Make Poverty History

My friend Albert has a very challenging post on his iTalker blog.

Encountering poverty whether in Peru or Malawi changes how you think about things. It isn't only retirement that is a luxury of the rich, our meaningless and pointless conversations, the way we get worked up about football or the sales at M&S - we just don't get it.

The great challenge of our generation is global poverty, we need to challenge the evil of economic systems that condemn too many to lives of poverty so that we might enjoy our levels of prosperity and wealth.

Don't retire - make poverty history!

Well Done Vine Trust

There is a wonderful post on my friend Albert's blog, celebrating 25 years of the Vine Trust. Read it here.

It is wonderful to think that the Lord has so powerfully used the energy and vision of Albert, the stick-at-it-ness and compassion of Willie and all the staff and volunteers to achieve so much in Peru over these years.

Give thanks for the Vine Trust and pray that God will lead this work into the next 25 years.

Preaching re-imagined

There's a great post from my friend Albert on his blog, read it here.

Albert is responding to a post by Krish Kandiah on preaching as part of the biblefresh initiative, read that post here. I'll get to commenting of Krish's post soon.

I think Albert is right, we need to see preaching more intimately connected to the life of the congregation and the Christian than it often can be at present.
We need to encourage and affirm those hearing sermons to respond with questions and comments.
We need to create opportunities for this to happen in a safe environment, i.e. one where the preacher does not feel 'got at'.

This is a real challenge to us as preacher, and a significant change in engagement with preaching for those who listen. But I think it is worth it.

Justice and Compassion 2

My friend Albert, aka iTalker, has offered some thoughts on the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi you can read them here.

See my earlier post on this theme.

Albert in Peru

You really should take some time to visit Albert's blog at iTalker. Albert is over in Peru just now and is blogging on why he is there and who he is meeting.

The Vine Trust do a tremendous work in Peru in partnership with SU Peru. While in Scotland too many people have steam coming out their ears about unimportant things it is good to be challenged to care about something that matters.