Light and darkness Dear friends This rather bleak and storm swept week in January holds two rather different commemorations. Thursday (25th) is the feast of the conversion of St Paul, knocked to the ground by a divine revelation on the road to Damascus, whilst about the business of destroying early Christian communities, who at that time were worshipping as either house-churches or…
Life on Fire Dear friends, Spare a thought for the people of the Reykjanes peninsular in Iceland, as the anticipated eruption has finally come to pass. You may be wondering why some volcanos are cone shaped, some explode, some have loads of gas, and some, like in this part of Iceland, just seem to crack open the earth in great fissures. The…
High Water Dear friends, The level of the Thames begins to fall, as a vast volume of storm water moves through and away from our area. Some recording stations have monitored levels almost a metre above the normal peak. Flood plain fields are awash, and riverside properties in Wallingford have flooded. Only the bird life rejoices, as their aquatic habitat is suddenly…
Happy New Year Dear friends, Whether you celebrate much on New Year’s Eve, or go to bed early with a good book and a cup of cocoa, there remains, always, the feeling of a corner being turned, at least for a while. The old diary is put away, sometimes with a look through, and the realisation that, despite everything that has happened,…
War and Peace on Earth Dear friends, Please join us at our Christmas services, when we will lift our voices in song and in prayer, to praise God for the birth of the one called The Prince of Peace. The only way the noises of war may be stilled is for the songs of peace all around the world to become louder,…
Carols and Christmas Services edition. Dear friends, Have you noticed how Advent always speeds up? The third candle is to be lit. Churches are being decorated, and carol services approach. Musicians and singers rehearse, sermons are crafted. The church heating is fixed and the fire extinguishers receive their annual service, happily unused since the engineer’s last visit. I look forward to seeing…
Coffee, Carols, and the Christmas List Dear friends, Checkendon church is hosting a community coffee (and mince pie) morning this coming Saturday from 10.30am in Checkendon Village Hall. Do pop in for a free coffee and mince pie. Its a great chance to catch up with your neighbours, and take a few moments in the maelstrom. There’ll be a model railway, a…
Made for sharing Bring a friend to the coffee and mince pie morning on Saturday 9th Dec from 10.30am in Checkendon Village Hall. It is a great chance to catch up with your neighbours and enjoy a chat before the holiday season gets under way. There’s a book exchange, a model railway and a craft table for children too. This event for…
The Pike A younger version of myself grins out of a photo on a screensaver. I’m leaning in an attempt at nonchalance against a cairn of stones. Behind me in the near distance shattered rocks and scarcity of vegetation reveal that we are at some altitude. In the far distance, down below, a lake and a habitation, and further mountains and hills.…
Not far to the North…. Dear friends I am constantly impressed by how Iceland handles the fact it is living on top of a volcano. Or, rather, a whole heap of volcanoes. They have a vast web of detectors and instruments, measuring things like earthquakes, and crustal deformation. Satellites, lasers and many teams of scientists are keeping an eye on all the…