I recall preaching at an evening service at a church in Colchester, and at the end of the service, an elderly gentleman walked slowly to the front and, after the closing Amen, knelt and said, several times, “Lord save me”. No, it wasn’t the result of dynamic preaching, as this man had faithfully served as…
I was preaching recently at a local church and my theme was “are you half empty or half full?” One of the hymns I chose was that well known hymn by Frances Ridley Havergal: Take my life, and let it be…, The hymn proceeds through various parts of the body including hands, voices, lips, brain…
First Sunday in Advent Year A 30th November 2025 Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 2 v1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13 v11-14; Matthew 24 v36-44. Living in the light. The apostle Paul wrote these timeless words, You know what sort of times we live in, and so you should live properly. It is time to wake up.…
I have to confess to being a Bruce Springsteen fan, at least a fan of his earlier albums back in the 1970s and early 80s. The turning point was the release of his sixth album, Nebraska, in 1982. This was very different to what had gone before. Rolling Stone reviewed it like this: After ten…
The other evening, I decided to bin some of my thousands of emails. It all started very well but then it slowed down because I started to read the email before binning it. Needless to say, progress was not good and I need to get back to doing more. One email which stood out for…
A year or two ago, I hunted for a new nativity scene decoration in the shops. I could get Father Christmases on trains, deers and elves. Now I know I could shop on line, but I like to see, touch and get an idea of size and make a stand for wanting Jesus to be…
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A kind friend recently found a very old photograph of herself with my late sister. It was taken in 1976 and gave me a flash back into what seems like a former life. In the hope that other family members may like to have a copy too, the photograph has been on a journey to…
This week, our 10 minute service reflects on 1 John 1:7.
The nation has been gripped by Traitors fever, and reactions to the programme vary from “love it” or “hate it” to total disinterest. I got into “The Traitors” last Christmas time when visiting my daughter and son in law in Australia, and then started to watch the recent Celebrity version, quickly becoming hooked. You may ask “Is this…