RIP Brent Hinds (1974–2025)

For the last few days, I’ve been reeling at the news of the sudden and untimely death of former Mastodon guitarist and co-vocalist William Brent Hinds.

By all accounts, he was a force of nature. A wild character. And a fabulously inventive guitarist and vocalist. I feel thankful that I have stood in the same room as him on a couple of occasions and marvelled at Mastodon’s unique brand of rock n’ roll.

When big characters who have burned so brightly in life are suddenly and cruelly extinguished, life suddenly feels fragile. But now is the time to rage against that darkness and live life to the full. This week I have been doing that to soundtrack of Mastodon.

There’s an open wound placed upon my heart in anger’s rage
If we open up a spirit, it’s a spirit that can bleed

— “Seabeast”, Mastodon from Leviathan (2004)

Sending love and condolences to his family and friends.

Rest in peace, Brent Hinds.

Goodbye WinZip, hello PeaZip

This week I said a sad but necessary goodbye to a faithful Windows utility that I have been using for the last 35 years or more, WinZip.

WinZip was just getting too bloated, too unfocused and too slow for me. And crucially, at times it no longer did the one simple thing I wanted from it: unzip a zip file.

So this week, I uninstalled WinZip and moved to the free, open source PeaZip. And I wish I had done it sooner.

Continue reading Goodbye WinZip, hello PeaZip

Joy, simplicity, compassion: Trinitarian gifts in the agile workplace

Introduction

What does servant leadership in Agile have to do with a monastic blessing from Taizé?

After my mother died in August 2020, I found an old copy of the Fairacres Chronicle among her belongings. In it, Brother Roland Walls reflects on three Gospel-rooted gifts: joy, simplicity and compassion. As I read his words, I was struck by how deeply they resonated – not just with my vocation as a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church, but also with my role as a Scrum Master in a software development team.

In this reflection, I explore the unexpected but life-giving parallels between Christian discipleship and Agile practice, drawing on years of both pastoral and technical experience. Both vocations, I believe, are about presence, accompaniment and helping people flourish – quietly, faithfully and together.

Continue reading Joy, simplicity, compassion: Trinitarian gifts in the agile workplace