Dear all, This coming Sunday, February 28th, will be our 111th Church Anniversary. Ordinarily we would expect a large(ish) congregation for the service itself followed by a splendid ‘bring & share’ lunch for everyone. With Covid restrictions in place in
Reading should never be allowed to become a ‘lost art’
Dear Friends, (And yes, it is a different font – I discovered it by accident – Segoe Ul. And so, it’s good bye, for now at least, to Comic Sans MS. But please don’t think I’m trying to convey a
Lent 2021 – Week 1
The 17th is Ash Wednesday – the day, at the beginning of Lent, when we remind ourselves that we are just what we are: human; made from the dust, the same dust to which we will eventually return – a day for reflecting about ourselves…And so…
The comfort of one’s own armchair
Dear Friends, Yesterday (Tuesday) began early. I dragged myself out of bed around 6am so that I could watch the last couple of hours of the 1st cricket test match between India and England in Chennai, the ground bathed in
Unsung Heroes
Dear Friends, And so, Captain Sir Tom Moore has died. To reach 100 is a good effort, even by today’s standards, and yet the suddenness of his passing has shocked the nation. We had immortalised him. His fantastic achievement in
To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive
Dear Friends, Today, Wednesday 27th January, is Holocaust Memorial Day. Its primary focus is to remember the many millions of Jews who were ‘murdered’ by the Nazis during WW2. The chosen date is the anniversary of the Liberation of the
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Dear Friends, Each year the 18th – 25th January is the ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity’. Next Sunday, 24th, we were due to hold a joint service with our Anglican friends from St Jude’s, and maybe representatives from St
There is life after Covid
Dear Friends, Lockdown (3) – How is it for you? There is more to life than Covid. It is easy to allow the pandemic to overwhelm everything else that is happening; locally, nationally, even globally. E.g, BREXIT, whatever our view
Give God the opportunity to prove to be the God of grace, mercy, peace and love
Dear Friends, And so, we come to January 6th – 12th Night – 12 Days of Christmas Festivities have come to their traditional end. Liturgically speaking, it could be argued that ‘Christmas’ continues until the Festival of Candlemas, 2nd February,
A different New Year’s Eve
Dear Friends, As a minister I conduct many services. One of the most moving has been the ‘watchnight’ service held on New Year’s Eve, starting at 11.30pm and leading up to the turning of the year at midnight. It provides