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When I was seven years old, my nan sent me 10p in the post as a gift – oh for the days when you could still post coins!  I opened the envelope, saw the coin and note from my nan, and said, to my enduring shame: ‘Is that all?’  My mum, usually the gentlest and … Read more

I wonder who you consider to be the greatest human being who ever lived?  Apart from Jesus, obviously!  Some of you may think of those known for great courage or conviction – someone like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela.  Others may think of great geniuses – someone like Leonardo da Vinci, who managed to revolutionise … Read more

Back in my old job, I did a fair amount of recruitment.  It was a rewarding experience: whatever role we were recruiting for, we’d sit and interview the prospective candidates, all of whom were eager to please and make a good impression.  Most of the skill was in teasing out what wasn’t in the CV … Read more

It’s easy to get into the habit of reading something into all of Jesus’ actions: he says this because…. he does this because….  And that’s all well and good, Jesus usually does have a bigger picture in mind – he is, after all, the Son of God!  But there is a risk to over-analysing: we … Read more

Many years ago, I had a wonderful spiritual mentor who had been a very high-ranking officer in the army.  He was also a great man of God, and in many ways he epitomised the kind of faith shown by the centurion in today’s story.  Although Christians serving in the armed forces has long been a … Read more

I’ve always loved a good sandcastle.  As a family we often head for the beach if we’re on holiday, and my particular speciality over the years was always a sand speedboat. Give me half an hour and a half-decent spade, and I can rustle up a passable sand-boat, complete with two seats and aerodynamic bow … Read more

Surprisingly, 2022 was a bumper year for apples – at least it was a bumper year for the apple trees in our garden.  To be honest I know very little about these things – I’m generally better at destroying than growing things in our garden – but I had expected the very hot, dry summer … Read more

It is an unfortunate fact of human nature that we’re very good at spotting other people’s sins.  More than that, we’re most likely to spot the things in other people that we’re most prone to doing ourselves.  I personally know loads of people who do that… and that’s the point isn’t it?  Of course I … Read more

One of my all-time favourite Christmas films is ‘It’s a wonderful life’.  It tells the story of George Bailey, a man who gives his life to helping others, but falls on hard times.  Despairing of everything, he thinks about ending it all, when he happens to meet an angel, Clarence Oddbody, who shows him, in … Read more

We all want to be like someone.  When I was a child, I wanted to be like John Robertson.  John was a skilful winger who played for my favourite team.  For my 6th birthday I got my very first team kit – a visual feast of red nylon, for those who pine for the heady … Read more