It was St George’s day this week. The patron Saint of England (and of Georgia, and soldiers, among other things), whose cross is the centre of our national and union flags. The hagiographies are varied and often contain ’embellishments’, but
Resurrection is Vital!
Last week, we saw that the resurrection of Jesus was one of the things “of first importance” in Paul’s message (1 Cor 15:3). This week, we see that it’s not just important intellectually – as a theological idea – it’s
Redoubtable Thomas
What do you make of Thomas? We give him the adjective ‘doubting’ and the combination is a modern idiom: Doubting Thomas. I wonder how he would feel about that. Maybe he’d be glad for the part he continues to play
Friday Sunday
I heard of a preacher who repeatedly contrasted the despair of Good Friday with the Hope of Easter Sunday. After each point (and there were many) he would say ‘But that was Friday, and Sunday’s coming’. For us as a
A statement entrance
With the Oscars ceremony two weeks ago, the film and TV awards season came to an end for another year. While the major winners and losers vary year on year and between the different awards ceremonies, there is one constant
A Plan
Baldrick’s cunning plan was to carve his name into a bullet. If somewhere there’s a bullet with your name on it, by owning that bullet he can’t get shot with it! (Blackadder S4E1). All around us today we see plans
A Heavenly Family
It is traditional on the fourth Sunday in Lent to give thanks for and to remember our mothers. For most people, our relationship with our mother is one of the most intimate in our lives. Even before we are
Time to Turn Around
What should I do if I find myself driving the wrong way down a one-way street (let’s not ask how I got there)? The first thing would be to stop (so I’m not actually breaking the law), better would be
The Power of Forgiveness
“Do it to Julia!”. If you’ve read George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (I read it in 1983), you’ll know that this cry is what gets Winston, the protagonist, out of Room 101 – where his worst nightmare confronts him. He realises
Sabbath rest in Jesus
At our Ash Wednesday service, we looked at some of the Bible’s teaching about fasting. This Sunday, our Gospel reading focuses on the Sabbath. Both of them share in common the theme of giving something up; in fasting, we give