by Peter James | Feb 19, 2024 | Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I have written of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1907-1945) before. Twice, actually. I can’t help myself. There are at least two good reasons to return to his prayers. First, there is an abundance of prayers written by Dietrich during his two-year imprisonment in Germany...
by Peter James | Feb 18, 2024 | Felix Neff
Insecure leaders can kill an organization. They view competent people as competitors rather than partners in the mission. Insecure pastors are deadly also. Their high need to control and to receive endless validation cripples a church. This is particularly...
by Peter James | Feb 17, 2024 | Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth was forty, still living with her father and siblings in Ireland. She suffered from a chronic lung disease and spent most of her time in bed, writing poetry. Her prospects for marriage were bleak, I’d say. She received a letter which began, “I...
by Peter James | Feb 16, 2024 | J. N. Darby
John Nelson (J. N.) Darby (1800-1882) was thrown from his frightened horse against a doorpost. The accident in 1827 required an extended convalescence at his sister’s home in Dublin, Ireland. J. N. had earlier given up a lucrative law practice to pastor a small,...
by Peter James | Feb 15, 2024 | Adelaide Procter
This story is about a woman who wanted to succeed for her talents, not her connections. Novelist Charles Dickens was close friends with the Procter family. The father of the Procter family, Brian, was a lawyer by day and a poet by night. Their home became a haven for...
