Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

I played Cluedo as a child, a parent and a grandparent… A murder’s been committed; there are six suspects, nine rooms and six possible murder weapons. At the end of the game we discover whether it was Miss Scarlet in the dining room with the candlestick or Professor Plum in the library with the dagger…Continue reading “Cluedo, Mysteries and Unanswered Questions”

As a child I was confused by the old hymn that started: When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, I didn’t know what ‘billows’ were. It sounded like ‘pillows’; being tossed in pillows sounded  like fun to me… …Since then I’ve got beyond the first line andContinue reading “Billows and Pillows”

When skies grow dark and all we see are shadowsThe road too rough, the mountains rise too farWhen pain runs deep, and wounds cry out for answersWe come to you, O Jesus of the ScarsWhat other god chose to be born in weaknessKnew toil and tears and felt our deepest woe?Then to a cross, toContinue reading “Jesus of the Scars”

It’s all kicking off in Lowestoft today. It’s the ‘First Light Festival’ today and tomorrow. Inspired by Lowestoft’s location as the most Easterly part of the country and therefore the first to receive sunlight we shall have our ‘free summer solstice celebration of culture, creativity, and community’. Thousands will gather on our South Beach andContinue reading “Not For Me Thank You”

Yesterday I read… ‘Lowestoft: a faded Suffolk star is reborn’: Guardian headline. ‘With new arts venues, pubs and restaurants, fancy beach huts and a restored pier, the UK’s most easterly town is getting its mojo back…’ It describes various aspects of Lowestoft… a bit of history ‘Samuel Morton Peto’s dream being for Lowestoft to rivalContinue reading “Resilience”

At Men’s Shed yesterday Dave was chatting about St Petersburg. He’d been there professionally; he’d returned for a holiday. He showed me a coloured brochure of the State Hermitage Museum… Dave turned the page in the brochure. There was Rembrandt’s ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’ that’s on display in the Hermitage Museum. The pictureContinue reading “Dave, Rembrandt, Julian and Henri”

An assortment of birds come to our garden each day… purposeful, busy woodpeckers… families of blackbirds look after each other… stupid, waddling pigeons; a cheerful robin always comes to say ‘hello’… various smaller birds collect their food and leave… Recently they’ve been joined by a big, black crow. I’ve called him Colin. He sits onContinue reading “Colin the Crow”

My bike hasn’t been running so smoothly lately. I took it to Duncan, the proprietor of ‘Dunx’, the shop where I bought it five years ago… I value my bike… using it every day. I get on it without a thought… usually taking it for granted… …I was chatting to Steve. Steve was diagnosed withContinue reading “Bicycle Maintenance”

At church yesterday Esther talked about Joshua… The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt… wandering around the desert… were about to settle in their Promised Land. Moses, their leader for 40 years, had died; Joshua was their new leader. Standing in front of the River Jordan the people are in a new situation… new confusions,Continue reading “I’ve Never Been This Way Before”

I don’t see anything wrong with the lights on stagesI even love it when the crowd gets loud singing out God’s praisesBut every now and then it can get a little complicatedSo I remember when I was in that old church basement. Christians have always sung together – from ancient psalms to modern worship songsContinue reading “Old Church Basement”