New Beginnings

After a failed launch of a blog, I've decided to try again. So, a new title which, I think, reflects a little more of my recent experiences. Moving from the south east of England to Wales six years ago, on reflection, was a bit like moving to a very different culture and church setting. It was 'strange' - not in an unpleasant way, but in a way that challenged many pre-conceived ideas about ministry and mission. It has been commonplace to speak of the church being in exile, and ministry here has sometimes seemed like singing the Lord's song in a strange land. Now I'm preparing for another move to Spurgeon's as their new tutor in Doctrine and Ethics. Personally, that feels like a return, yet at this moment - the in-between time - there is a sense of preparation alongside reflection on what it might mean to encourage students to sing the Lord's song in a strange land.
I'm currently reading Anthony Trollope's novel 'Lady Anna.' The 'lady' in question is facing huge pressure to conform to the expectations of family and society to marry an earl and inherit a large estate. Yet, she has pledged herself to a local tailor's son, and her commitment to that promise remains steadfast in the face of huge opposition. It is written from an age long gone, and here is another voice from a strange land. What is the real meaning of commitment and how do we judge certain commitments to be morally right or wrong, and by what measure? I'm sure there's a theological issue in there.