I recently found a Nigerian prayer which begins like this: “God in Heaven, You have helped my life to grow like a tree. Now something has happened. Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another.  Before I knew it, he had built a dwelling place and was living…

You may be aware that all the churches in our Methodist circuit are involved in a review of what they are doing and how they are to move forward. Ascension Day was celebrated at the end of May – then there were ten days until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and the Church was…

Today is the 150th day of the year and it’s ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’ day. Remember the circular song in which Henry discovers a hole in his bucket, Lisa supplies solutions, Henry refutes them and it ends up with him needing water which he can’t get because of the hole? Sometimes we seem to…

‘Would you rather it always be winter or always be summer?’ was the question posed on a recent radio programme. It set me thinking. What were the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario – cold/heat; snow/sun; inside/outside; hot chocolate/ice cream; woolly jumpers/cotton tops; long nights/long days; grey/green; ………death/life?  Not sure that it’s that clear cut. …

You may already be aware that as a circuit we had a trip out to the cinema to watch the film ‘Penguin Lessons’. It was an amazing multi layered film and worked for me on many levels. Overall, I was most affected by the way the penguin appeared to actively listen to the characters. Each…

Today, I’m starting with some definitions: Goel means a person, usually one’s nearest relative who has certain obligations to you eg to secure your freedom from slavery, avenge wrongdoing Gole means a clustered body of troops, ready for violent action Loge means a booth or stall, possibly an exclusive lush box at a theatre Ogle…

This year seems to be speeding by – here we are in May already! As I write this, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, spring flowers are open and the buds are breaking open on the trees. All seems pleasant and perfect. Until we turn on our screens and see what’s happening in…

When Mary Magdalene set off to anoint Jesus’ body with oils and perfumes on the first day of the week, I’m guessing she would have been distraught. After following Him for years, listening to His words, healed and comforted by Him, she must have felt disappointed, betrayed, maybe taken in by His words of kingship…

Which would be your choice? Would it be politically incorrect to assume that the older generation may typically choose the former whilst the youngest among us would choose the latter? Does it just depend on how you’re feeling at the time? Maybe you weigh up which is heavier – 34 g for the cream egg,…

Following on from last week’s ‘thought’…. This week I tuned into the Religion Media Centre Briefing on Tuesday lunchtime which discussed a recent Bible Society/YouGov report entitled ‘The Quiet Revival’. This 2024 nationally representative survey based on 13,000 responses has found a 50% increase in church attendance (from 8% to 12%, including 4 times as…