The Colour Red The feast of Pentecost is, liturgically, a “red” day. Possibly because of the flames of fire which fell from heaven on the heads of the astonished apostles, possibly because the said apostles also share the same liturgical colour. Red is only used elsewhere in the Christian year for Holy Week, and, of course, for any martyrs. It is used…
A new Law Dear friends, Fifty days after the Passover festival, the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Shavuot. This is the celebration of the wheat harvest, and is used to remember the giving of the Torah – the ten commandments – to Moses on Mount Sinai. They were being faithful to Jesus’ instruction to “wait in Jerusalem”…
A Special Place Dear friends, Sometimes the overlooked can be beautiful. When we lived in Carlisle some of the best holidays were not continuing to the far north for the rugged mountains of the Scottish Highlands, or the endless skies of the Isles, but simply to nip “round the corner” for an hour’s drive into the rolling pastures of the Solway Firth.…
Give thanks Dear friends, At the beginning of this new day, imagine a barrier across the road. What is being asked of you that you may proceed? Perhaps you are thinking of a holiday in France, and need to check if your passport is in date. Or you are wondering what the new EU border arrangements will be. Fingerprints? Weight? DNA sample?…
A lifetime of freedom Dear friends, It has only been in very recent years that we have been able to “satellite view” the earth that we share, and look down at things from above from the comfort of home. For those with eyes to see, this gives not only a window into the present, but also one into the past. Former airfields…
Dealing with Dragons Yesterday (April 28th) was St George’s Day. There is a fine memorial in Checkendon Church depicting him triumphant over the dragon. The memorial is to Basil Moon, of Brazier’s Park, who was killed in Flanders in 1915, and also to his (unnamed) brother of the same regiment “who was spared.” St George is a very early saint – he…
Easter Artwork This wonderful poster has been carefully coloured in, every Good Friday, for (at least) the last five years. Maybe six, or eight people, of all ages, sit around two large tables, on which the poster is laid out. There is chatter, and silent concentration, in a happy blend. This year, after huge effort, the work of art was declared complete.…
Priestley’s Progress Dear friends, Easter approaches, reminding us that God is not dead, and that hope, life, and joy may yet be found amidst the unravelling of the global orchestra. The new music is however from an old score, just one we’ve not heard in our generation. The writer JB Priestley toured England in 1933 surveying the carnage of the Great Depression…
Wisdom and foolishness. Dear friends, It is difficult to know where to look; the broken remains of the city of Mandalay; the devastation in Gaza; the death and destruction ongoing in Ukraine; the economic tsunami sweeping across the Atlantic. Yet we have been here before. In many ways all we are seeing is a return to normal service; it was the peace…
Honour your parents Dear friends, The days lengthen. Sunrise creeps before 6am. Lent progresses with the invigorated steps of the pilgrim who knows the destination is drawing nearer. (The word derives from the Anglo Saxon root “lencten”, meaning “get longer”.) The fourth Sunday of Lent this weekend brings not only the start of British Summer Time but also Mothering Sunday. The fifth…