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…

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…

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…

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…

Pray your part Dear friends, When it comes to election season, most of us have a fairly limited tolerance of the media’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of political introversion. “Never mind about the nation’s toenails,” we cry at the radio, “ask why the legs are missing!” Its an important season in which we have an opportunity to not just think about the big…

In the blood Dear friends, It is something we all take for granted – that our blood flows. Yet when we are cut, if all is working as it should, it clots as cells knit themselves together on exposure to oxygen. But day by day, as we breathe,  our blood nevertheless carries this same oxygen round our vital organs and, wonderfully, removes…

Tongues of Fire Dear friends, A few days ago the earth was bathed in glory. A (22 years) rare solar storm sent great arcs of fire in the form of solar flares far out from the surface of our sun, and the associated bursts of high energy atomic particles, after a couple of days in transit, reached the earth. These particles, funnelled…

A Head for Heights Dear friends How are you with high places? The Shard in London is not for the faint-hearted; if you dare to look down you can see the roof structures and patterns of Southwark Cathedral laid out beneath you as if returned to the 2D of an architect’s plan. However, for most, the interest and detail of the all…