Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn.
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| The freesia, so perfect in its shape; so gradual in the display of its complete beauty. |
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| The magnolia so big, so bright; yet so odd in its perch on bare branches. |
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| The photinia, a mere hedge for most people; yet so captivating, as vibrant red emerges from weary green. |
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| The daffodil, that faithful friend, arriving early, lingering late — with a quiet, unassuming joy |
These are photos taken with my phone in our garden. After two decades with tenants, the garden has slipped into an unspectacular state, ill-disciplined and empty, lacking nurture and care — and yet still with potential. A bit like a naughty boy’s report card … and also how you and I can look and feel. Yet Spring still makes it’s presence seen, gracious and relentless, year after year — wrapped in these colours and shapes in this garden of ours.
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
Recent Posts
It was my very first training seminar with Langham Preaching. April 2009. We were based at the OMF Guest House in Chiangmai, Thailand. As I wandered the property, I came across this striking quotation on one of the walls: So striking, in fact, that I stopped to take its photo! But is it really true?…
Ten years ago, Ode to Georgetown was my response to being surprised by grief when the only church I had ever pastored closed its doors. Last week brought the news that the theological college which I attended, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), was to close most of its Chicagoland campus. I have been feeling a…
I am neither painter nor poet, musician nor actor. With Art and Music and Drama classes at school, I was present in body—but absent in spirit and skill. However, as a teacher, there has been the occasional flare of creativity in the crafting of assignments. One of my favourites is one of my first ones.…
John Stott was the first one to help me see the tension in Jesus’ teaching on salt and light. They are pictures for how his disciples are to live in society. Salt pulls them in, keeping them involved. Light holds them back, keeping them distinctive. Being light responds to ‘the danger of worldliness’, while being…
Beautiful. We have a tub of freisias on our front porch – they look pretty random (they're the ones that have hybridised to purple) but they smell so amazing 🙂
I suspect they do become a bit more random in time … but maybe there is a principle embedded in that as well?
The aroma is incredible.
The one in the photo was picked for Barby today… 🙂
Paul