faithrootsdw

Swallows and Vaccines

Yesterday was a good news day in the battle against COVID-19. The twin announcements of a mass testing trial in Liverpool and the positive results from vaccine trials were signs op hope. However, in the Prime Minister’s statement last night, we were reminded by him and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer that there is still… Continue reading Swallows and Vaccines

Fed to the wolves?

I’m sure that I’m not the only one who finds these words particularly challenging: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves”[1] Would Jesus do something so reckless as to send his disciples out without defence to certain danger? Is that the act of the good shepherd? I’ve seen it… Continue reading Fed to the wolves?

Beware of using experiments to support your argument

I am a firm believing in the helpfulness of both empirical evidence and forecasting models to help us make decisions. However, during COVID19, we seem to have run into problems whenever results are shared and there hasn’t been great care to understand what they are meant to be telling us. So, for example we get… Continue reading Beware of using experiments to support your argument

The spot in my eye

The other day I mentioned a trip to eye casualty due to getting a persistent floater in my eye. Just to reassure you once again, it was nothing serious but with eyes it is better to be safe than sorry. However, admittedly I didn’t go straight to the hospital. Why? Well apart from a desire… Continue reading The spot in my eye

Don’t Be Afraid (Matthew 10:16-42)

There are fewer and fewer people alive who can remember the horrors of the Second World War, what it was like to live through the Blitz, how to survive on rations etc. We do sadly have men and women who have served in recent wars, many have suffered terrible injuries as well as PTSD. This… Continue reading Don’t Be Afraid (Matthew 10:16-42)

Graciousness in victory and defeat #Election2020

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, President Trump made a short speech, claiming that he had won the US Presidential election and accusing his opponents of attempting to steal the election. On Saturday night, with all States now called, it became clear that in fact Joe Biden had won. Normal protocol is that the… Continue reading Graciousness in victory and defeat #Election2020

Lest We Forget

Today is Remembrance Sunday. This event happens each year on the Sunday closest to the 11th November. The 11th, Remembrance Day is also known as Armistice Day. On the 11th November 1918 at 11am, the Armistice was signed marking the end of the First World War. It was supposed to be a war to end… Continue reading Lest We Forget

Bounced

Too often we can feel bounced into announcing and taking action before we are ready to. I’ve seen it in church life where someone suddenly pushes a major decision to a vote well before all of the information is on the table and before people are ready, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually to make a discernment. … Continue reading Bounced

First Impressions (Learning to see 2)

It started at about lunch time, initially I thought the squiggly line I was seeing was a loose hanging eyebrow or perhaps an eyelash caught in my eye/line of sight. When Sarah got home from work, we confirmed this was not the case. In any case, I’d not been able to do much ahead of… Continue reading First Impressions (Learning to see 2)

Invitation to a blessing

(Deuteronomy 27:1-14) The whole book of Deuteronomy is about God’s Covenant with his people, about what it means to live in his presence, enjoying the blessings he has given then, land, protection, provision. It is about how to do this by loving, obeying and worshipping the living God. The first eleven chapters set out an… Continue reading Invitation to a blessing