It is twilight in the beautiful village of Oberhofen. Already I feel like I have had a very productive day with so much done and still time left to do more!

One of the things I like to do when I am staying with people is check out their books! Well of course just about every book in this 250 year old house is in Austrian or German. However, on the bookshelf in my room I did find a book that contains some of the writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman. This Oxford scholar was a priest in the Anglican church by the time he was 24 and later in his life converted to catholicism. A theologian and intellectual, he wrote the famous hymn, Lead Kindly Light

In one of his meditations he says:

It is the saying of the holy men that, if we wish to be perfect, we have nothing more to do than perform the ordinary duties of the day well. A short road to perfection not because easy, but because pertinent and intelligible. There are no short ways to perfection, but there are sure ones.

…do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; give your first thoughts to God;
(pray) devoutly; eat and drink to God’s glory; keep out bad thoughts; make your evening meditation well; examine yourself daily, go to bed in good time, and you are already perfect. (conference of 27 Sept 1865)

Interesting? What do you think?

I am also enjoying the book by Bill Hybels Courageous Leadership Increasingly I have been reflecting on the opportunities that God has given me to be a leader. Whilst it is a gift of the spirit. It needs to be exercised. Additionally, in its practical application, there is so much that I need to learn. Much of this does not come naturally, it is like a lot of things on the Christian journey, it is a matter of application and discipline. However as disciples, we must be committed to life long learning. We must also be resolved to the fact that as we learn more we become aware of how much we do not know. This should not be a cause of anguish but of worship that God made it so!

Some things are easier here. There are few distractions. No TV, no office environment, only 2 calls from the UK etc. It is easier to focus on prayer, reading the bible and extended study. I also spent some time working out this morning. How much easier that was looking out of a window onto a mountain! Indeed exercise and worship seemed to naturally sit together. I can honestly say I do not think that that has ever happened before!

This afternoon Father Christoph and I went walking in the mountains. We went up a trail at quite a pace ensuring that for the 2nd time today my heart beat was really racing. As we approached the snowline (about 1000 metres), it did indeed start snowing.
Christoph, a man born in the mountains then turned off the trail and headed into the woods. We went on trails that it looked like only deer had tread before. It was then that God simultaneously showed me a number of things and brought some real lessons to life. At this point I had to admit that I had not been this way before. Oh yes I had walked, I had followed trails and I had hiked on mountains but this walk, trail and mountain were all new to me. What I needed was a leader. Christoph was that man. He knew these mountains, he knew the best way to go and as a result he was the best guide to lead me. The example became richer due to the pace he selected. He was slow enough that I could always see him BUT if I wanted to keep pace with him I had to work. Now trust me, I am no expert on exercise but I know that in order to burn fat, you need to increase your heart rate. So although I was on an unfamiliar journey, it was clear that the pace was not going to be solely determined by my inability but also by the leaders ability. Often as Christians we are carrying things that are not healthy for us. Sometimes by working out with those who have great experience of God it encourages to lay down or to burn off some of that unhealthy baggage.

So what had began as an opportunity to get some fresh air, to exercise and to have fellowship became a piece of living praxis. When theory and practice come together. I love it when a plan comes together!

The legend that is Christoph Haider!