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…
Exam Season Dear friends For a lot of young people we are in the waiting period of tenterhooks that comes after the examinations are completed, but before the results are published. There is a strange combination of uncertainty, perhaps even self doubt, along with the trepidation that comes with the unknown future. Did we give as good an account of ourselves as…
Spiritual Strength. Dear friends, Have you wondered why it is that some churches, some places, and occasionally some people, seem to attract others? People visit – sometimes on a deliberate pilgrimage, or sometimes they “just have to go,” but can’t really articulate any reason. There is a great sense of peace, comfort, security, and “homecoming”. We are, I believe, intuiting the often…
Tax – to pay or not? Dear friends, Jesus famously once got into a row about taxes. The Roman Empire paid for itself by imposing levies upon the lands it conquered, arousing no little ire in the conquered peoples who were possibly less enthusiastic about the Roman empire than the Romans themselves. Some Jewish leaders, fed up with Jesus’ popularity with the…
Office space required Dear friends The Team Ministry is looking for an office space! After over twenty years at The Grove, Stoke Row, and with thanks to the kindness and hospitality of the Robin family, the property is now being sold, and we need to find a new home. The Team office is the place of work for Mary Daniels, our part…