We all have anniversaries of one sort or another.  Our birthdays immediately come to mind and then those of our family and friends.  Some months are full of all types of anniversaries, March is particularly difficult for me, but June and July are full of joy of one kind or another. March might be difficult,…

One of the pitfalls of living in our troublesome world is that we can become problem-centred rather than God-centred. When this happens, we lose the proper perspective. Gradually, all our problems begin to look huge and the strength of almighty God seems small. Instead of moving mountains by faith, we become constant worriers, creating mountains…

One of the traditions in our house over many years has been the Simnel cake, ideally we would have it on Mothering Sunday, but in honesty, I am seldom organized enough to hit that target and more often than not it has been Easter Day before the Simnel Cake has been ready to eat. I…

The old idiom states that ‘seeing is believing’. Indeed, it is difficult to deny what is in clear sight; we cannot ‘un-see’ an image though we may forget. Sight is one of our six senses and one that I have always had a great fear of losing; my respect for the way visually impaired people…

Bible reading Matthew 23: 37-39  The mother hen who keeps her brood safe. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For…

The story of Ruth in the Old Testament is so rich in meaning that thousands of sermons must havefound their inspiration from its words. Here are just some of the ideas to be found in this short lovestory – The love of Ruth for her mother-in-law provokes Ruth to say “Where you go, I will…

Bible reading : Romans 12:1-21 V1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” Is God really only interested in our spiritual lives?  We’re not divided into a physical part and a spiritual…

In June of last year Rev Richard Teal became President of the Methodist Church for this Connexional year.  He had 3 points for his inaugural address, like many preachers, and it gives pointers which I think are relevant to us all.  His 3 points were headed Orientation, Disorientation and Reorientation and I have not forgotten…

When Leo and Amy opened a 300 seat, fine-dining restaurant, Leo admitted he was “scared of everything.” Amy equates their leap of faith in starting their business to holding hands while jumping off a mountain. But if you’re going to do something scary, “you want to do it with someone you know and trust,” Leo…

I still get quite emotional as I look at this beautiful picture of class one at the Dunblane Primary School. Yesterday marked the twenty fifth anniversary of perhaps one of the darkest days in recent British history, we have a very similar school class photograph featuring our eldest daughter when she was the same age…