“A society grows great when old men plant tress whose shade they know they shall never sit in” Greek proverb” Over the years, I have become a bit of a collector of profound sayings.  The other day I read this saying from Greek philosophy and it struck a chord with me, particulalry in the light…

There is a story of a cliff-hanger, determined to reach the summit of a high mountain. After years of preparation, he began his adventure.  Only he journeyed alone, because he wanted all the glory. He began his descent and as daylight faded he decided to continue climbing. Night fell.  The night fell heavy as he…

When the leaves have fallen, the last of the roses have died eventually on the odd bush, the potted geraniums have gone to slime because we forgot to remove them before the frost, and the bulbs are still nestled snuggly under the compost, all may seem dead and there is not much joy to be…

Today we are in the midst of the week of prayer for Christian Unity. This coming Sunday is World Leprosy Day. There is a sense in which both are about recognising and including those whom we may often exclude. We are comfortable in our disjointed church; we worship with those with similar tastes in music,…

On reading William’s Thought for the Day on Wednesday I was thinking how much I miss seeing people smile. I went to the library last week and the Manager, who I know quite well as I go regularly, said I didn’t recognise you for a minute.  In the cold weather I had my coat done…

Isaiah 8 v 13.The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. On June 6, 1944, five thousand ships departed England for the Normandy coast and the greatest invasion of World War 11. From this military event comes…