Just watched the Miracles of Jesus (part 1), a BBC documentary on, well, the miracles of Jesus. Rageh Omaar presents this overview that’s principally concerned with what the miracles meant, rather than if they happened or not. I have to say I actually enjoyed it, although the programme was about twice the length it needed […]

It shows how exciting life has been recently that I’ve made no mention of my new GPS. The Garmin lost out to a Magellan at the last minute… the eXplorist 210 to be exact. The extra memory nailed it for me (22Mb vs 8), and easy USB connectivity. After all the comments from friends about […]

As silly as it sounds, it has never occurred to me before to consider Psalm 84 from ‘outside’. I’ll quote Psalm in full at the end – but key phrases are things like My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord, and Blessed are those who dwell in your house, my heart […]

Been pondering the life of St. Paul recently – and particularly his apparent forsaking of his entire former life once he started following Jesus. It occurs to me that this is a nonsense… much of his ministry was enabled by the fact he was such a strong theologian and understood the Jewish scriptures so thoroughly. […]

Time for an utterly trite entry, and I don’t care! The weather for the last couple of days has been lurvely – and is set to get better and better this week. This is particularly good news as we’re all going to a barbie on Monday to mark the end of house-group term. The only […]

The Psalms seem to speak into our situations very often.. Though my flesh and my heart fail me, God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Psalm 73:26 I certainly do feel like my flesh and my heart have failed me, and yet somehow God is our strength in the midst […]

They say that “it isn’t over until the Fat Lady sings,” and what a true word that is. Everything can seem to be perfectly in place and heading towards resolution, when suddenly a whole new plot-line comes along in (what you thought was) the final act, and it turns out the play might only just […]

Basic Types of Pastoral Care and Counselling, Howard Clinebell, SCM Press, 1984. A very interesting and helpful book – quite daunting in many ways, but very illuminating as to the particular pastoral role that clergy have, and the crisis points that we all face in life. This is clearly a book that needs proper study […]

Funny old thing – we bought this house 4 1/2 years ago, knowing it was never going to be our ‘ultimate’ family home, and also knowing it was in a bit of a state (“in need of modernisation” according to the estate agents). I fully concede that we expected to have finished “modernising” the house […]

Another proud parent entry. Well actually it’s a parenting anecdote. I try and to tell Ben a lot that I love him, and I have a little spiel every night at bedtime that’s something like “Night night Ben, love you lots, God bless you, and sleep tight.” Anyway, a couple of nights ago, I got […]