We Lift One Another

It was almost exactly one year ago when I had returned from a trip to Moldova. The trip had been particularly challenging. I had been stunned beyond words, when a prison officer opened a cell door for me, to find babies locked inside. Certainly, I’ve seen worse than this, but nevertheless, it stunned me and it made me feel so very helpless.

My ministry serves not only to raise corporate and personal awareness of the needs of communities and individuals, but to promote personal and corporate responsibility. It could easily be described as making ‘cold calls.’ You ‘knock’ on a lot of doors and you get an incredible amount of them shut in your face and an amazing amount of ‘suggestions’ as to who we should see, or where we might go for help. But you plod on and thankfully, occasionally; someone will take the time to listen and actually do something!

Each of us holds a personal responsibility, not only to ourselves but to our fellow man as well. Likewise, any public business holds a corporate responsibility: to its shareholders, its employees and to the community in which it is based. But I believe businesses, especially international ones, also hold a ‘social responsibility.’ Accordingly, I try to get businesses involved–to help them create projects that effectively change lives for the better.

Just as I am doing during this period of Lent, last year I was reflecting on what I had accomplished as well as failed to accomplish and the idea of sins had come to mind; sins against humanity, sins against the children, the sins of ignoring the plight of others, especially when the message is screaming so loudly at us.

And my thoughts had caused me to type the words ‘corporate sin’ into one of the search engines. I had never used the term before and I don’t think I ever would have thought of it, except for the gnawing feeling of sadness I had over what I had seen and felt. During that same month I had listened to an overabundance of ‘promises’ of what someone was going to do to help. But I instinctively knew that all the promises were nothing but bravado and attempts at self–affirmation.

God reaches out to us in ways we can never imagine. There it was, another priest in America had validated the very same thoughts and reflections I was being so pensive about–the very same things that Lent calls us to reflect upon:

Our sins, not just the sins we commit individually, but the sins we commit as members of groups, or societies, or institutions–here is where the term ‘corporate sin’ applies. It could be those sins where ‘the company’ disregards the good of the people, or disregards the needs of its community. This is why our confessions begin with the word ‘We.’ We confess…

Then there is the sin of omission. Those things which we ought to have done but have found a million excuses to justify our failure to do so. That is our sin of omission.

But what about the sin we commit when we have the power to do things and we simply choose not to? All the good we could do in this world, in our communities, in our businesses and homes simply isn’t done. And there is no reason. Why do we do this?

Lent serves as a time for us to examine ourselves and to ask ourselves:

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  Am I connected with God? What is my relationship with Him and with my spiritual community? And am I doing it humbly and not merely for show?
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  Am I investing in the world around me? Am I joyfully sharing what I have with others, especially strangers?
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  Am I able to easily forgive and turn the other cheek? And do I demonstrate this to others.
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  Am I finding ways to celebrate life, rather than condemning it?
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  Am I nurturing others–family, friends, my community and church?
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  Am I leading rather than following? I am I standing up for others, protecting those who need protecting and defending those who cannot defend themselves?
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  And finally, when our day is finished, am I able to look back and see that all has been good and give thanks to God for all we have.

So, just a note to a distant friend: it's a year on and I have not forgotten you, Canon Rechter. I wish you every success in your ministry. And in my prayers today, I give thanks to God for the words of comfort I found through another one of His children.

.Compassionate God, we acknowledge our sins, weaknesses, omissions, and failures. When our failures discourage us, may Your compassion embrace us and hope lead us through this season of repentance to the joy of Easter. We pray this, in Your name. Amen

Spots Or Wrinkles

Spots Spots Spots! My teenage daughter sees things I cannot see. She’s certain that the moment one spot goes away there’s another lurking somewhere deep from within, ready to leap out. But I tell her truthfully; I can’t see any on her beautiful complexion.

‘Oh Daddy!’ she’ll sigh. And on it goes; typical of a self-conscious teenager.
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It’s no different for adults. There’s a bevy of things for us to worry about. For example, watch the news for ten minutes. Or closer to home, take a look in the mirror: It's either pimples or wrinkles! You finally get rid of the one and then it’s time for the other to start showing up and unfortunately wrinkles don't go away, they just invite all their friends!
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Trials and tribulations, irritations, and aggravations: That's life, but only one side of it. Because hidden inside every trouble and every aggravation is an opportunity just waiting to be noticed and taken hold of.
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They’re an invitation from God to let go of what doesn't matter or doesn't work, and to search for what does matter and what can bring us joy and freedom. It’s His invitation to focus on straightening out what's behind the face, what's inside the head and deep within your heart.
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Sometimes there are pains or frustrations that must be lived with; we can't make them go away. What's the opportunity there? Perhaps it's an invitation to relax in the Lord; to give ourselves over to Him at long last. Perhaps it's an invitation to let go of our obsessive perfectionism or our excessive need to control and focus on what really matters.
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Each of us has our own special collection of stresses and hurts, and we know them well. But have we looked behind them? Have we searched in faith for the invitation God has wrapped inside them?
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If we haven't, we're wasting a lot of time on pain and disappointment. That isn't what God wants for us. He is offering us joy and freedom for the taking, here and now. Look a little deeper and you'll find it, wrapped discretely inside your troubles.
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If you look, you'll find it. I promise you it's there!.

Loving Father, it’s so easy to become laboured with life’s wrinkles. Teach us to accept what we cannot change. Grant us the wisdom to see beyond ourselves, that we may reach out to others and bring Your world closer. Amen
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Thank You Sarah!

Music is a Gift from God

The Book in the Attic

Perhaps All We Need is a Little Faith in DOG!

Shrove Tuesday, Why a Pancake?

OK, I’m rummaging through the fridge: eggs- yep, butter – absolutely! Now the cabinets: Flour –plenty, and yes…there it is – I’ve been saving it – a large bottle of pure Canadian maple syrup! Shrove Tuesday here we go!

It reminds me of children with their modern Advent calendars; chocolates, candies and other assorted surprises hiding behind each door. But sadly, there appears no mention of what the Advent calendar is about or its symbolism; just as with Shrove Tuesday; it is no longer Shrove Tuesday – it’s now Pancake Day!

Originally it was the day that people would confess their sins and receive absolution. Shriving - that act of forgiveness, where the individual is released from their suffering, pain and guilt, was in preparation for the season of Lent. During this time people would empty their larders, freeing their homes from foods such as: meats, eggs, fatty foods, fish and milk items. This prepared the home for the period of Lent – that time for reflection, renewal, and forgiveness. It's the last day before the period of penitence known as Lent, which commences on the 1st of March - Ash Wednesday.

Today so many people are becoming more health-conscious. Many of us are recognising the importance of cleansing our bodies through detoxification, fasting, and exercise. 
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Shrove Tuesday is quite similar. It’s a celebration, as well as an act of penitence, in preparation of cleansing the soul. And Mardi Gras, the French translation for ‘Fat Tuesday’ is the celebration of that act.

How wonderful! We have cleaned out our fridges, and now we cleanse our souls. Indeed, it is a time to celebrate.

Compassionate and Loving God: Mercifully hear our prayers and spare all who confess their sins unto You. By Your merciful pardon may all be absolved; Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, one God, now and forever. Amen

Have I told You Lately That I Love You?

Perhaps We Just Need a Little Faith in DOG!

Words of Comfort For the Death of a Child

You're No Good !

We Are Never Alone

There are moments when we're very happy to be on our own. What wouldn't we give just to have a few minutes for ourselves! Yet in situations when we don't know if we can cope, or we're frightened, we want someone there with us.

I had just arrived in Moldova. The flights I had taken were long and exhausting and my long drive up to Heathrow Airport had begun at 2 in the morning. I had hoped to sleep for a few hours before I met with people. However, the gentleman who greeted me at the airport appeared extremely anxious as I exited the customs hall.

There was someone in hospital who needed a priest and would I come? Of course, there was no question. I went not knowing what to expect or if I would be adequate for the situation. My language skills were minimal at best, and I felt wholly inadequate, knowing that any words I could offer would most likely be misunderstood.

When we arrived at the crumbling building of a hospital, I was taken to the bedside of a person who was unconscious and dying. There was no family or friend present. I was the only one there. My host explained to me that the dying man was his neighbour and they had been friends for many years. He had spent the day at hospital with his friend and had only left him in order to come get me at the airport.

We had never met. I knew nothing about the person at whose bedside I stood and whose shallow breathing I measured. Yet, in a way that I couldn't express, I knew we weren't strangers in this moment, when life was ending we all stood within the same circle of faith.

As I began the beautiful, simple and gentle liturgy of anointing and the prayers for the dying, I also knew we weren't alone. The whole community was present; the community in which we always stood, whose prayers and loving presence always surrounded us. Here, in the silence of the night, we not only entered the mystery of death but the power of God’s guidance.

I knew that even if I had not been able to come to Moldova that day, this man would not have been alone. Whatever our circumstances, this is true.

This is Christ's gift to us; in the mystery of His Communion the wound of our loneliness is healed.

Holy Lord, show us that we have nothing to fear, for with You we are never alone. Help us to see that our community of faith is global and transcends all borders, forever surrounding us and upholding us. Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. We pray in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus. Amen

Dying Alone

Words of Comfort for the Dying

Having a Good Death

Helping to Ease The Pain

Building On Hope

It has been a sad few weeks, yet far more so for a family I love so dearly. The wife was diagnosed with advanced oesophageal cancer and her oncologist, with what I can only describe as a flair for cruelty, even attempted to quash her hopes of a more positive second opinion, via a cold (and cruel) letter to her, stressing the fact there was nothing more than can be done and she was wasting her time! 

Looking at her medical records, simply based upon my own experience and limited medical knowledge, I feel he is wrong. And following a visit with a specialist friend of mine, the prognosis may very well soon prove to become different. Yet, the experience  can all take quite a dent in the spirit of hope. The poet TS Eliot once said that we often had to wait ‘without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing.’

It brings to mind two people in St Luke's Gospel, on Easter Day, out on a walk, when a stranger joins them. It's the risen Jesus, but they don't recognise Him. They get talking to the stranger, and tell Him what's been going on: how they had been followers of this Jesus, and had had high hopes of what He would achieve, but, they said, He has been crucified. And then they add ‘We had hoped that He was going to be the one to liberate Israel.’

And with the benefit of hindsight, we can say that of course that wasn't the sort of liberation Jesus had in mind: freedom from the imperial rule of Rome. And maybe they would have been better not to have given their hopes such a precise content, because in hoping for the wrong thing they missed the moment they should have been waiting for.

But they didn't miss it for long. Because it was on what hope they had, however inadequate it was, that the stranger was able to introduce them to a whole new dimension to hope. Christians believe that God can take whatever hopes we have, and build on them. He can take whatever dreams we have and create a new reality from them. He can even take the flickering embers of a hope that seems to be dying and fan it into a living flame.

One of the earliest Christian theologians; Clement of Alexandria, said that ‘if you don't hope you won't find what is beyond hope.’

I live in hope for my friend, for her family and for all those who often falter in faith. For it's that eternal spring of Hope that can carry us far beyond our own earthly limitations. And this comes in the spirit of the Living Christ. 

And in the precarious days ahead, countless believers, many strangers to them, lift their names to our creator and Saviour. And in our supplications, we ask that through Christ's healing hands, that this family will discover the power of God's hand in our lives. 

"I lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence comes my help. My help comes from the Lord."

Believe. And live in hope!   


Lord of hope, be with us now and forever. Amen

The Face Of A Child

If you want to understand the mystery of creation, just look into the face of a child.

Around the world over Fifty-Thousand children die every day from abandonment, starvation, cruelty, and preventable diseases. In over 80 countries, children are deprived of any education at all.
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Newspapers abound with horror stories of kidnapped, tortured, and exploited children, parental abuse, neglect, rape and abandonment. Throughout the Middle East children have been turned into single–minded, rock–throwing victims and suicide bombers. Truly our children are the fatalities of the 21st Century.
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Television entices young children into modelling themselves as sexual beings and then society cries out when the child becomes a victim of promiscuity. The internet, whilst extolling its benefits, robs them of human interactive and communication skills, denies them the ability to dream, and creates yet another subculture where the family structure has again suffered. Our society encourages and rewards them for creating fantasy alter–egos, under the guise of ‘security.’
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Wherever our western media spreads we turn children into powerful consumers, consuming adults without the maturity to cope with the responsibilities. They strive to emulate the fantasy images of television stars and uninhibitedly mime the most provocative songs and movements.
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What have we done? We have cunningly manufactured the death of innocence and encouraged disenchantment with the innocence of childhood.
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And who is protesting? Sure, when a tragedy occurs, or the newspapers and media choke on the sensationalism and exploitation of yet another tragedy involving a child, what do we do? We forget about it. Yes we do. We do so because we’re too caught up in the next sensational media clip. Their suffering becomes media entertainment designed to sell papers and increase ratings.
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Politicians are quick to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to eradicating the offending event. But how many are capable of repairing the root cause? It’s no different than a single hand trying to hold back an ocean wave. Forget all the scandals we read about. This is the scandal of a millennium and our children’s children will suffer greatly for our complacency.
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One bomb–one single bomb, one political fund-raising event, one lobbyist’s contribution to a political party, or one military aircraft, could provide schools, food, transportation, and medical care for an entire city for ten years in Eastern Europe. But even then the success is so small because as a society we are taught to distrust cultural differences rather than learn about them. We are encouraged to brand cultures as fanatics, nuts, and zealots, rather than build communities of understanding.
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And if I’m heaving salvos all around, I can heave plenty towards ‘religion.’ If one word, one single word comes from a pulpit that glorifies, endorses, promotes, or highlights one culture as superior to another, then we have failed there too.
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So what does religion do? It provides three important things: Community–the chance for people to gather together and share positive values and build the important foundations of a healthy society. Feeding–it provides nourishment in the form of nurturing and encouragement and helps us to learn to deal with the disappointments that bombard us so often. And Celebration–it brings us together to celebrate Christ in our lives, to share in His Body and Blood and to find salvation.
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What will the future say about us? Did we make a difference for our children? Did we envelop them in love? Did we nurture them and demonstrate powerful images of what is right and good?

Right now the answer is: Not yet.

'And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by Him. And said unto them, whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.' Luke 9:47.48

Visit Our Children

Talk's Cheap

The Death of Sarah

Alone Time

For many years I have made transitions between 'our' world where life is easy – electricity, heat, water, medical treatment and food are all readily available and another world, where the people are constantly struggling; electricity is a luxury, running water is unheard of, medical treatment is unknown, and food comes from what you can raise yourself.

And between those transitions I have found that I desperately need at least a day alone so that I can reflect, regroup, and energise myself for the world I’m about to face. I've even found comfort by participating in a cookery club where we share recipes. It's a simple temporary diversion from the raging waters outside.

When I don’t have that break I find that I remain out of sync for many days and eventually slump from exhaustion as a result. It leaves me feeling as if I'm not functioning on all my cylinders.

There are times when the world can close in upon us, and we can feel as if we may suffocate from the sheer numbers of voices competing for our attention and demanding our help. It happens to all of us at times, not just to priests, the mothers of pre-school children, or busy executives.

We need to be alone, to regroup, to remember who we are and where we’re going and why. If we are not to lose our way and fritter away our lives, we need time out regularly. We need to be quiet and alone, just as Jesus made certain that He was at regular intervals.

But in Genesis, God makes it clear that ‘it is not good for man to be alone.’ Isn’t there something of a contradiction there? Only an apparent one, for our times out, our alone times, are in fact directed toward communion, at oneness with God and God’s greater family, which is the whole point and purpose of our lives, our very reason for being.

If we want true communion, either with God or with His family, we simply must invest in time alone, away from the maddening crowd. Time alone is part of the price we pay for bringing our best selves to God’s whole family. It’s not selfishness; it’s just necessary. So take that time out, whether you think you need it or not!

And when you do, learn to listen through the silence. God has some important things to say to you. And your big family needs for you to hear them.

Almighty God, to whom this world with all its goodness and beauty belongs, give us the grace to joyfully to begin this day in your name, and to fill it with an active love for all whom I touch today. Renew my spirit that I may feel peace in the midst of turmoil and refreshment when I am tired. Amen

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Not That Old Chestnut Again!

Having a Good Death

When We Need a Little Help

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Good Sermon Bad Sermon

Good days, and not so good days – we all have them, even Jesus.

‘And they rose up and put Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong.’ Luke 4:30

I guess some sermons just work better than others. You never really know until you get up there.

What was it about this one that provoked such a bad review? Things started out fine, it seems: the congregation liked the sermon at first. Jesus responds to their surprise a little defensively, anticipating their complaints before they make them, and describing himself as being ‘without honour’ while they're still complimenting him.

So He may have been a little nervous to begin with, especially as He was preaching in the place where He was best known as Joseph’s son. And as we assert in unison every week: he was fully human, as well as fully divine.

But when He really got going, things went downhill fast. His offence? Well, for starters, suggesting that other people besides the ‘chosen’ may receive God’s saving grace. Next, He listed a few well-known examples from the Hebrew Scriptures of some who did. And then He Suggested that His hearers’ ancient assumptions about God’s promise to Israel might actually work against them, rendering them unable to see and understand what was being laid before them.

And, as if on cue, they took Him out and tried to throw Him off a cliff!

Today, we live in a gentler age. Generally people just refrain from putting money in the collection plate.

There’s an old saying among thespians: ‘It’s not enough that I succeed; my friends must also fail.’ Jesus’ great offence was suggesting that God’s love was wide enough to include people His hearers might not want to include.

We can’t stand that! At the very least, God must agree to dislike the people we dislike. He must let us decide who is in and who is out. At our worst, we care more about excluding sinners from salvation than we do about being saved ourselves. If you need proof, just look at the poor heroin addict and imagine how warmly she has been received by the fashion conscious in church.

Wisely, God has not left that choice to us. God scandalizes us with the breadth of His love. We want to be the ones who set the rules for its action in the world, but God gently takes that power out of our hands every time we make a grab for it.

A gentle caveat: you are never in more danger than when you think you know what God can and cannot do, will and will not do, does and does not love. There are many more things about God that we do not know than things we do.

The only reasonable posture for us is complete humility, coupled with alert expectation and clear vision. God is alive, and God is good. Those two things are what make our journey an adventure.

Gracious Lord, we pray that You show us the state of our souls that we may cleanse ourselves. Let our days not be overcome by our secular activities that we lose track of our spiritual goals. Lead us throughout this day so that we may celebrate Your love. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen

Írásos Bill atya gyűjteményéből. Imádkozunk az egészsége. LR

Its So Easy To Judge

Fast Tracks To Hell

When We're Needed Most

Take Eat This Is My Body

Last week my son asked me to make bread rolls. It reminded me of my childhood, when I’d watch the wife of a man who looked after my horse, make bread.

I would take the train up to their small town, telling my mother that I was going to check on my horse. I'm not really sure why I bothered telling her as she really wouldn't have noticed I was gone anyway. But the truth was that I really missed Mrs Fowler’s cooking and I enjoyed being around her grown children who were all involved in equine activities.

Mrs Fowler was a simple woman, resolutely Baptist, full of life and full of Christ. I was always fascinated by her dedication to her Bible. It seemed as if virtually every passage in it had been underscored and before I went to sleep at night I would peek at her in their sitting room, napping in her chair beside the fire, with the open Bible serving as a blanket over her chest and her glasses hanging half-way off her face.

From her small kitchen in their simple country house Mrs Fowler could make the most marvellous breads in what appeared to be taskless seconds. And all the while she’d be singing sweet songs about her relationship with Jesus. I'd rise at five in the morning just to watch her in action, preparing what in my eyes was a feast for her family, but to her simply a labour of love.

It was quite a different world for this young Anglican mind to experience, as she'd drag me off to one of her Autumn night church services. And if the word 'confession' is appropriate in this context, it was the end of the service I actually looked forward to, when the local farm women would unwrap their fresh baked goods for the faithful to share. In my small eyes I saw this to be the communion which didn't quite seem to figure into a Pentecostal country Baptist service.

Several months before Mrs Fowler passed away I went to visit her. It had been nearly 25 years since I last saw her. I wanted to tell her that I believed she was the one who had planted the seed in me to start my own spiritual journey. And she was the only person who had given me the confidence to at least 'try' making bread.

But no matter how hard I tried, as a young person, I could never recreate those magnificent rolls she made. It was her art and it was her gift. A gift she openly shared; her communion for those she cared about and loved.

That was long ago. Today whenever I make my bread, my mind is flooded with warm memories of Mrs Fowler. Typical guy; I’m probably much better at incinerating things on a grille than I am at baking, but I still enjoy the exercise.

It’s soothing on the soul and allows me time to make mental doodle marks in the air about things I want to write about. And kneading the bread - that tactile movement, can be quite comforting. Once done, I can set it aside and allow the yeast to do its stuff.

The function of yeast is fascinating. You mix it into a cup of warm water and stir a little: within minutes it begins to breathe, to swell, to soften, and come to life. Little plant spores - that's what yeast is: cocooned in their package until you come along with warmth and water and remind it that it's alive. Mixed with the flour, it begins to feed on it as well, growing and swelling. And in time it has evolved. It has risen to great heights, cresting over the top of the bowl.

Again you work with it, kneading it in your hands, forming it, moulding it, helping it to become what you want it to be. But before it can become bread something important must happen: The yeast must die.

In each place where the yeast spore has been, there will be a pocket of air-an acknowledgement of its death. And into the hot oven it will go. The yeast spores have given their life for the bread.

But their memory remains everywhere in the loaf. They shaped it. Their bodies gave it the power to rise. You even taste and smell them still, though they are gone: that flavour, unique to other breads, is what makes yeast bread so different.

Isn't that just like our relationship with Christ? "This is my body, which I have given for You." It cannot be at all unless I give my life for it. You are the body. You and I - and the bread; we are body together.

And I am in You and You in me. Amen

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Father in Heaven, I submit myself to You. Guide me, be with me, lead me in all I do and all whom I serve in Your name, and always Lord God, help me to grow and walk within Your light. I pray this in The Risen Christ's name. Amen



Krisztus feltámadt! Írásos Bill atya gyűjteményéből. Imádkozunk az egészsége. LR

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Are you suffering from spots or wrinkles?

When Traditions Become Weights

When We Need a Little Help

Witness Freedom In Action Today!

The day that most of the world has been waiting for - The American elections. The candidate’s voices are wearing out as they traverse the great span of America, hoping to engage those who remain undecided and especially to ignite a spark in those who may think their vote will not make a difference.

Whatever the outcome, it is clear that Americans are keen to express how their government is being run. Just as with Britain, this process is a core to our celebration of freedom. And whether it’s The United States or the United Kingdom, we share in some core truths:

We live in countries where priests, caretakers, and librarians can get up early to open their buildings for use as voting centres. 
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We live in countries where there are warehouses to store ballot boxes from one election to the next because they will be needed so often. 
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We live in countries where local government officials will sit behind desks for long and boring shifts so that people like me can turn up at a time that suits us and cast our votes.
We live in countries where anyone who wants to is safe to vote without fear of intimidation. 
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We live in countries where lots of essential people will work very late overnight to get the results counted as fast and as accurately as possible. 
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We live in countries where we can be sure the result declared in our constituencies will be completely accurate. 
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We live in countries where broadcasters will put a huge effort in keeping us informed throughout the night and aware of exactly what is happening and what are the implications. 
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We live in countries where most of us will have sympathy for the majority of politicians because they have such an anxious wait until the final result is known early tomorrow. 
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We live in countries where none of the possible outcomes will remove our freedom of thought. 
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We live in countries where we can look outward and see the injustice, the absence of freedom, the oppression, and the struggle others are enduring to have what we have.
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We live in countries where we can gather together and pray to God for those who have less than we have, and discuss our faith, and share our views, and help. 
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Thank you Lord and thank you to all those who have gone before us to help build these freedoms we so often take for granted.

Lord God, You stop at nothing to enlarge the human spirit and to impart wisdom. We pray that You enlarge our imaginations to appreciate freedom and good order, and to strive to see those blessings prevail everywhere; so that the world may be a more holy place, as it becomes a more humane place, according to Your loving design. And whoever becomes elected; may they always look at all people and not just those who share the same views. We as this in Christ's name. Amen

Lest We Forget.

I am Not a Judge

Gentle My Words With Wisdom

Who are We Forgetting?

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Nameplates

One of the pleasures of being 'European' is that we are able to easily move between so many wonderful cultures. In fact, it can cost us less to hop on the train or Ferry to France, than it does to take the train up to London. One morning we took the train to Lille France. It's a fast trip from Kent -just twenty minutes under the English Channel and a fast zip through the French countryside and you arrive at Lille. From the station it's just a few seconds walk into the centre of town.

As we walked through the quiet sun dappled older part of the historic French village, we paused to look at the wonderfully aged oak front doors of some houses. Inevitably there were the customary beautiful flowerpots and window boxes filled with geraniums and the like, certainly set there for the benefit of no tourist. And on each door, nameplates: 'Monsieur' et 'Madame' et 'Mme'... whoever.

But one in particular stood out. I paused a while to ponder who these people were who lived behind that door, whose nameplate read not only Mr. and Mrs. but added so tellingly the words 'et nos enfants.' (and our children). Were those children still there or had the years taken them away to other places? I just don't know.

But I like to think that whether small or grown up, living in that village or far away, for those children, this house with that nameplate would be forever home. And that those who wrote those loving words 'and our children' would never be forgotten by them.


Almighty God, on all our journeys, through all our days, keep us mindful we pray, for those who at each stage of the journey have held us and loved us. Amen

The Book in The Attic

Have I told You lately That I Love You?

Perhaps All We Need is a Little Faith in DOG!

We Can Hear His Voice

Here in our English countryside we have many shepherds. They take care of their sheep from its infancy onwards.

Because of this, the sheep become familiar with the shepherd and recognise him even when it doesn't understand him. Sheep are not the brightest of God’s animals, but it does recognise the familiar vocal sounds of the shepherd.

In the same way, for centuries we as a Church have responded to the voice of the Good Shepherd long before we have figured out what He was saying. This is why the Church could worship Jesus as God long before it was able to iron out the mysteries of the Trinity or how His death was for our sins. We sheep knew the Shepherd's voice long before we figured out His words.

When He took to himself the Name of God and said, 'I Am,' we knew it was truth long before we knew how we knew it was truth. Most revelation just like the revelation of falling in love happens this way. The miracle occurs and hits us squarely between the eyes, in a way that is astounding yet undeniable.

We then spend the rest of our lives trying to articulate what happened to us. Fortunately we are not sheep; only like sheep. God has given us voices to articulate rather than just bleat. But what we articulate is always going to be a follow-up to what the Shepherd has shown us and where He has led.

May we always walk in the ways He has shown us through the shepherds He has given us.

Holy Father, bless our leaders, our bishops, and those who carry us when we need help. Let our leadership be strong, but always with You and through You. For with Your love, we may take care of our own flock, just as Christ took care of His. Amen

I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, before Abraham was born, I am! John 8:58

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It's Life Jim, But Not as We Know It!

We Are Never Alone

When Morning Dawns

With Me and Within Me

I always feel Christ near to me. I feel His presence many times a day. I talk to Him frequently and I read His words every morning.

I'm expecting to be with Him eternally when I'm finished here, and I think that eternal life with Him has already begun for me, only I'm too dim to experience it fully now, distracted as I am by everything being alive in the world involves.

Jesus and I have a relationship and I don't have a relationship more important than the one I have with Him. It’s not the jump up and down, roll on the floor and make a spectacle of myself for the sake of showing others that I’m ‘filled with His love’ type of relationship.

Instead, it’s that warm comfort that you feel when you’re embraced with love, when you feel safe and protected and know, with every fibre of your being that it’s forever. And it's the type of relationship when you know, with such a conviction, that when you share His love and His words, that others have no doubt, whatsoever, that what you say is true.

But I readily admit I don't always know what He thinks. He has surprised me too many times for me to assume anything. I always try to follow Him, but His way is sometimes a mystery, and I stumble frequently, I make mistakes and I’m sure I get it all wrong at times. But it never stops me from picking myself up, dusting myself off and getting on with it.

I read and wonder and sometimes puzzle over His words. I look to see what others have thought about them over the centuries. I absorb arguments about whether all the words we think are His really are, and what it would mean if some of them were not. I accept that through history we have evolved and I believe that Christ would have wanted us to do so.

I harbour no guilt about any of these explorations: we're supposed to explore and wonder about things, including the things of God. We have a relationship with Jesus, and we can trust Him to correct the errors we will certainly make and help us to grow into Him.

And I confess that sometimes our priorities and obsessions get in our way. Occasionally, our mistakes get us into some kind of trouble, and some of it can be pretty serious. We raise plenty of hell right here on earth, without anybody needing to toss us anywhere fiery.

But I know, without any hesitancy or reservation whatsoever, that He is always there with me, beside me, inside me, waiting for me.

And I know that when it's time for me to start the next journey, that I shall not be afraid.
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Lord Jesus, thank You for being in our lives. Throughout this day, let us celebrate the breath You place within us. Amen

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The Road to Redemption

How the Other Half Lives

Can You Change a Child's Life?

.Tut Tut Looks Like Rain

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It's So Easy To Judge Others

On Sunday afternoon my daughter and I went to visit a girl who is suffering from drug addiction. She’s in that ‘no man’s land’ period whilst she desperately tries to remain off drugs as her doctor tries to find an available bed in a facility. We brought her a cooked meal and provided a few minutes of time to let her talk.

To see her on the streets, our typical human instinct would be to ‘steer clear’ and to keep our head down as we passed her by. It’s much easier that way, isn’t it? We simply judge and dismiss without knowing the facts.

But what happens when the same girl makes a tentative and brave step into a church for the first time? Christianity’s well-washed, impeccably dressed, and neatly manicured, who have gathered for their Sunday service do little more than offer nervous fleeting smiles, fidget with their hymnals, and look the other way. And sometimes, the same happens when someone arrives who simply looks or dresses differently. The clear message, whether intended or not, is 'go away, this isn't the place for you!'

We’d all be quick to defend our churches and say ‘that wouldn’t happen in our church.’ I do hope this is true. But the bigger churches and church institutions become the more chance there is for the creation of an insular atmosphere.

One of the more desirable consequences of growing a little older is that at least some of us begin to develop a greater awareness of our own faults and limitations, and stop projecting them onto other people as often as we did in our youth.

So when we read in the Gospels about the Pharisees berating Jesus’ disciples for pulling off and nibbling heads of grain as they walk through the fields, we perhaps can restrain our instincts to go for the jugular.

No doubt about it, it was both foolish and frankly suspect to call so trivial an act a serious violation of the Sabbath’s no-work rule, but before we rush to judgment, we might want to inspect our own record.

With what frequency do we focus on trivia in our dealings with one another? An eccentric mannerism may entitle some poor soul to our ridicule or worse. A modest physical defect may put someone else permanently outside the circle of our love and concern. And a human soul that has very clearly hit life’s bottom can repulse our senses.

Jesus had a magnanimous heart and a great spirit. He always knew what mattered and what didn’t, and He always found room in His life for one more of us, no matter how small or wounded or lost we were.

May our minds and hearts grow as large as His!

O Lord, grant me the will to greet the coming day in peace. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me never forget the teachings of Your Son. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others and always with compassion and love, never judging. And may I never forget that all who walk this earth are Your children and are made in Your image. Amen.

When We're Needed Most

The Power of Words

The Children's Story

Members Only Please

One Sunday last year I took an empty envelope, sealed it, then placed my signature across the back of it. I then handed it to our churchwarden just at the beginning of the service and asked him to tape it at the steps leading to the pulpit. I did it at a time when most everyone had been seated to ensure there were many people watching. I told no one, including the churchwarden, that the envelope was empty. In fact, I told the churchwarden nothing about why I was asking him to tape an envelope on the steps.

During our service, I noticed from time to time that people would glance at the envelope. My guess was that they assumed I would be using it during the homily. But that wasn’t my intention. After the service, as I greeted people leaving, several asked me what was in the envelope. All I said was that it was ‘something personal to me.’ As we were about to depart the churchwarden asked me what was in the envelope. My response was the same – ‘something personal to me.’

At coffee afterwards I heard several people whispering to one another, asking what was in the envelope. During the week I saw numerous parishioners in town. I wasn’t surprised to hear one lady say that she had asked the churchwarden what was in the envelope and he told her that he ‘wasn’t at liberty to say.’

The following Sunday I collected the envelope during the service. I held it up and commented that I had hoped no one had given away what was in the envelope. I’m sure it was my own perception, but several people looked as if they were deer caught in the headlights of a car. I tore the envelope open to reveal that it was empty.

Humans have an almost insatiable urge to possess knowledge which is not available to others. It may involve joining esoteric secret societies or in its simplest form a preoccupation with gossip. Knowing something that other people don't can give a sense of power or security.

But secrecy does not sit well with the Christian faith. And yet in the Gospels we find that Jesus seems to suggest He uses parables so that his listeners won't understand. When He was asked to explain parables He quoted from Isaiah that His audiences will, ‘listen but never understand ... see but never perceive.’ And then He went on to say the disciples had been blessed with the ability to grasp what He was talking about.

It was this sense of secret knowledge that led to a Christian heresy called Gnosticism, which taught the theory that you required a ‘special knowledge’ to find salvation. It was attractive because it offered a sense of security for those on the inside - who had the knowledge. Mainstream teaching held that God's truth was available to all who would listen.

It would be wrong to suggest that Jesus spoke in a way that was purposely obscure. The truth is that He was a creative conversationalist whose flowing oratory could invoke graphic images of a spiritual life. He spoke in a way that His words could reach people on many levels. Sadly, it’s a gift that some ministers don’t understand.

Our world is splintering into more and more groups of exclusivity, whether it’s in religions, communities, or social lives. Bear in mind that the root of ‘exclusivity’ is to ‘exclude.’

If we were to invest as much in learning about others as we do in promoting ourselves, perhaps we could begin to shore up the foundations of our severely fractured world.


God of truth, help us to listen more patiently and to speak more honestly so that we can grow in trust and understanding with all we meet today. Amen

The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ Matthew 13:10-17

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Go Ahead Take Your Best Shot

The Power of Words

When U Turns Are OK

The Childrens Story Visit Our Children

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