Lessons in lockdown 4: It is easier to get into something than to get out

The Sunday before we had to shut down the chapel started to kick in was reasonably normal at the Chapel.  People had been advised to stay away if they had symptoms, so a few people were missing and additionally, some of our older members were already self-isolating. We were also requiring hand washing, had switched… Continue reading Lessons in lockdown 4: It is easier to get into something than to get out

Lessons in lockdown 2: Busyness and effective, hard work are not the same

I will put my hand up and say that I am one of those people who found a lot of lockdown beneficial. I’m not saying that I wanted to be in lockdown or that I would repeat it. Nor am I denying that it was simply awful with no redeeming features for many. However, following… Continue reading Lessons in lockdown 2: Busyness and effective, hard work are not the same

Unasked and unanswered questions

A person asks the question on a forum “Is God telling me to divorce my husband?”  They explain that they struggle with anxiety, that they had used pornography but that they had repented, their husband had forgiven them and their relationship was on the mend. However, they wondered if God was still telling them to… Continue reading Unasked and unanswered questions

Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation

Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation In Sunday’s Zoom talk I talked about moving from submitting to the ruler of this world to submitting to Christ.  One aspect of this was that we should move from holding onto bitterness and hate to learning to show compassion and forgiveness. This led… Continue reading Lockdown -an opportunity to relearn how we do forgiveness and reconciliation

Leaders set the tone -sometimes it is about us

In a previous article I said that we set the tone by recognising that things are not always about us. However, sometimes they are.  One of the things that concerned me about early comments during coronavirus was the speed with which some church leaders and prominent speakers and writers were quick to suggest that the… Continue reading Leaders set the tone -sometimes it is about us

Tested (Matthew 4:1-11)

“I will tell me dad.” There are few more reassuring things for a child than to know that their parents have got their back and are looking out for them. So, there is nothing more disturbing than when someone starts to sow doubt “My dad is bigger/stronger than yours). This is one of the devil’s… Continue reading Tested (Matthew 4:1-11)

The fear of being forgotten (our obsession with statues)

The debate about tearing down statues that has dominated our news headlines this week has been a proxy for a deeper debate about what we value. Behind it has been questions about who we remember and who we forget and what that says about the things we value. So, one of the key arguments for… Continue reading The fear of being forgotten (our obsession with statues)