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The story of the fall of Jericho is one of those iconic Old Testament stories.  Packed with drama, and involving a mighty miracle, it’s been a staple of Sunday Schools for generations…. but many of us reading it as adults may feel somewhat more ambivalent.  The children’s version is a rip-roaring tale of derring-do; the … Read more

Back in London where we used to live, the area next to us – called Furzedown – had no pubs in it. This was a surprise, since it was a relatively affluent area with a large number of houses: plenty of people in other words, who would gladly have used a local place to meet … Read more

In both of our churchyards you’ll find War Memorials. These were erected after the Great War as our communities – like thousands around the country – tried to come to terms with the horror of what had happened.   27 men lost their lives from two small villages in four years.  I learned recently that stonemasons … Read more

Once, when asked how he made decisions about church life and leadership, a well-known Christian leader replied: ‘I look to see what God is already doing and then try to follow that.’  If you’re anything like me, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the literal meaning of the word ‘follower’: it automatically implies the … Read more

If I was to ask you to name any of the great confessions of faith in the bible, I wonder which you might recall?  Perhaps it would be Solomon’s great prayer at the dedication of the Temple; or David’s poetic psalms; or Isaiah’s encounter with the living God; or Peter’s and Thomas’ impassioned recognitions of … Read more

Back in the days when my knees still worked properly, my weekly delight was 5-a-side football.  Every Wednesday evening, I would let off steam for an hour.  As we were an ad-hoc bunch of blokes who were old enough to know better, we didn’t have organised teams, we just made up the teams from whoever … Read more

The births of each of our children were two of the best days of our lives.  I’m sure most parents would say the same!  We do remember, though, arriving home from hospital the following day with our new-born daughter (our first child), and experiencing a moment of sheer terror: here we were, with this beautiful … Read more

In 2022 we celebrated the 70 years’ reign of Queen Elizabeth II.  It was an extraordinary life, and most of us probably still think we’ll never see another monarch like her: who combined length of life with a quiet moral authority which set her above most of her peers.  I first wrote this reflection at … Read more

Today’s reading ought to have shortened the bible by about 65 pages – and there you were, wondering why it got so long!  As we arrive at Numbers chapter 13 the Israelites have also arrived: at the borders of the Promised Land, a few months after leaving Egypt. God has kept them safe as they’ve … Read more

Immature fruit can taste a little sharp.  That’s true in gardening – it’s also true in the spiritual life.  We’re all called to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit: but often in young believers those qualities which eventually prove to be wonderful assets for the kingdom can be a little, well, prickly. Take Joshua, for … Read more