poor Todd Bentley
Todd Bentley’s divorce and ministry: Who is responsible?
I confess I’m a little late in following the news surrounding Todd Bentley. My curiosity increased after someone told me on the phone that there are churches in Malaysia really "into" this new revival. I’m not sure how this is going to play out… but Maggi’s blog posts here are helpful.
It would be better, in my view, more holy and more loving, to grasp the fact that true religion only begins at a place of brokenness; that there is no such thing as a level of anointing in spirituality that innoculates us from being thoroughly human. As a wise friend of mine used to say, "the ground is level at the foot of the Cross."
Me? I still don’t like Bentley’s religion, and have no reason to defend it. I much prefer being human to being religious. But I’m not going to use his personal situation to flay him with. I started the day with a prayer for him and his family.
* * *
Now I’m no fan of ministers who begin to believe in their own publicity. But I have been in the company of similar proclaimers of prophecy before now, and I’ve seen how quickly people will abandon their proteges and conveniently forget their grand words of prophecy when they don’t cash out. And although it’s true that people are responsible for their own actions, it’s also true that in this case a whole crowd of older people, in whom a great deal of authority and respect is invested, took part in commissioning a young and obviously vulnerable man. I don’t know where they are now. But in the midst of the current web-trashing of Mr Bentley, I hope that the "Apostles" who commissioned him are repenting their extravagant words, and taking genuinely good care of him and his wife and kids.
10 Practical Uses For Psychological Research in Everyday Life (HT: Guy Kawasaki)
A pretty good list.
5 Tips for Telling Better Stories (HT: Keith Ferrazi)
Good reminders.
25 Painless Ways to Free Up an Hour a Day for Your Goals
self-mastery is a life-long training process. It’s more than trying!
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