Life + Faith

Tag: Faith

  • Pull Up A Pew

    Pull Up A Pew

    I’ve been toying around with poetry lately, both as a fun little exercise and something to learn and improve my writing.

    I wrote the following after reflecting on Matthew 14:23, where Jesus, even after all the ministry and miracles, withdraws alone to pray. I suspect many of us live in the tension of hurry and stillness, this is a kind of prayer from that place. An invitation to slow down and respond out of the rest in his presence.

    Pull Up A Pew

    Driven, my heart beats fast and faster
    Hurried, from one to the next
    The urgent crowds out my time and place
    To sit, be still, and seek your face. 

    The mind, it races on and on
    Thinking, what I ought to do
    So much, so many, so few pursue
    But here you call, pull up a pew.

    You stopped and went with task after task
    Up the mountain, where in the Father you bask
    Teach me your ways, for I forget
    Instead I find I just project.

    I want to stop and pray my Lord
    To find the rest you promise so
    To leave the work in your hands
    As you lead me to the silent lands.

    After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. – Matthew 14:23

  • The Ethics of AI: A Pastoral Reflection

    The Ethics of AI: A Pastoral Reflection

    AI is no longer just a buzzword or a new toy for those tech enthusiasts, is it? It’s here, beginning to expand its tentacles into our lives. Whether it’s at home, at work, our life admin, our church, and even our habits of thought and prayer, AI is making an impact. It’s fast. It’s smart (-ish). And if we’re honest, it can become slightly addictive. 

    Beyond the speed and fascination I’ve found myself asking some of those deeper questions about AI. Not about what it can do, but what it’s doing to me, to us. I’ve moved on from the question about whether it is right or wrong, and beginning to think through the way it forms me and my faith. What kind of person am I being shaped into, and is this coherent with the way of Jesus? 

    This is certainly not a how-to article on AI. Nor is it a listicle full of tips about the best apps or top tips in ethical AI use. Rather, it’s a reflection, a pastoral reflection seeking to bring to the top that question of, “Who am I becoming as I use this tech?”

    The reality is that tools don’t just serve us, they shape us. And AI, more than any other since the creation of the smartphone, is beginning to reach into parts of life where formation may already be fragile. 

    Worship Is Where Ethics Begins

    The starting point for Christian ethics is worship.

    Romans 12 doesn’t begin with behaviour. It begins with a posture drawn from the well of God. It says, 

    “In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices…”

    In other words, ethics isn’t just about what we do. It’s about how we live before God and who we are becoming because of God. It’s not just doing the ‘right’ things, it’s about the ‘who’ things. And so perhaps the first questions to ask ourselves is, “Is this helping me to live and worship and trust in God”? 

    This is where the hammer hits the nail for me. 

    AI, in all its cleverness, doesn’t only help me perform tasks. It makes me more efficient. It removes uncomfortable thinking, and sometimes thinking all together! And if I’m not careful it pushes me forward into a way of life that looks like a worldly hustle rather than the unhurried pace of the Spirit of God. 

    I’m not here to cry foul of all of AI, nor even say it is inherently wrong. I use it regularly. But I am saying we need to stop and reflect on how we are using it. I’m saying it’s worth watching closely its impact in not just our lives but in our hearts. If I don’t walk in the mercy of God, and stay firm in that foundation and identity, then I will find myself using these AI tools to keep producing and performing more and more. And I know if I walk that path then I’ll slowly but surely become less present to God, to others, and to myself. 

    The Promise and the Pushback

    A little while ago Kenny Jahng wrote an article called Beyond Binary Morality: How AI Challenges Traditional Christian Ethical Frameworks. It’s certainly worth your time to go and read. Kenny argues that AI reveals the limits of simple “right/wrong” categories. Algorithms, after all, aren’t choosing between good and evil by they’re weighing trade-offs, running probabilities, and calculating complexity.

    And in many ways, I agree with him. Wisdom in our time requires nuance (as it always has, no doubt). Neat moral boxes are beginning to be stretched for us, there is complexity and complication when thinking through Christian ethics of AI. 

    Where I found myself gently pushing back on this article, however, was the idea that AI might be the solution to pastoral overwhelm. As Kenny writes, many pastors feel burdened by tasks that don’t require their spiritual gifts—like creating policy and guidelines, doing administration, or making decisions on future projects and ministries without experience. Some of these aren’t soul-shaping tasks but just the cost of managing and navigating church life in the modern day. 

    AI, he argues, can be a relief valve.

    And he’s right, it can. It has been for me, in some areas of ministry. I’ve used it to help structure content, bring creativity to my thinking about ministry areas, and provide clearer communication to the church. This has meant I’ve had more time to focus on people, to be creative, and I’ve even found more time for prayer. But I do acknowledge there is another side to this. 

    That other side, the shadow side, is the fact that AI doesn’t remove the overwhelm, it can accelerate it. 

    If I don’t deal with what’s happening in my heart, the time I’ve saved won’t go to the priorities of prayer and preaching and other elements of what I call ‘Wordwork’, it’ll go to more output. More tasks. More tweaks. More production. More performance.

    This is why I keep coming back to remember that ethics begins with worship. When my use of AI is grounded in worship of God then the posture I hold is one of submission, surrender, and obedience. When it flows out of a need to produce, to prove myself, or to perform in front of others then it becomes something else. 

    Something that promises rest but quietly feeds the restlessness.

    Babel and the Illusion of Control

    That story from Genesis 11 is one that lives rent free in my mind at the moment. 

    “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…”

    The Tower of Babel is a story about autonomy. It’s about humans using their creativity not in response to God, but in competition with him.

    And I think it’s an image that speaks into our age of AI. Not because AI is evil, but because it tempts us to think like Babel: I can control more. I can create more. I can become more. 

    But we’re not created in God’s image to view our lives and all that it entails in this way. We’re not given such responsibility. We’re made to receive the mercy and grace of God. We’re made to live in communion with God, not as optimised beings. 

    As we explore AI’s possibilities it’s worth asking ourselves the question, “Are we building a life with God or are we building a life for ourselves? 

    The Way of Jesus

    The more I use AI, the more I feel the invitation to slow down.

    It’s one thing to use a tool. It’s another to let it use you. And I don’t want to become the person who outsources the very parts of life and ministry that form and shape me as a child of God. 

    Sermons aren’t just written, they’re lived. 

    Pastoral care isn’t just organised, it’s personal and relational. 

    Discipleship isn’t just explanation and knowledge, it’s years-long formation under God and his people. 

    The way of Jesus is still slow. It’s relational. It’s incarnational. It requires presence. And if AI helps me serve others better, I’ll use it. But if it pulls me away from the kind of person Jesus is shaping me to be then it might be time to put it down.

    If you’re interested to explore this further you can also listen to our church podcast where we are beginning to explore AI in the church. You can grab the episodes here or on YouTube.

    AI and Ministry
    The Ethics of AI: A Pastoral Reflection
    Related: AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship

  • AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship

    AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship

    There’s something particularly human about opening the Bible and seeking to make sense of it for others. For pastors, that moment of sermon preparation isn’t just about information or knowledge transfer, it’s about formation, for the preacher and the people who hear it. Now, however, we need to deal with AI. It’s fast. It’s helpful. And, it’s kind of fun too! 

    But, it also raises deeper questions about our pastoral and ministerial calling, especially when it comes to the slow and patient work of preaching and shepherding others in the way of Jesus. 

    Recently, I’ve listened to two podcast episodes (here and here) from the team at the Expositors Collective (who I’d recommend you follow) and been reflecting on AI, sermon preparation, and its wider use in church ministry. 

    Tools or Crutches

    Tools abound for pastors and ministry leaders of churches. Whether it’s Bible software, commentaries, whiteboards, Canva, or various books and study guides, there’s plenty out there. AI fits into this category. A tool. It can structure meetings, summarise transcripts, brainstorm sermon series, and tidy up emails. It’s like a digital intern who doesn’t need smoke-o. 

    But there is a tipping point. And for some that might be further down the track than others. Nevertheless, the tipping point is when the tool becomes a crutch, something that ends up doing the deep work that is part of the calling of gospel ministry–the exegesis, illustration, sermon outlining, the writing, even. This tipping point comes when we trade formation for efficiency. And it is a poor trade. We may well save time, but what we risk is the personal formation of our soul and a disservice to our people.

    Sermons are lived, they are to be ‘in’ us, they are to be lifted up in prayer, and spoken through the Spirit by a person, not a prompt. 

    Presence Over Productivity

    Of course, AI promises productivity. And it’s a performance trap for us too. In some areas, like admin, research, and note-making, it’s certainly very helpful. But ministry isn’t measured by these things, nor is it measured by performance and efficiency. It’s measured in faithfulness, presence, and love for others. Those in the church who are dealing with challenge, hardship, grief, health concerns, financial difficulty, or a dark night of the soul don’t need a TED Talk crafted message, they need a pastor who has sat with the text, prayed through the text, and then communicates through the work of the Spirit. 

    And don’t get me wrong, I’m not some Luddite with anti-tech sensibilities. I’m engaging with AI tools in many areas of life, including church ministry. But we’ve got to remind ourselves that our calling is to shepherd not to massage content in ChatGPT. 

    I suppose, the danger isn’t really AI itself, it’s what it might slowly be doing to our hearts as we build faster content but remain less formed and wise in the process. 

    Discernment In Discipleship

    My point is that we’re not here to create fear or hype about AI. Every generation is already using it to some degree, and those digital natives among us are well beyond this being ‘new’. Our job is more about wisdom and discernment than it is to give some moral judgement on these technologies. It’s to help people realise that following Jesus may not be the road of shortcuts and speed.

    We need to help our churches, our people, see the difference between information and wisdom. To be able to sit in the deep with God, and let him do the work within us over a long period of time. Outsourcing formation won’t get us very far, but embracing slow discipleship, the unhurried way of Jesus will. 

    So, yes, we use these tools. But we realise that this is what they are. The question of challenge is whether I am shaping this tool or is it shaping me?

    AI and Ministry
    AI, Ministry, and the Shape of Discipleship
    Related: The Ethics of AI: A Pastoral Reflection

  • Book Review: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

    Book Review: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

    Ask your pastor how they are going, and one of the words they’ll probably use is “busy.” Then again, ask anyone in your church that question, and the response is likely the same. We live in a fast-paced, hurried, always-on-the-go world. As has often been the case, this continues to be the pace of ministry too. If I’ve learned one thing recently, hurried ministry isn’t good ministry.

    Whether it’s preparing sermons, meeting with leaders, counselling individuals, or attending another meeting, there’s always more to do. In the middle of all this activity, it can feel impossible to slow down. But perhaps the problem isn’t the amount of work itself, but the way we approach it.

    Cal Newport’s book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, offers a helpful rethink into how we organise our work and, as a consequence, our ministry. Newport writes for a general audience, fitting into the productivity and business non-fiction genres. His approach to life and work, particularly knowledge work, isn’t about squeezing more out of the day. Instead, it’s about changing the relationship we have with work. His philosophy is captured in three short phrases:

    • Do fewer things. 
    • Work at a natural pace. 
    • Obsess over quality.

    These principles seem to be common sense. We can quickly affirm them. Of course, we want to do fewer things, we want to work at a natural pace, and we want to produce good quality work. We don’t want to burnout. As a pastor, I want to live and do ministry in a way that is aligned with God’s purposes, and I can see that these principles are a helpful way of aligning with that. It’s just, in practice this is often not the case and I’d really like it to be. Wouldn’t you?

    Do Fewer Things

    Newport’s first principle is simple: do fewer things, but do them well. He writes:

    “Strive to reduce your obligations to the point where you can easily imagine accomplishing them with time to spare.” (p. 53)

    In ministry, this is easier said than done. The list of demands can feel endless. There’s always more to do, or at least more to dream about. Saying “no” often feels like letting someone down.

    It’s important to name and commit to core priorities. For me, these priorities are preaching and teaching, and leadership development and support. Everything else, whether pastoral care, communication, or administration, flows out of these two areas. They don’t come first. Clarifying these priorities has been helpful, particularly in recent times, as it refines my call and helps me work intentionally.

    Scripture speaks into this idea. Jesus himself talks about what he came to do—to redeem and reach the lost. At one point, he had the opportunity to do more healing and care for those around him, but then he departs because he wants to preach and teach elsewhere (Mark 1:38). Nehemiah is another example. While rebuilding the wall, he faces distractions but tells those trying to pull him away, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down” (Nehemiah 6:3). Jesus and Nehemiah recognised their priorities and were focused on them. By focusing on the “great work” God has called us to, we can let go of the less essential.

    Work at a Natural Pace

    The second principle is to work at a natural, sustainable pace. Newport writes:

    “Don’t rush your most important work. Allow it instead to unfold along a sustainable timeline.” (p. 116)

    This idea resonates with the biblical rhythm of work and rest. God designed us for cycles of activity and renewal, a truth woven into creation itself. We see this in the establishment of the seventh day, where God rests from all the work he has done (Genesis 2:2-3). He didn’t need to rest, but he does so to enjoy what he has created. Psalm 127:2 reminds us,

    “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

    The pressure to hurry is constant. Whether in ministry or not, it is always present. Whether it’s the regular emails, the technology in our hands, or the feeling of needing to be across things that can probably wait, we seem to drive ourselves to hurry.

    In recent times, I’ve committed to being unhurried—to walking rather than running. To doing things at a pace that is sustainable over the long haul. This doesn’t mean there won’t be seasons of hurriedness, but it is a decision to take things, as Newport says, at a natural pace.

    This pace doesn’t mean laziness. It means being intentional. For example, I’ve learned to protect my mornings for sermon preparation. This is when my energy level is highest. I’ve set boundaries around how many meetings I have, how long they go for, and how spaced out they might be. Sure, I sometimes break these ‘rules,’ but they are in my mind as I plan and schedule my weeks and months. It allows me to give my best at different times of the week and with different people.

    Part of achieving this more natural pace is accepting that we will never be able to do everything. Life leaves behind numerous unfinished tasks. And that’s OK.

    Obsess Over Quality

    The final principle, “obsess over quality,” is about deep work on what matters most. Newport writes:

    “Obsess over the quality of what you produce, even if this means missing opportunities in the short term.” (p. 173)

    I’m not sure I entirely agree with this. Sometimes it’s better to do things at 85% than spend another 20 hours moving the needle up a few percentage points. This could feed into perfectionism and not being happy to say something is done. However, Newport’s point isn’t about striving for perfection but valuing what matters most and giving our attention to it.

    Scripture reminds us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23). Striving for quality honours God and serves others well. It’s also a call to prioritise—to focus on what is essential. It might mean doing fewer things so that the right amount of attention is given to a particular activity, creative pursuit, or project. It might also mean seeking feedback from others about quality. At the end of the day, we want to serve God and others—our families, colleagues, and friends. Remembering this is helpful.

    Sustainable Ministry

    At its core, Slow Productivity is about more than work; it’s about life. Newport writes:

    “My goal is to offer a more humane and sustainable way to integrate professional efforts into a life well lived.” (p. 41)

    This resonates with all of us, whether in pastoral ministry or not. Life isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. To serve people well in all aspects of life requires a sustainable rhythm. Newport’s principles remind us that doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and focusing on quality isn’t just practical—it’s biblical wisdom in action. It may even lead us to affirm Paul’s words to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). To finish well, we must steward our time, energy, and calling wisely.

    Should You Read This Book?

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the demands of ministry or work, Slow Productivity is worth reading. Newport’s insights are practical, thought-provoking, and relevant for anyone seeking to live and serve intentionally. His podcast is also worth checking out if that appeals to you.

    These principles are also helpful for the church. Slow ministry or slow discipleship may not be ideas we think about often. But given the way life and culture push us, even putting the word slow in front of something might help us reflect on why our response to someone is so often, “busy.”

    This book isn’t about doing less for the sake of doing less. It’s about making space for the work that truly matters—work that honours God, serves others, and leads to a life well lived.

    Related reading on rest and ministry
    Book Review: The Unhurried Pastor
    11 Helpful Books on Burnout and Ministry
    Rest in the Rock: A Series in Psalm 62

  • Rest in the Rock – A Rest That Transforms

    Rest in the Rock – A Rest That Transforms

    In Part 1 of this series, we explored the idea of finding true rest in God alone. In Part 2, we looked at what it means to trust in God amid the pressures of life. Now, in this concluding post, we turn our attention to how resting in the Rock transforms us—not just offering relief but reshaping how we live, think, and step through the world.

    Psalm 62 doesn’t simply speak of rest as a static concept, like sitting on the couch after a long day. Instead, it invites us into a dynamic relationship with God—a rest that reshapes our priorities, grows resilience, and reframes how we engage with the world.

    A Rest That Reshapes Priorities

    It is written in Psalm 62:11-12:

    One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard:
    ‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’;
    and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’

    Here we see a contrast: God is mighty and loving. His strength speaks to his stability, while his love invites us into relationship. When we rest in God we see life differently. Our priorities shift. Power, wealth, and status lose its allure because we understand that only God will satisfy.  

    There has been told the story of a man who worked hard to climb the corporate ladder. He had everything—position, wealth, influence, power—but at the peak of his career, he found himself empty. One day, during an unplanned visit to a small country church, he heard the words of Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” 

    In that moment his heart was convicted. The words stopped him in his tracks. He realised those things he’d been striving for were fragile and fleeting. Change didn’t come overnight, but slowly he had a shift in focus. He spent more time with his family, he had a new depth of relationship with God. He began to serve others rather than himself. His soul found rest, not in what he achieved but in whom he trusted. 

    A Rest That Grows Resilience

    Rest in God isn’t passive; it is active and brings with it a sense of hope. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we are given a picture of a tree planted by a stream. It says, 

    But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

    The pressures of life, like uncertainty, grief, and stress, don’t suddenly disappear when we rest in God. Like that tree, however, we are given life and hope and nourishment that comes from a deep well. We are given greater resilience and allows us to face these challenges without breaking, snapping, or losing all hope.  

    When we rest in God we find that our we are refined like gold with fire. Instead of being unable to hope and unable to cope we are given deep resources by grace. His grace. For us. A grace that comes from resting in the Rock. 

    A Rest That Reframes Our Life

    So resting in this Rock doesn’t mean we will abandon all responsibilities and become monks or nuns. Instead, we approach these responsibilities of life with a different frame of mind. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us. Now, a yoke is a tool, not a device to help us lounge around, and it is to be used in partnership with another. When Jesus speaks of his yoke being easy and his burden light it is because he is the partner who carries the weight. Much of our baggage is not ours to carry, and so Jesus is there with us taking it upon himself. Just like he took our sins and burdens upon himself at the cross, so too he carries our daily worries and anxieties to help us rest. When we rest in Jesus, our life becomes less about proving ourselves and more about walking in step with him.

    As someone who enjoys ticking things off the to-do list, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring my worth by what I’ve done. When I take time to rest in God though, well, my life and perspective is different. I recognise it is by his grace, and I can say ‘no’ to certain things, and ‘yes’ to other things that seem to me to be right priorities. 

    Resting in God is not an escape from life but a way of being that transforms everything we do. It reshapes our priorities, grows our resilience, and reframes our lives. It’s not about doing less but about trusting more. And in that trust, we find a rest that satisfies our souls and empowers our lives.

    Rest in the Rock: A Series in Psalm 62
    Part 1: Rediscovering True Rest
    Part 2: Trusting God in the Pressure Cooker of Life
    Part 3: A Rest That Transforms
    Related: 11 Helpful Books on Burnout and Ministry and my review of The Unhurried Pastor