherwise, we are in good company.
The experiences of life, without any effort from ourselves, can often lead us off the straight and narrow roads we were on, instead throwing us off course and disorientated. The journeys we take from here are not always direct – they can include dead-ends, circuitous off-road sections and possibly finding ourselves more-or-less back where we started. And that’s ok. So when you next find yourself figuratively or literally lost, perhaps consider what it can teach you. Hopefully, but there are no guarantees on this, the experience won’t last for forty years.
Standing on the edge
I was in Zimbabwe. The day before I had enjoyed one of the most amazing experiences ever: seeing the incredible Victoria Falls. Today was different. I looked over the edge, heart pounding. I could make out the water in the bottom of the river Zambezi, far, far below. It had seemed like such a good idea yesterday, even earlier this morning, but at the moment of jumping, fear gripped me and I froze.
I could feel the weight of the bungee around my legs, and the harness felt secure. I had seen other people jump and they had loved it. I knew it was safe and a big part of me wanted to do a bungee jump. Or at least be able to say that I had done one.
Time seemed to slow. Or possibly speed up; it was hard to say.
My mind and body lost some of their connection. My brain was desperately trying to communicate with my legs, but the messages weren’t getting through.
Finally I managed to bend my legs, ready to jump, but my legs had turned into jelly. I wasn’t going to be able to do it- I was stuck. But actually, the act of bending my legs had pushed my centre of gravity over the edge of the bridge. Gravity took over and I fell. It wasn’t dignified, didn’t look impressive and certainly didn’t result in the perfect swallow dive photo I had imagined. In fact, I can’t really say with honesty that I did a bungee jump at all. More a bungee fall.
But I did get to experience the wind, the river coming towards me at 100 miles an hour, the jerk of the bungee, and, not least, the absolute certainty that I would die.
Whenever I tell people this story there is a little twinge of regret. Yes, I did bungee jump off a bridge over the river Zambezi, but it wasn’t quite the spectacular act of bravery I was hoping for.
Some of us who follow Jesus feel the same way when we tell the story of our conversion, or how we started following Him. It might not be a story of miraculous, divine intervention like Paul in the book of Acts on the road to Damascus. It might be a little less spectacular, a little more… mundane. It might even be a fall of gravity rather than a brave step of faith.
Those stories are just as important though and the reality is that they are the culmination of hundreds of little decisions. And, unlike my bungee fall which was definitely a ‘once and done’ event, faith in Jesus is made up of a continual series of decisions to trust and follow. Yesterday’s faith is not enough for today, I need to go again.
And for anyone looking over the edge and wondering whether to go for it and put your faith in Jesus to catch you, maybe it just needs a little bend of the knees and not that great big impossible-seeming leap.
The sound of silence
Over the last Bank Holiday weekend, my wife Jenny and I visited a garden centre. We saw the statue above, and I just had to buy it. So, if you come to our house and venture into the garden, you will see it displayed in all its glory in one of our flower beds.
For me, it provokes the thought of quiet over noise.
We live in a very busy culture where things are happening all of the time. There is constant stimulation and very little time for quiet. I wonder what it is like in your home?
Maybe you can use this blog as an opportunity to do a sound audit of life in your house?
I’m sure you know the things that swallow up quiet – TV, mobile phones, gaming, playing music. In moderation, there is nothing wrong with any of these things, but if it shuts out time for quiet and reflection, then maybe they need to be reviewed? One of my favourite bands in the 80s was called After The Fire. They had a song called “I need some time to think.” I am sure that at some point, you can relate to this.
Our neighbours recently went on a retreat. Not something I have ever done, but I do wonder if it might help me to reset and step off of the wheel of life for a bit. Here are some of the upsides that Rachel shared with me and gave me permission to share with you:
Being in nature and seeing things I may otherwise not notice, seeing God's goodness in creation.
Time to pause and be still meant I could hear God’s voice more.
Getting away and intentionally carving out time with God AWAY from my phone felt very healthy to get away from the noise and distraction of screens.
Being on retreat slowed everything down.
Having a toddler means we rarely get silence….so the precious moments when we can pause and be still and have alone time was very special.
Silence forces us to face what is going on on the inside, to confront the lies we’ve believed and receive healing in our weakness and brokenness
I love this, thank you, Rachel it frames exactly what I was thinking when we were in the garden centre and saw the golden figure.
So, is there a point to this? Well, we know we live in a busy, noisy world. Sometimes we need to make a conscious effort to step back, get quiet on the inside and reset.
What do you think? Is this something for you to consider?
Incorporating quiet into daily life can significantly enhance mental and emotional well-being, counteracting the detrimental effects of constant noise exposure.
Final verse for this blog. Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46 v 10.
Flow
Jesus once said:
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37-38)
We can go to Jesus for living water, he is the original source, but this living water will then flow from within us. What does this mean?
Joshua Luke Smith says “Flow is simply finding form for the story you are living, the perspective you see through and the unique temperament you’ve been given.”
The idea of Jesus’ living water flowing from within us, like a river, is transformational. Not only do we have a source to quench our thirst, our longings, we can also see this living water pouring out from us. To others. In our work, our creativity, to our families. In expressions of life and beauty and grace. This water flowing from us leads to life and fruitfulness.
There is also a real danger if the water is not flowing. Water that doesn’t flow stagnates. It encourages bacteria and disease; it smells and pollutes. But water that is flowing, with both an outlet and an inlet, creates and sustains life.
We went for a walk along the river Dart in Dartmoor last Summer. It was stunning. A lush, beautiful green valley, teeming with life and growth and sparkling, crystalline water cascading, rushing and flowing along. At one point the river deepened and widened so that you could swim in this pure, clear, refreshing stream. Flowing water creates life.
We have something within us that is meant to flow out. We can express this in a myriad different ways.
When Jesus spoke about flow, He was talking about the Holy Spirit flowing as living water. How then can we flow with the Spirit? Christians can bandy these phrases around, but what might it actually feel like?
Flow is also a concept in positive psychology. Dr Laura Copley (What Is Flow in Positive Psychology?) defines it as “a state where you are so immersed in an activity that you lose track of time, self-consciousness fades, and you feel a deep sense of purpose and enjoyment. We often identify this as the “optimal experience.” I wonder if you can think of times when that has been true for you. Maybe painting, or singing. Maybe swimming or surfing in the sea; or watching the sun go down, deep in conversation with friends. Did you recognise a spiritual side to this? Being in flow with the Holy Spirit?
While there are definite differences, I think positive psychology can help us understand something of being in flow with the Spirit.
Immersion and connection
Being in flow is about being immersed in the Holy Spirit, connected to someone much greater than us and as a result connected to creation and others.
Loss of self-consciousness
We focus less on ourselves, worrying less about our abilities or what others may be thinking.
Presence
We are totally present in the moment. Distractions fade and our scattered attention focuses in.
That’s as far as I’ve got for now. It feels a bit like putting words to something I’ve had the privilege to experience and long for more of. I hope to get with the flow more.
David and Goliath
Not sure if you have seen it, but there is an excellent series on Netflix called “The House of David.” If you haven’t tuned in, it is well worth a look. This is series two. Series one was number one in America. Says something about people’s appetite for something more in life. The first episode focuses on the David and Goliath story. One of the most famous stories in the Old Testament.
There was an interesting slant being put across. Each day, Goliath came out and taunted the children of Israel for someone to come and fight him. It went on for days. In fact, he came out day after day for 40 days!
Symbolically, the number 40 in the Bible frequently signifies a period of trial, testing, or preparation, as seen in events such as the Israelites wandering for 40 years, Moses spending 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Jesus fasting for 40 days. In this context, Goliath's 40 days of taunting can be seen as a period of testing the courage and faith of Israel before David's intervention.
Goliath's repeated taunts served as psychological warfare, aiming to intimidate the Israelites and undermine their morale. By appearing twice daily, he maintained constant pressure on the Israelite camp, creating a sense of fear and urgency. This prolonged challenge set the stage for David, a young shepherd, to step forward and confront Goliath, ultimately leading to his victory and the symbolic triumph of faith and courage over intimidation.
We can often use Bible stories or parables to learn how to overcome in life. Part of what I want to say is if you are going through struggles be encouraged that you are not alone. Sometimes we can feel isolated, and our circumstances can seem larger than our ability to deal with them.
Question – Do you have a David and Goliath in your life? If you don’t, maybe you could think of someone you know who has. We all go through difficult situations at some point in our lives. Maybe you can get alongside someone to help them through their struggles?
Or perhaps your circumstances do seem to loom large every day? They may taunt you. It puts you under pressure, and in your own strength, you can’t see a way through. Goliath is standing tall over you. Well, I want to tell you that David is on his way. He will probably look very different from what you were expecting, but take courage, he will have your back and release from your circumstances is coming. Stand firm because your trials will diminish. Take courage because “The battle belongs to the Lord.”
Do you need clarity in your life right now?
It’s true we are all travelling along life’s pathway on a unique journey. Sometimes the path is straight and flat, and other times it can be steep with blind corners. We can’t always see where we are going. It’s why we need people around us to share the journey, to encourage us on and to tell us we can get up this steep terrain.
Seeing clearly is an important tool in life. I remember being out in my car on the motorway one day. It was cold and wet. I distinctly remember being in the middle lane. Without warning, the whole windscreen fogged up so I couldn’t see anything. For a moment, I was in a state of panic. Do I try to move to the inside lane or stay where I am? Well, I couldn’t see any vehicles to my left, but I wasn’t sure if I might smash into one if I tried to move. So, I stayed where I was in the middle lane, and thankfully, as I tried to clear the windscreen on the inside, it started to clear. Wow, that was a scary moment, not being able to see where I was going and feeling hemmed in.
So, on your journey of life, are you on a straight path at the moment, flat and easy to navigate, or does it feel like you are climbing up a steep hill, not knowing when the climb will end?
If it feels like the path is straight for you, can I encourage you to think of your family and friends and work colleagues, maybe someone in your street, and think if any of them are currently on an uphill climb? Can you get alongside them to encourage them to keep going?
And if you feel like you are climbing at the moment, feeling out of breath, not sure when it will ease, let me encourage you to keep going. Life has a habit of working itself out. You will come through this; allow others to walk with you, to carry your bags, and to help you through this season. The thing about seasons is they don’t stay the same. However long winter may seem, it does eventually turn into spring and then summer, and then you will be walking on flat, straight ground again.
For some of you reading this, you may feel like you are on straight, flat ground, but you need clarity about where you are going. Life passes us by so quickly. When there is a fork in the road, we need to be confident that we are taking the right path.
Here are 3 scriptures that might help you:
Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and he will make your paths straight.”
Clarity comes from trusting God rather than overthinking everything on our own.
Psalm 119: 105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
God’s Word helps you see clearly how to live and make good decisions.
James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God… and it will be given to you.”
Clarity is something you ask for in prayer.
An old song that I used to sing when I was 10 years old just came back to me.
“When the road is rough and steep, fix your eyes upon Jesus, he alone has power to keep fix your eyes upon him.”
Let’s keep journeying together.
Hands
Consider your hands. They tell quite a story and are used in myriad ways. I fear that mine show I have never done a day’s hard labour in my life.
Psalm 134 includes the instruction “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.”
I’m going to avoid the temptation to overexplain and just share the following, I hope it is helpful.
My hands are dirty and grimy,
discoloured, scratched and broken
How can I lift them to you in worship?
These hands have done bad things
They are to be hidden away, covered up
Hands that punch, push, poke or pinch
Or scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll…
And swipe, click, type and select
Hands that take me to places I should not go
And do not do me good.
How can I lift them to you in worship?
And yet, and yet, and yet…
You take me by the hand
Those selfsame, ashamed, dirty hands
And wash them, cleaning the muck and grime away
From under the fingernails
Washing them clean, fit for new purpose
And then, and then, and then…
You declare them holy, unblemished, pure.
And I notice your hands
That hold mine
Contain nail holes
And you wash my hands,
Not in water, but in blood.
So I lift my hands – declared holy – to You in worship.
Do you need breakthrough?
This is a blog with a difference. It is an honest look at life with a twist of the prophetic. Have you ever heard the expression “under pressure, something is formed?” Over time and with extreme temperature and pressure, diamonds are formed. Unless you are at diamond status, you are likely to be experiencing this in different ways in your life at the moment. It might be an issue with a family member, a long-term health problem, financial pressure that you just can’t shake or maybe you are going through life suffering with your wellbeing in silence. These are just a few examples; perhaps your situation is different. It’s not so much what you are going through, but how you are going through it and whether you understand the process you are in.
When you look at a diamond ring in a jewellery shop, perhaps you think wow, that is expensive. Well, they have been on an incredible journey to end up in the shop. In nature, diamonds are created within the Earth's mantle at depths exceeding 120 kilometres (75 miles), where temperatures soar, and pressures are immense. Over billions of years, carbon atoms bond in a crystal structure that results in the hardest known natural substance. These diamonds are then brought closer to Earth’s surface through volcanic eruptions, where they can be mined from kimberlite pipes, alluvial gravels, or glacial tills. Once out of the earth, its journey isn’t finished. A diamond seed is surrounded with carbon and subjected to high pressures and temperatures. The carbon melts and crystallises around the seed. So, you can see that throughout its life it is subjected to intense heat and pressure. But the outcome is beautiful and lasting.
Pressure is part of our life experience. If I take my own situation, I have a natural tendency to try and fix things when they become difficult. To focus on the problem and try to do all I can to sort it out. Subconsciously, I am jostling for control. The harder the problem, the harder I work at trying to fix it. I find myself in such a position at the moment. What about you? How do you deal with pressure?
As Christians, it is like we are in a partnership with God. He is the senior partner, and we are the junior partner. He wants to develop us as people and can allow situations in our lives to hone us and shape us.
I really need to change my default mechanism to try and fix things by asking God what are you trying to teach me? Trying to take control says I don’t trust you. I trust myself better. But that isn’t right. God can be trusted for all your needs and circumstances. As you read this, think about the circumstances that you find yourself in and how they manifest pressure.
God is bigger than our circumstances. He is faithful and can be trusted with every aspect of our lives, no matter how difficult they might seem.
The phrase "God meant it for good" is rooted in Genesis 50:20, where Joseph reflects on his hardships with his brothers and wrongly being put in prison and recognises that God used these circumstances for a greater purpose.
So, if you need breakthrough in your life, can I encourage you to go to God and ask him what he is trying to teach you? He may not speak immediately, but He always speaks eventually. And timing is more important than time to God.
With every blessing.
The passage of time
Time is a constant companion who walks with you throughout your life
It is like your heart that keeps on beating even when you are asleep
A friend who sits with you through life’s ups and downs without speaking
It holds your hand and offers you comfort whilst it quietly ticks on by
It punctuates so many milestones that you experience through your life
The decoration you wear around your wrist is a constant reminder
One thing is for certain, the hands of time will continue to turn
Time shares your life journey from the beginning through to the end
From your first breath until it’s time for you to pass into the next life
The artist in you commits paint to canvas to illustrate who you are
Each stroke is like “a first” in your life, your first step, your first word
You learn to walk, the day you go to school, when you start to ride a bike
find your first best friend, your first crush, your first kiss, and you find Jesus
your first pay cheque, your first drink, your first flight, having your heart broken,
You pass your driving test, start your first job, promotion, leave home, get married
Time moves on, it's time to buy your first house. Some are fortunate to have children
experience sleepless nights, go on family holidays, you realise that life is not all about you
When you are young, you don’t ever think that you will grow old, but when you are older
Your youth is traded for life experience, and you start to see things through your children
They go through all the same things you have been through, but illustrate them differently
We look back, but realise that the cogs of time will always continue to move forward
For those who are fortunate enough to find a life partner, you are no longer alone
The bed you used to sleep in doubles in size and there is another person in it!
The house you live in is furnished with things you chose and bought together
You decide how you are going to use your wages and learn about compromise
One of the gifts of marriage is the ability to share life’s ups and downs together
You support each other emotionally; you listen to each other and cheer each other up
You laugh together, cry together, and forge out a way for your children’s future
You’ve heard the song “Love Changes Everything.” Well, love changes as time goes by
The early stages are exciting, you can’t wait to be together again, they are shiny and new
There is a sense that you can take on the world. Before kids, Saturday mornings are lazy
Without realising it, you squander free time; your universe is small, just the two of you
Some of the shine wears off as you learn that you are not perfect and have flaws
Excitement is replaced with reality that you have bad habits, which can be irritating
Children arrive, and everything changes. You are no longer the centre of your universe
Somewhere along the way, your wedding vows become much more real to you
“For better, for worse, in sickness and in health” – you experience all of these things
You are given a spade and told to start building the foundations of your marriage
Digging can be hard work as the sun shines on your back, followed by vigorous rain
It becomes apparent that long-term commitment is more important than fuzzy feelings
You learn to dig in and work through disputes and problems, even when you don’t want to
Through life’s ups and downs, you realise that love is not a feeling, it’s an act of the will
You realise that the gift of time is one of the most precious commodities we have
For every single one of us, we can anticipate an appointment with the great unknown
We will gather up everything we have, everything we have learned and leave this world
Faith is at the centre of this transition. When it comes, we will go and be with Jesus
We will become new creatures, the old will pass away and the new will come
But until that day comes, let’s be grateful for the life we have and the time we have
Time teaches us that faith, hope, and love abound, but the greatest of these is love
Connection, community…and cost
Humans seem hard-wired to seek connection. From ‘finding your tribe’ to cliques that form in school and, looking back a little further, the idea that no man is an island, the need to connect is pervasive. You see it in culture as well where a country-wide obsession with the Traitors provided a frame of reference for communication and shared stories.
Could it be that we seek connection because we are actually hard-wired that way? That we have been made for connection and community?
Johann Hari (Lost Connections) argues that the root of modern anxiety and depression is more than just a chemical imbalance, it is disconnection. He identifies different types of disconnection as the root of modern emotional suffering: disconnection from meaningful work, other people, values, childhood trauma, status and respect, the natural world and a secure future.
I wonder if any of those resonate with you?
At Ocean Church we are trying to develop practices to aid connection, specifically to other people and the natural world, through our three habits. I recognise my need for this, but frequently come up against the cost of this.
Building connection always carries a cost, and it's nearly always upfront. Take connecting to nature. My amazing wife gets up early at least once every weekend to go sea swimming and the invitation is always open for me to join her and go for a run by the ocean. At my best, I take hold of this opportunity with both hands and love it. Running by the vast stretch of the ocean as the sun comes up is incredible. But… instead I could stay in bed where it is warm and snuggly and not go outside where, these days, it is frequently cold and damp.
When there I never regret it. The connection to creation, to the sea, the wind, glimpses of the winter sun. Time at the beach is never wasted.
Or take connecting to other people. We love having people round for a meal and making time to go deep (Big Table was great for this!) But there is still an upfront cost. Planning the meal, buying the food, tidying the house at least a little bit. But the conversation and community formed over food is fantastic.
I wonder if the bigger cost though, like Hari suggests, is in not connecting.
I believe there is another connection that is even more vital, the connection to the divine. Hari does talk about spirituality, but is not specific on this. Christianity teaches that we are made for community. More than this, God Himself is community, living in relationship as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In the book of Acts, Paul says God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ quoting a Cretan philosopher. How can we connect to the One in whom we actually have our being?
And again there is a cost involved. We are told to put others first, to turn the other cheek, to carry our cross, to suffer hardships. But a deeper cost was paid to enable us to connect with the Divine, the Holy, the Almighty. The cost of the cross.
So where does this leave us? Next weekend, shall I get out of bed early to connect with nature? Get organised and invite some friends round? Or seek, reach out for and find the One who is not far from any one of us?
Where are you connected?
Wild Minds
Our most recent season at Ocean Church involved exploring the idea of having Wild Minds.
It was an intentional time of considering how our thoughts link to faith. Additionally, it was the
first time I have explored the topic of neurodiversity within a church context. Some moments
from the last few months stand out. One of these was trying to depict my mind using items
could be found on the beach, such as sticks, shells and stones Try it – the process can
teach you, even if the end image doesn’t seem to reveal much! During another session, we
were asked whether we liked our minds. It was humbling to listen to others sharing
vulnerably about the challenges presented in living with their minds.
As part of the focus on Wild Minds, we hosted a book club at our house where we read
content where either the authors or the characters they included had neurodiversity of some
sort. It stimulated conversation about some of the challenges members of our community
have dealt with and face to this day with living with their own or a family member’s
neurodiversity. Hearing new voices helped me to understand in greater depth the journeys
that others are on.
Another way that Ocean Church facilitated this was through organising the Big Table
initiative. For us that involved three households, three Sundays in October and three meals.
Each week of our Big Table experience involved a focus on the hosts, generally driven by
questions from the guests. Our children asked and answered too and across the three
weeks an eclectic range of topics were covered. We discussed, among other things, what
the best thing about being in our family was, our favourite places, empowering teenagers,
favourite colours, the church in Spain and France, how we all ended up in Dorset and of
course, ‘Why Ocean Church?’
Being part of the Big Table gave us a shared experience of community and a wider window
into each other’s lives. Friendships and relationships were deepened; it felt a precious and
encouraging time. We were able to understand the contexts we come from better and learn
about each other’s passions. It’s been special and we are fortunate to have met up again
since and have put another date in the diary to gather, eat and share together.
On Christmas Day on the beach when we gathered as a church, we were asked if there
were a star leading us into the next year, where we thought it might be heading. I found this
challenging – is there a destination that I can articulate myself as heading towards at the
moment? At times this is helpful analogy: in fact, I have already referred to a journey earlier
in this blog. I am reminded though too that in the second chapter of Matthew, it says the star
stopped over the house where Jesus was. Sometimes it is important to stop like the Magi
and be present where you are.
It has become clearer to me from exploring the theme of Wild Minds that depth is important
in understanding of each other. Making time to dig deeper has been important. It has been a
privilege to be part of that in different ways. At the beginning of a new year, it is a reminder to
encourage us to reveal more of the layers of ourselves and allow others to see who we more
deeply are.