Phil Whittall

Generosity towards others was, and is, as essential mark of the New Testament way of life.

Libraries are amazing & we shouldn't ever let them disappear. What a society where you could read thousands of books over a lifetime for FREE!

kottke.org/25/08/004732...

Almost none of the songs I sing in church are drawn from the life of Jesus. There are very few based on what I read in the Gospels BEFORE the cross. Or at least I can't think of many

Give me your best hymns & songs that draw on the life/teachings of Jesus as we read in the Gospels BEFORE the cross

thesimplepastor.co.uk/tis-mercy-all/

The Curiosity Index: Week 31 : The Simple Pastor My kids went to Newday so my better half and I had a belated 50th + 21st anniversary few days away. The place was glorious, the weather less so. But no complaints! You Should Read These You Should Loo...

Better late than never. Probably.

thesimplepastor.co.uk/the-curiosit...

Entertaining or engaging? : The Simple Pastor Are the services at your church boring? Is it yes, no or sometimes? Are the sermons? In our church kids over 12 are in the service and so listen to the sermon along with everyone else. I’m the main pr...

‘The greatest commandment is amongst other things a commandment to full engagement in the act of worship’
Thought-provoking, NOT boring from ‘the Simple Pastor!
thesimplepastor.co.uk/entertaining...

Not shocked to see where Sweden comes on this list

Two of the most brutal sentences in the Bible:

"Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord." (1 Sam 2:12).

God save us from religious leaders like that.

While the summer was probably nice in Poland or Denmark this is yet another reminder that Europe must adapt to higher temperatures quickly.

God is pro-joy : The Simple Pastor Christians are to be joyful people. As much as we are to be loving and kind we are to be joyful. It is one of the signs, outcomes, blessings that life in the Spirit produces. We are a people who echo ...

I take time to read this blog whenever I remember. A shame it’s not on Substack as X is not somewhere I like to spend much time thesimplepastor.co.uk/god-is-pro-j... Thanks @simplepastor.bsky.social

Thanks Virginia - much appreciated! I've been running a personal blog for about 20 years so I didn't want to migrate it to Substack after all this time. But you can subscribe to the feed or sign up to get content by email if that helps?

Just added & refreshed, if you check that post again!

When the time is right : The Simple Pastor My parents write a family newsletter each Christmas and Dad sticks in a reflection before getting to the family news. This year’s struck me so I thought I’d share it (with permission) here. So this is...

We've just passed the 1st anniversary of my father's death. This was, it turns out, his last annual Christmas newsletter reflection. Poignant to say the least.

thesimplepastor.co.uk/when-the-tim...

"O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next."

#dailyhymn

Why AI should never write your sermon : The Simple Pastor Since the interview released and I gave it another listen I’ve been reflecting further on trust & the output of AI, especially in relation to sermons. If you’re using it for research for all sorts of ...

thesimplepastor.co.uk/why-ai-shoul...

AI in ministry: Trust, truth & kindness : The Simple Pastor Yesterday I included AI in my list of trends to shape the rest of the decade (and beyond) which is not exactly a revelation but we do need to be clear about it and not just respond to it but think the...

I was recently interviewed for the New Ground Leadership podcast. Fascinating to reflect that we're having this topic whereas five to ten years ago we wouldn't!

thesimplepastor.co.uk/ai-in-minist...

Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2020 Find how many people identify with each religious group and what percent each made up in 201 countries and territories, and by region, in 2010 and 2020.

UPDATED: Our interactive table shows the religious makeup of 201 countries and territories. pewrsr.ch/43usV6q?ut...

You can explore our new estimates of the religious composition of every country, by count and share here: www.pewresearch.org/religion/fea...

For example, here's a clip showing countries with the highest unaffiliated shares in 2020:

Trends that will shape the rest of the decade : The Simple Pastor That’s an ambitious headline isn’t it? Yet I think the question is a helpful one. I’m sure Donald Trump and Taylor Swift will have their moments in the headlights. There will be World Cups & another O...

thesimplepastor.co.uk/trends-that-...

Peak global population and other key findings from the 2024 UN World Population Prospects Falling fertility rates, migration movements, and China’s population decline.

The UN pojects it will peak at 10.3 billion in the 2080s but they are constantly revising that. Some think it will peak at 9 billion in 2050s and then fall dramatically.

ourworldindata.org/un-populatio...

"Finish then thy new creation,
Pure and sinless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee:
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav'n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!"

#dailyhymn

A graphic showing hyper-extremes of how “church” is experienced - working on next book which addresses how wrong understandings of church drastically can impact our spiritual growth. - Any feedback appreciated.

Looking for fresh blogs & sources of interesting writing. Could be about almost anything if well written.

- Slight bias towards being from a Christian perspective.
- Slight bias against substacks as I can't afford/am unwilling to pay for any more subscriptions

Hit me with your best reads.

The wider the gap, the harder to find a partner. This should in turn further drive down birth rates. On top of this, the UK now has a reverse gender pay gap for young workers. Considering that women still prefer an equally or higher earning partner, birth rates should take yet another hit.

"Lord of all power, I give thee my will,
In joyful obedience thy tasks to fulfil.
Thy bondage is freedom; thy service is song;
And, held in thy keeping, my weakness is strong."

#dailyhymn

Proper timeline cleanser this: Owls in Towels
owlsintowels.org

Pornography and the Threat of Men Why men don't want to be viewed as threats and why porn condemns them

"Normalize not looking at porn."

newsletter.oalannoble.com/p/pornograph...

Hope you're happy they did!

"Lord, for that word, the word of life which fires us,
speaks to our hearts and sets our souls ablaze,
teaches and trains, rebukes and inspires us,
Lord of the word, receive your people's praise."

#dailyhymn

Untroubled and unafraid : The Simple Pastor There is a shortlist of words that end up describing a generation and it’s not a good sign when one of those is anxious. There’s a much discussed book with that title (not read it yet) which touched a...

thesimplepastor.co.uk/untroubled-a...

"Life-imparting heavenly Manna,
Stricken Rock with streaming side,
Heaven and earth with loud hosanna
Worship thee, the Lamb who died, Alleluia!
Risen, ascended, glorified!"

#dailyhymn