Philip, on a desert road, struck up a conversation with an Ethiopian official. In the end the conversation transformed the official’s life. Paul got talking to a few women by a riverside. One of them, by the name of Lydia, was stunned by what he had to say. We’re told ‘the Lord opened her heart’…
It was John Newton who wrote the classic hymn ‘Amazing Grace’. He was blown away by the idea that God should forgive someone like him, he felt totally beyond redemption but came to understand such was Jesus’ love for him that he was willing to die even for John Newton. So he penned the classic lines; ‘Amazing Grace how sweet the…
Having been back from the Solomon Islands for a couple of days now I’m beginning to process the whole adventure and the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful I am for having had the opportunity. When Bishop Tasker suggested I take the opportunity to try and build bridges with the Bishop of…
It was Jesus who said those who are willing to lose their life for his sake will find life (Matthew 16:25). It appears to be just a pithy saying until you try and put it into practice and you discover how true it is and what a blessing it is to actually lose your life…
John and Clare Dowe and I have just spent 3 days in the Islands at the time of the bulletin going to print so it’s a bit early to say how things will transpire with our visit as things take a lot of time over here. Bishop Peter Tasker is keen for us to make as many connections as…
Hannah knelt and prayed. She was greatly distressed, year after year she had asked that God might bless her with a child and to date the answer had been “No.” In 1 Samuel 1 we read that the Lord remembered Hannah and she gave birth to a son. There are many good gifts that God blesses us with and…
A few weeks ago we appointed a range of leaders for our church for Parish Council and other important roles. In addition to the people you elected to Council, I have asked Helen McNab and John Cooper to join the team as my appointees. Council has now had its first meeting and things are well under way. The council meets…
As the holidays start this week I’m reminded of some comments by C S Lewis worth reflecting on as we continue our series on ‘What is heaven like?’ “In my first school we believed in the end of term, but it seemed far off and of little consequence compared with tomorrows algebra exam. As talk of glory seems little comfort…
The Eurogliders once sang ‘Heaven must be there, I don’t want to live in this place.’ I wonder if you think that’s sufficient justification to believe in heaven – that there must be a better place than this? Then of course those who believe in heaven have a multitude of different opinions as to what heaven is like. Some…
What kind of God do you believe in? There are those who see Him as the clock-maker who has created and wound up the universe and then left it to run while he goes on to other projects. Others see him as the absent-minded granddad, a nice old bloke who is kind to everyone and just a bit forgetful about…
