asadmin When someone sneezes in your presence, I wonder what your first reaction is? In this day and age, perhaps to get as far away from them as possible. But in times past, I imagine for many of us, the response would be an automatic: ‘Bless you!’ But what does it mean? The word ‘bless’ is … Read more
Not long ago, our young people’s group looked at space. As part of our session, we watched a fairly mind-blowing short video, which showed just how vast it is (if you want to watch it, this is the link). We learned, for example, that the sun is a million times bigger than earth, but that … Read more
Wednesday is Armistice Day. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice was signed and peace was declared to mark the end of the Great War. Whether it’s on Wednesday, or on Remembrance Sunday yesterday, people mark this moment in different ways, and take an opportunity to … Read more
Peter Kay’s adverts for John Smith’s bitter in the early 2000s years still rank as some of my favourite ads of all time (I used to test and research ads for a living, so I’ve always had a soft spot for the ad break). One of the best starred Kay as a dad comforting his … Read more
God has not forgotten you. At the risk of sounding like a scratched record (and I have plenty of those, as my wife will tell you), I want to return to Monday’s theme, from a different angle. You are not forgotten. The world is a big and confusing place, and our current news headlines only … Read more
Remember, remember, the 5th of November…. so the old nursery rhyme goes, and one that we learned at school. I imagine you may have done too! Today’s passage is another trip down memory lane: in this case prophetic memory lane. About 250 years previously, God had promised King David – son of Jesse – that … Read more
‘Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’ John the Baptist’s iconic words addressed to Jesus in the first chapter of John’s gospel are rooted in today’s famous passage. Ever since the time of Exodus, the image of the sacrificial lamb had come to symbolise God’s rescue of his people. … Read more
Recently I watched the Sound of Music for the first time in many years. I’ll always remember my first viewing of the film – after Charles and Di’s wedding in July 1981. We watched the ‘wedding of the century’ then all sat and watched The Sound of Music as a family. Perfect. And it’s hard … Read more
‘For all the saints, who from their labours rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed: Alleluia! Alleluia!’ So begins the famous hymn for All Saints Day, which many of us may have sung in worship yesterday. But what does that ‘rest’ look like? The second part … Read more
I wonder if you’ve ever been part of a really large crowd? I’ve always enjoyed that experience – at least I did before covid. In particular my memories of great sporting occasions live long in the memory: there’s something awe-inspiring about a big crowd, isn’t there? Certainly, the roar of the Olympic Stadium as we … Read more