17th Sunday on Ordinary Time. Year A. 26th July 2026 Lectionary Readings: Kings 3 v5-12; Psalm 119 v129-136; Romans 8 v26-39; Matthew 13 v31-33, 44-52. Wisdom and Understanding. Solomon asks God for wisdom to help him in his role as king. God is pleased that he has done so and gladly grants him…
We were very lucky to have this view of Mount Vesuvius from our holiday villa recently. There were many stunning sunsets viewed from the veranda whilst sipping something cool and refreshing. The sunrise was taken on our last morning as we had to leave around 5am in order to get to the airport on time.…
Jesus Christ, you are my life We continue a series that seeks to take inspiration from the words of newer hymns and songs. The previous thought in this series focused on the song ‘These Alone Are Enough’ by the Catholic hymnwriter, Dan Schutte. Today’s song may also be better known to our Catholic sisters and…
Today’s thought for the day is brought to us by Steve Coles www.ellel.uk “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23, NIV At work, I support adults with special needs to live their best lives. Once, a group of us were waiting for…
At the end of last month, I attended the Religion and media Conference at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster. The keynote speech was given by the Archbishop of York on how religion is central to life and vital for rebuilding trust in the media. He said, ’We prize honesty, truth-telling, kindness, the importance of penitence…
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1 – ‘For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.’ For many children and young people, this is the last week of the summer term. Some students may have finished their university careers or will soon be enjoying a summer break. Others, depending on their stage of…
Following retirement from his post as England manager Sir Gareth Southgate was asked what he would do next. He said that he wanted to spend time thinking about that, and shortly afterwards he was asked to give the Dimbleby lecture in 2025. As I listened to him delivering that lecture, I felt it was a most…
This week, our Bite Sized service reflects on John 4: 23-24.
Several years ago, I recall singing a hymn that included a phrase about prayer, “Take it to the Lord and leave it there.” For some time, I assumed it meant that having prayed about something once, it was no longer necessary to ask God again. This misunderstanding came to mind during a recent daily Bible…
On our recent trip to Italy, we stayed in Sorrento, the home of limoncello. (Lemon flavoured digestif). The UK supermarkets would have us believe that lemons are all, more or less, a standard size with shiny yellow peel. However, the lemon groves that adorn the Sorrentine peninsula produce some fruit the size of melons, with…