Thursday 12th October – Mark 4:35-41 ‘Who is this?’

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene…’ So goes the grand old hymn, which has reminded me that it’s too long since I’ve chosen to sing it in church!  But it touches on a deep truth: how important it is to continue to be amazed by Jesus.  ‘Who is this?’ the disciples … Read more

Wednesday 11th October – Mark 4:33-38 ‘Quick to forget’

This is, as they say, a passage of two halves.  Sometimes the headings we put into our bibles, dividing up the text, aren’t always that helpful, and this might be one occasion.  What we see here is the beauty and the beast of our discipleship. First the beauty: time spent in the presence of Jesus.  … Read more

Friday 6th October – Mark 4:13-20  ‘Good soil’

As winter beckons, many of us lucky to have gardens or allotments will start to think about what we’d like to grow next year.  Over the next few months, there will be prep work to do, getting the ground ready for planting and (hopefully) the abundance of spring and summer to come. Nowadays, gardening is … Read more

Thursday 5th October – Mark 4:1-12 ‘Puzzling it out’

Most of us love a good puzzle.  I certainly do – and I’m not just talking about jigsaws, but all types of head-scratchers.  Perhaps it’s Sudoku for you, or crosswords, or logic problems… or a good old-fashioned crime drama.  Agatha Christie remains the best-selling author ever – apart from the Bible – because we love … Read more

Tuesday 3rd October – Mark 3:20-30 ‘Unforgivable?’

Many people will do anything to avoid giving God the credit!  It’s just human nature.  I remember a miraculous healing at the prison twenty years ago, when an inmate’s blood pressure plummeted overnight – he went from permanent tinnitus to the BP of a fit young man in his 20s (he was an ex-smoker in … Read more

Monday 2nd October – Psalm 93  ‘Robed in majesty’

Not many people have robes nowadays – at least , I don’t think they do!  It’s a garment associated with authority or magnificence, isn’t it?  Our late Queen even had her own Mistress of the Robes, a post which dates back to the 16th century, albeit now it’s more ceremonial than literal. And this is … Read more