News (Page 148)

Advent 1 – Treasure or trash?

The Methodist Church has produced resources for Advent entitled “Out of the Ordinary” and Advent 1 centres around a box of Christmas decorations. In our house the Christmas tree generally doesn’t go up until the weekend before Christmas. There is that moment when you get the box or bag of Christmas decorations out. Ours is…

Letting stuff go

The great plan at the beginning of this year was that I would retire next summer when my appointment at Ipswich comes to an end.  Having had a three-month sabbatical earlier this year, I came to the conclusion that I’m not ready to hang up my dog collar yet, so decided to offer for a…

Walking in the snow…

The temperature has dropped and we have been given warnings of snowfalls on their way. I love to look at snow and all the beautiful patterns which it makes. Another of God’s wonderful creations. It’s so clean and bright and white but in my mind it’s treacherous. I’m terrified of walking in the snow when it’s…

Shine Jesus Shine

Recently the Christmas lights were switched on in the centre of my home town, heralding the start of late-night shopping. If they accidentally get left on during the day, it takes a while to notice – until the electricity bill is received! But because during the day, we have light, the light from the decorations…

I Grew Up

How many times, I wonder, when on our holidays or out for walks in the country, do we stop and look at the alluring site of the babbling brook. Running water, stones, riverbank plants and trees and the buzzing of insects. Tranquil and lovely. Many years ago, a little willow sapling began its journey to…

Letting Stuff Go

What’s your approach to present wrapping: do you do it beautifully and neatly, to raise a sense of anticipation and show how much you care? Or do you do it reluctantly, at the last minute, with whatever wrapping paper the 24-hour garage down the road sells? Or do you give the present without any wrapping…

What can I give?

Sitting in our lounge listening to music, early one morning, and enjoying a break from news available on a variety of channels, my thoughts were disturbed by an advertisement from a mobile phone company.  Trying to entice listeners with an offer of a new phone it ended with the phrase, “And for only £39.99 per…