Category Archives: Uncategorized

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide… Two disciples are walking to Emmaus, despairing, disappointed and confused. Jesus joins them. It’s getting dark. ‘Abide with me’. Their eyes are opened. Jesus is there and they hadn’t realised it. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day… Several friends know of life’s fragility – aContinue reading “Abide with me (2)”

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.When other helpers fail and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, O abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;Change and decay in all around I see;O Thou who changest not, abide withContinue reading “Abide with me (1)”

Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Problem? I only want what I earn and deserve. The British work ethic – a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s time, effort and hard work. Grace is free, undeserved, unearned. I want toContinue reading “My Problem with Grace”

Donald Miller says: ‘How come we think the story of Noah’s ark is appropriate for children? Can you imagine a children’s book about Noah’s ark complete with paintings of people gasping in gallons of water, mothers grasping their children while their bodies go flying down white-rapid rivers…?’ Has the Bible been reduced to a setContinue reading “Noah for Children?”

‘Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer      Thought it scarcely worth his whileTo waste much time on the old violin,      But held it up with a smile. We value people by what they look like, how they present themselves, how they behave. The violin was nothing to look at. People mayContinue reading “The Touch of the Master’s Hand (2)”

‘Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer      Thought it scarcely worth his whileTo waste much time on the old violin,      But held it up with a smile.“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,    “Who’ll start the bidding for me?”“A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two?      TwoContinue reading “The Touch of the Master’s Hand”

Patricia Raybon is the same age as me. Her African American childhood of prejudice and segregation, white wealth and privilege was very different from mine. In ‘My First White Friend’ she describes her rage, bitterness, powerlessness and fear of failure; her desire to be acceptable to white people in a white dominated world. She learnedContinue reading “My First White Friend”

Why me Lord?What have I ever doneTo deserve even oneOf the pleasure I’ve known?Tell me, Lord,What did I ever doThat was worth lovin’ youFor the kindness you’ve shown? Kris Kristofferson describes his experience in church: ‘‘Is anybody feeling lost?’ Up goes my hand… ‘If anybody is ready to accept Jesus, come down to the frontContinue reading “Why Me Lord?”

I’m musing on three words – old companions. Purpose We need purpose. I think of friends who have lost sight of purpose and motivation – through redundancy, retirement, family breakdown or the stress of lockdown. Others have discovered fresh purpose through home schooling; new interests discovered and developed; a successful diet or exercise regime; freshContinue reading “Purpose, People and Power”

Hannah and Ben Some of us know Hannah and Ben. They describe their experiences of racism in Lowestoft. Ben describes random, isolated incidents: ‘Sometimes I can be in the town centre and things are shouted at me. I made eye contact with someone once and he started shouting abuse. There are just thousands of littleContinue reading “Racism: ‘Thousands of little incidents’”