I thought with all the news around us now you all might like a bit of a smile and, although you have probably read this before, it still brings a smile to my face. I don’t know where it originated from, but it has done the rounds in many a Church magazine and beyond. “Everything…
The front doors at Seaton Road Methodist Church in Felixstowe have been transformed during January with the addition of this lovely Lighthouse image made by Rev Jo Jacobs. And this is the front window, giving the message of hope and love to any passers by. If you have any images from your own Churches please…
Thou, whose almighty wordchaos and darkness heard,and took their flight. This hymn is one of the two hymns I had chosen for our Trinity Facebook page last Sunday. I have spent my career in science and engineering and, whilst gaining a Ph.D. in mathematics, studying astronomy and cosmology as a hobby throughout my life. chaos…
When he was only 13 years old, the violinist Yehudi Menuhin was invited to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. With distinguished musicians in the audience listening to him, the youthful genius played some of the most difficult compositions by Beethoven, Bach and Brahms. The response was so enthusiastic that the management called in the police…
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year B 17th January 2021 Lectionary Readings: 1 Samuel 3 v1-20. The Lord speaks to Samuel. Psalm 139 V1-6, 13-18. The Lord is always near. 1 Corinthians 6 v12-20. Honour God with your body. John 1 v 43-51. Jesus chooses Philip and Nathanael. ‘The Nearness of You’ A…
A Flame of Love : a personal choice of Charles Wesley’s verse by Timothy Dudley-Smith Triangle (SPCK), 1987 160 pages Available second-hand from Amazon ISBN 978 0 281 043 002 To remember the bicentenary of the death of Charles Wesley, the greatest of all English hymn writers, as well as the 250th anniversary of…
I recently made contact with a nearby village Church (not a Methodist one) to double check on their plans for worship; I was notionally due to lead there in a week or two’s time. Like many Churches and Chapels the good people of the congregation in question have decided not to open for the time…
Several of our neighbours in this part of Ipswich have left the Christmas lights outside their homes, not only attached to the building, but switched on during the evenings. Under normal circumstances I would have been moaning about this practice as it is tradition to remove all Christmas decorations by twelfth night, (three day ago…
You can’t go far in reading the Bible without coming across encouragement or a command to show gratitude to God – being thankful. As early as Chronicles (16 : 34), for example, we read – ‘Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good…’ Do you tell God in your prayers that he is good…
Recalling undertakers I have known, there was one who went appropriately by the name of Mr Death, but who pronounced his name rather less ominously as Mr De’ath. But more significantly, I remember one saying in my hearing: “I wish these ministers didn’t keep harping on about the resurrection at the funeral service. The mourners…