The time will come

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Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of the Temple is one of the significant events from the last week of his earthly life and finds its way into all the Synoptic Gospels.[1] In fact, some have seen that as a crucial part of our ability to date the writing of the New Testament.[2]  If these events… Continue reading The time will come

Is your satnav set right? Why we need faith

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This is the text of a sermon I recently preached from Luke 17. Introduction A few years ago, we went on holiday with some friends to a place called West Bay which is down in Dorset and famous as the place where Broadchurch was filmed.  Our friends’ parents had a holiday home there but they… Continue reading Is your satnav set right? Why we need faith

Mustard

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The image of someone with only a small amount of faith, comparable to the size of a tiny seed  being able accomplish great things whether the casting of a tree as in Luke 17,  mountain (Mark 11:22) or both (Matthew 17:20),  is an evocative one.  It is central to Jesus’ teaching about faith in Luke… Continue reading Mustard

Summer is still to come

Autumn is nearly upon us and the school holidays are almost over.  Teachers will be returning for training days shortly followed by pupils. Students will be returning or heading off to university for the same time. For some, the sense that the nights are drawing in and the loss of day light will hit particularly… Continue reading Summer is still to come

Are you ready?

Mark 13 takes us to two questions. There’s the immediate question from the disciples is simple enough “when will the destruction of the Temple happen?” The second arises out of it and moves beyond one “mini-world-end” to the greater end of the world event when Jesus will return.  Jesus addresses this too. Read Mark 13:24-37… Continue reading Are you ready?

When the president meets the potentate

Apparently and perhaps unsurprisingly, two countries have taken offence at the arrangements for mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. China have officially been invited to send a representative although President Xi is highly unlikely to attend.  However, representatives from the embassy were barred from visiting the Queen’s lying in state as that is a… Continue reading When the president meets the potentate

Lo he comes with clouds descending

Here’s the next in our “What the carols mean” series Lo! he comes with clouds descending,Once for favoured sinners slain;Thousand thousand saints attendingSwell the triumph of his train:Alleluya! Alleluya! Alleluya!God appears, on earth to reign.Every eye shall now behold himRobed in dreadful majesty;Those who set at nought and sold him,Pierced and nailed him to the… Continue reading Lo he comes with clouds descending

Will War ever cease?

Introduction The First World War was meant to be the war to end all wars. The world was shocked by the extent of cruelty and suffering experienced.  Organisations like The League of Nations and later the UN were meant to bring war to an end. Sadly history tells us that human efforts to bring World… Continue reading Will War ever cease?

Coming with the clouds

For Starters Where is everything heading?  –  dream apocalyptic scenario then we have it.  A plague running rife around the world, economic melt-down, ominous noises from Russia and a few rogue states with nuclear weapons. Throw climate change into the pot and the future looks bleak.  A couple of decades ago, such factors would have… Continue reading Coming with the clouds

Like a thief in the night – local lockdowns and something of far greater importance

If you live in Greater Manchester or West Yorkshire, new localised lockdown measures were introduced at midnight yesterday. This news was released at 930pm.  There have been a lot of complaints since about the lack of notice. This has been presented as bad communication. My personal view is that the objections have been overplayed and… Continue reading Like a thief in the night – local lockdowns and something of far greater importance