Love, Labour and Loneliness

Richard Coles was ‘a minister of Christ in the richest neighbourhood in possibly the richest city in the world’ – St Paul’s Knightsbridge. He describes the opulence… but ‘it was one of the hardest places that I’ve ever had to minister… (the riches) become a barrier between them and their deepest needs.’ Musing… What areContinue reading “Love, Labour and Loneliness”

Turning Wine Into Water

Yesterday I was musing on the story of Jesus turning water into the best wine. Jesus takes the ordinary and mundane and transforms it miraculously into something extra-ordinary… Oscar Wilde said: ‘The English have a miraculous power of turning wine into water.’ We can turn the extra-ordinary back into something mundane. We visited a gardenContinue reading “Turning Wine Into Water”

The Case of Cricket versus Christianity

(Health warning: Today’s musing is longer than usual!!) Order! Order! I call this court to order! My Lord, members of the jury, the case I bring before you this morning, is that Cricket and Christianity are guilty of previously undisclosed similarities. My evidence is drawn from my observations yesterday, when I witnessed Somerset beat DerbyshireContinue reading “The Case of Cricket versus Christianity”

Outsiders, Observers or Insiders?

The plan is that we shall go to watch the cricket today… There are three sorts of people: Those who don’t understand cricket, those who watch cricket, those who play cricket… outsiders, observers, insiders. These three categories apply to church… Those who stand outside the church – detached, uninvolved; those who come occasionally, a passiveContinue reading “Outsiders, Observers or Insiders?”

Who’s a Winner?

Yesterday in the football… Norwich beat Millwall 3-1; Norwich were the winners. Many were bitterly disappointed when the English Lionesses lost 1-0 to Spain in the final of the World Cup; they’ve come second in a world tournament… so are they winners? Yesterday in the world athletics championships… Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the heptathlon; aContinue reading “Who’s a Winner?”

Including the Marginalised?

The anticipated arrival of Lou, our new minister/pastor generated much discussion within our church family. Many sentences started ‘When Lou arrives…’ Lou’s now been with us for nearly three weeks… What sort of church shall we become? One word often used to describe the church we aspire to be is ‘inclusive’… There’s the standard expectation…Continue reading “Including the Marginalised?”

In the Final Analysis

Across the country yesterday 18-year-olds discovered their exam results. Granddaughter-Hannah was delighted to get the grades she needs; in September she’ll be off to university in Canterbury. Her family and friends are delighted too! Education through home, primary school, high school, college… This was the final analysis. We say that she did well because ofContinue reading “In the Final Analysis”