Suicide in Scripture Dear friends, There are two instances of suicide in the Bible. The death of Saul, Israel’s first king, is recounted twice, the first time at the end of the book of 1 Samuel. A great battle on Mount Gilboa is coming to a terrible end, with the defeat of Israel, and the routing of her armies by the Philistines.…
Harvest Thanksgiving Dear friends, By the time you have finished your breakfast you will have depended upon half the world. Coffee from Africa, or Latin America, Tea from India, bread using strong flour from Canada, an orange from Spain – every breakfast table will be different, but it will have this common thread. We all depend upon a global harvest, every single…
The Rock of Refuge Dear friends, Grey skies, pouring rain, and nothing on the radio save political woes. We vote for a different tune but find the song remains the same even though the choir has been changed. The prophet Jeremiah knew the agony of life shattering disappointment when he said “the summer is ended, the harvest is over, and we are…
You may find some parts of this distressing Dear friends, I remember being horrified as a young theological college student. My extra curricular interest in Roman archaeology had led me into a dusty corner of the college library, where the periodical Biblical Archaeology Review gave colourful updates on the latest digs, mostly in Israel/Palestine, but sometimes elsewhere in the Romanized world of…
A Safe Space Dear friends, Our country prides itself on its love of animals. However this is, at best, patchy, and at worst, two faced. In our leafy lanes you will see dogs who are doted on, and well cared for. You will also see dogs crammed into a van and walked in far too large groups to be safe for passers…
Suffer the little children Dear friends, I remember as a small boy being taken to Trosley Village Hall with all the other youngsters for a “clinic”. In different rooms of the hall cheery nurses would administer different vaccines. Word pretty quickly got around that the worst place was the kitchen, where it seemed everyone would come out crying. Sure enough, there was…
Abiding Astonishment Dear friends, We know instinctively that collaboration is preferable to conflict, and that mutually respectful partnerships can often lead to innovation. One of the many reasons that we work together as a team of churches here in Langtree is that we can share lessons learned, and that we can also offer one another support and mutual care. I have recently…
Holiday Reading Dear friends One of the joys of time off in our contemporary culture is being able to “unplug” from the online world where it interfaces with “work”. The instant availability, and the expectation of such by consumers and clients, add a layer of pressure to life that was unknown even twenty years ago. Sometimes, for our sanity’s sake, it is…
A slow death Dear friends It is the time of the year when the leaf canopy is lush and verdant, and the woodland floor at its darkest. Except that it isn’t. There are parts of the forest floor which are lighter than they should be, as the canopy overhead is thinning. A good place to notice this is at the bottom of…
Pilgrimage of the people Dear friends Many thousands of Brits have made their way to Germany, and finally Berlin during the last few days and weeks. The enthusiasm of “We just had to be here” and “I couldn’t miss this for the world” along with the realism of “I could have gone to Thailand for this price” made for a good natured…