Dishonours List

Apparently Nadine Dorries jumped the gun. It has been rumoured for weeks that she was going to be among a number of MPS named as new life peers in Boris Johnson’s resignations’ honours list. This morning she resigned as an MP but it turns out her name wasn’t down on the list after all. The… Continue reading Dishonours List

What happened on Britain’s Got Talent?

Well, what was that then?  If you missed or avoided this year’s Britain’s Got Talent (and most years to be honest we do), then a quick recap is in order.  There was the usual mix of singing, dancing and magic acts in the final, though a surprising and disappointing absence of performing dogs.  However, the… Continue reading What happened on Britain’s Got Talent?

Being eulogised by Babylon

Last weekend, New York pastor and author, Timothy Keller, died.  Since then, many people have been paying their respects and expressing gratitude for Tim’s life.  This has included secular obituaries including In the New York Times.  However, as I indicated in my own reflections, there was a significant number of people who found controversy in… Continue reading Being eulogised by Babylon

Government, childcare, muddled values and faulty assumptions

The Government are concerned that shortages in the labour market risk harming economic growth. Of course, some might suggest that labour shortages have a bit of a relationship to recent changes to immigration policy post Brexit.[1] However, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt has come up with a different answer. As part of a… Continue reading Government, childcare, muddled values and faulty assumptions

What can we offer?

I’ve just been participating in a conversation about what churches pay, specifically what they are currently offering Youth Workers/Ministers.  The conversation was started by an observation that a lot of jobs are being advertised at around £23k.  Incidentally, a quick check on both the Evangelicals Now boards and Premier’s suggests that there are some churches… Continue reading What can we offer?

The Coronation, the Archbishop and the Holy Spirit

Did you watch the coronation of King Charles III yesterday? What did you make of it? Personally, I thought it was an impressive spectacle.  We do ceremony and pageantry well, here in the United Kingdom.  It was at times moving.  There were those little individual moments set against the pomp and circumstance, a son kissing… Continue reading The Coronation, the Archbishop and the Holy Spirit

The inevitable follow up question

Gradually over the years, my wife has trained me to do better. In the early days of our relationship, I’d share some news with her about a birth, death, engagement or such like. She’d then ask follow up questions – like the baby’s gender, weight, name etc and I wouldn’t know.  Sarah would keep telling… Continue reading The inevitable follow up question