Published in Backyard Church·PinnedMember-onlyFive Phrases I Love — and Five Phrases I Hate: The Church EditionThe Ecclesiastical edition of a popular Medium Writing Challenge — The “Five Phrases” Writing Challenge has been all over Medium like a rash in the past few weeks. A lovely Medium writer called Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, tagged me — but these things fire off in every direction and everyone tags tons of people. So it grows faster than the…Church6 min readChurch6 min read
Published in Inspire, Believe, Grow·PinnedMember-only13 Pieces of Religious Art That DEFINITELY Won’t EVER Be In The National GalleryAnd we use the word “Art” in the broadest sense of the word. — Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned”. Well, the art in this Medium post should undoubtedly be abandoned. Indeed it should have been screwed up and thrown in the trash before it EVER saw the light of day. But it wasn’t. And since it found its…Art6 min readArt6 min read
Published in Plethora Of Pop·PinnedMember-only11 Prog Rock Songs to Play to Me if I Am Ever in a Comatose StateProgressive explorations around our existential meaning — It’s strange how writing prompts appear on our radar. Recently, my Medium buddy, Paul Combs, conceived of a new prompt whilst visiting his mother in the hospital. He got thinking about what songs he’d like played if he was ever lying in a comatose state — because that’s what happens…Music7 min readMusic7 min read
Published in Backyard Church·PinnedMember-onlyFIVE New Year Resolutions I’d LOVE To See The Church MakeIt’s the time of the year to make a fresh start — The turning of the year is traditionally a time for New Year’s resolutions. Many people promise themselves that they’ll take up a new diet or an enhanced fitness regime. And, of course, most of those resolutions will be forgotten by the beginning of February. But what about the Church? Should…Church8 min readChurch8 min read
Published in Engage·PinnedMember-onlyI Wrote On Medium EVERY Day in 2022 — Here are the Numbers and EarningsWith some reflections to take into 2023 — I joined Medium in December 2021 and wrote my first article on December 11th. Although I was reading, writing and accumulating followers during December, it was January 2022, which was the “actual” start of my Medium journey. With access to the Medium Partner program, I began my commitment to writing…Writing4 min readWriting4 min read
Published in Inspire, Believe, Grow·1 day agoMember-onlyCOVID Lockdowns Made me into a Socially-Awkward HermitDid this happen to you? — On March 23 2020, Boris Johnson, then the UK Prime Minister, made a rare national TV address. Gripping onto the oak desk inside 10 Downing Street, Johnson glared into the camera — and simultaneously into millions of homes: From this evening, I must give the British people a very simple…Life Lessons5 min readLife Lessons5 min read
Published in Bouncin’ and Behavin’ Blogs·4 days agoMember-onlyMy 20 Answers To The New Year “This or That” ChallengeBecause nothing says “I need an easy post to write” MORE than taking part in ANOTHER Writing Challenge — Well, my newly acquired Medium friend — the spiky and fearless Brett Jenae Tomlin — has grabbed the Queen of Medium Challenges Crown. She’s even started a publication based around this subgenre. Cool idea, Brett! BJ has taken to tagging me in challenges, which I don’t mind at all. Lots…Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Published in Inspire, Believe, Grow·4 days agoMember-onlyHelp! I’m A Recovering Medium AddictMy 372 Day Writing Streak comes to an end — Hello. my name is Paul. I’m a Medium-aholic I wrote elsewhere about writing on Medium every day in 2022 — and how I didn’t intend to keep up that pace in 2023. I Wrote On Medium EVERY Day in 2022 — Here are the Numbers and Earnings With some reflections to take into 2023medium.com It occurred to me the other day that I was STILL writing daily on the platform.Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
Published in Inspire, Believe, Grow·6 days agoMember-onlyThey Brought Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. But What Can I Give Him?A reflection for Epiphany Sunday — It’s one of the enduring images of the Christmas season. The Wise men are travelling by camel through the star-lit night. One star dominates the sky as they arrive on the crest of the hill overlooking Bethlehem. It’s been a long trip from a country far away in the east…Inspiration5 min readInspiration5 min read
Published in Inspire, Believe, Grow·Jan 7Member-onlyHere’s my “Saturday Shoutout” to Awesome Medium Writers I Can’t TipThe necessary spin-off from The Twelve Days of Inspire Believe Grow — When the new Head Honcho, “Big Tony”, took over the reins on Medium a few months ago, one of the first features to be implemented was “tipping.” Whilst it was always possible to put a link to a third-party tip site like Ko-Fi, this was the first time it had…Writing Tips4 min readWriting Tips4 min read
