Most of us are profoundly shaped by our parents and their expectations for us. Alongside their expectations for our behaviour growing up, they also impart, sometimes more explicitly, sometimes more accidentally, a raft of assumptions about the kind of lifestyle
My law, Your law?
I read recently that one sign of a bright child is that the child will make up new rules for a game. Making up a new game or extending an existing game is one thing, but I’ve also seen children
Salty Light
Sitting down to eat, just before dusk, at the Beachcomber Café in Barton-on-Sea, we could see a light coming from the Isle of Wight. What was it? Why was it there? We don’t know for sure, but it looked like
Blessed
There’s been some noise in the media recently about what it means to bless something. It is an expression of approval? Is it an affirmation of right-ness? Or is it simply bringing God into a situation with the expectation and
Corinthian Chaos and Christ’s Cross
Even a casual reading of 1st Corinthians quickly reveals that when Paul was writing, the church in Corinth was in a mess. Paul needs to address a wide variety of pastoral situations in the church, ranging from serious sexual immorality,
Who will you listen to?
On Wednesday’s Radio 4 Thought for the Day, Rhidian Brook was talking about who we are influenced by. He wanted to distance himself from the ‘influencers’ who crave fame and fortune by ‘being themselves’ on social media, and who are
Happy New Year
We all like something new. Sometimes ‘new’ means ‘for the first time’, but often it’s about something new replacing something old: a new coat consigns the old one to the cupboard (or is passed on to someone else); a new
Great Joy
“Glad tidings of Great Joy”, the angel said. So, how does that work? Does it come because of the food, festivities, families, and fun? Does it come as we realise the darkening of the winter nights has turned back? Or
What’s in a name?
One of the major themes of Advent is preparing ourselves for Jesus’ return. It’s a season of great hope, but for many people the whole idea has been a cause for anxiety. How can we look forward to Jesus returning
A Signpost
On the A44 between Rhayader and Kington, there is a signpost for Llandegley Airport. But if you follow the directions you won’t find the airport because it doesn’t’ exist – it never has. The owner of the sign says it’s