Search results for Richard Powney
Forgetting the end to remember well
When I was younger, I used to be so desperate to know what would happen, that I’d let my eyes either skip to the bottom of the page, or scan over the next few pages. Yet, this significantly lessened the experience of the book. The author didn’t intend for me to know the end of the chapter halfway…
Richard Powney
Magnificently mundane
The post-holiday blues have led me to reflect more on the value of the everyday, ordinary activities of life, however. They’ve even caused me to try and embrace the mundane. Social media can make it seem like life is one big, ‘instagrammable’ adventure. Yet, at least in my experience, the majority…
Richard Powney
A hopeful absence
Richard Powney is theology and evangelism officer at the Evangelical Alliance.For the last week or so many of us have been taking part in Thy Kingdom Come, the prayer movement started by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and John Sentamu, respectively, in 2016 to encourage…
Richard Powney
Remembrance Day: peace built upon sacrifice
This Sunday marks the 100-year anniversary of the end of the First World War. Up and down the country people will gather to remember those who have died in conflicts and wars around the world.
Richard Powney
Running with the ultimate pace-setter: Jesus
With the London Marathon taking place in April, this time of year is when many people are embarking on marathon training; two members of my family got a place in the ballot and started their training at the start of January. This means embracing early morning runs in the dark (a good head torch is…
Richard Powney
Why would I want to speak with a stranger?
It’s been a full-on few weeks learning to live with a very friendly but also very untrained animal. However, amidst all the toilet trips, chewing and play biting, we’ve both noticed an interesting phenomenon. As we’ve taken our puppy outside to get him used to traffic, other people, cyclists, other…
Richard Powney
A light on our paths
For me, running is a great stress reliever; it keeps me healthy both physically and mentally. As I’ve written about before, running has taught me a lot of about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Yet recently running in the dark has given new meaning to the famous words of Psalm 119,…
Richard Powney
Lent: Jesus, fully sharing in our humanity
In the past, I’ve given up various things for Lent. I think one of the most insightful times I’ve had was when my wife and I gave up TV. All of a sudden, we had so much free time. However, this year, as I’ve pondered what I might do to mark Lent, I’ve realised that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking…
Richard Powney
Sharing your faith – getting started is one of the hardest steps
I struggle with imposter syndrome. My job title at the Evangelical Alliance is ‘evangelism and theology officer’. Now besides the fact that my job title makes me sound like a law enforcement officer, the title might lead people to think I find it easy to tell people about Jesus. However, that is…
Richard Powney
Listening well to the story of others
At first glance this may seem counterintuitive. The word evangelism derives from the idea of announcing or proclaiming good news. How might listening relate to an activity that has strong links to the act of speaking or proclaiming? The key is the context in which we find ourselves in the UK.
Richard Powney
Lessons from a town called Westview
The last year has been permeated with challenges for us all. We’ve all faced pressures as we’ve lived through the uncertainty of three lockdowns brought on by the global pandemic. The daily death rate has been a constant reminder of our own mortality. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost loved…
Richard Powney
Do we really want everyone to become like Jesus?
Many years ago, I worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school. To try and gain experience I was running an after-school club that gave pupils a chance to explore the Christian faith. During one session we were discussing what it means to become more like Jesus. I thought I’d done quite a…
Richard Powney
Being Human: Vulnerability and our need for connection
Before I know it I’m stood there holding two tiny, precious babies. My wife had already held both babies, and I’d marvelled at watching her with these two new humans. But now I’m stood holding one in each arm, looking down into these new faces I’d never seen before. It was a moment so full of…
Richard Powney
Expect the unexpected this Christmas
Despite my gloominess, I’ve been challenged this week to remember that Christmas is about the unexpected. The Christmas adverts might make us think that Christmas always goes to plan, but most of us have a story of when our best Christmas plans were interrupted. I remember one Christmas when I was…
Richard Powney
Why hospitality is so much more than just hosting a good meal
I hope we can all remember a time when we experienced a particularly warm welcome. I imagine we’ve also experienced that sense of “you’re not from round here” when walking into some pubs or sadly, churches. As an Englishman married to a Scotswoman, we’ve spoken about the different habits of…
Richard Powney
