Identifies posts in the current daily inpsiration series
On the second Sunday of 2017, we were about to start the 9.30am service, when one of our welcomers came and found me urgently. ‘Come outside, you’ll want to see this,’ they said. So, I hustled out and watched one of the more unusual sights I’ve seen in my years here. Running along the road, … Read more
Light is one of the universal religious metaphors in our world. Jews have Hanukkah, or festival of lights; Hindus and Sikhs have Diwali; Buddhists talk about the path to enlightenment. Light is one of the few images to have almost universally positive connotations. 1.5 million people each year even take about 12 million trips to … Read more
As we’ve enjoyed the last of Jesus’ seven ‘I am’ statements – I am the true Vine – let’s spend a few days revisiting the other I am statements in John, beginning with the first: Who are you? Or rather, if you were asked to describe yourself, what would you say? Studded throughout John’s gospel … Read more
Over the winter I’ve been clearing a lot of dead ivy off the trees in my garden. Ivy is an incredibly efficient plant. It seems to be able to grow at will, usually quickly, and it wraps itself around whatever other objects – be they trees, shrubs, posts or walls – are at hand. But … Read more
In April 2013 we had a week’s holiday near Toulouse in the South of France. It was bitterly cold – that freak winter which didn’t really end until later in April – and the landscape was striking. Field after field was full of rows of small stumps, hacked down to little over a foot above … Read more
To end our week, a second day to reflect upon this great Psalm! ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ This quote (or rather slight misquote!) from Shakespeare’s Henry IV is a great observation about the challenges of leadership and responsibility. Such things weigh upon us. Indeed, a literal crown for most monarchs is … Read more
A brief pause in our reflections on John, to reflect upon another great Psalm: ‘Bless the Lord, my soul!’ This joyful beginning to one of the most famous psalms is both much loved and also sometimes causes a little head scratching: surely God blesses us, and not the other way round? The fact that most modern translations … Read more
A brief pause in our reflections on John, to reflect upon a great Psalm: We live in a culture which focuses largely on the now. ‘The past is a foreign country,’ and the future is a crystal ball. Only the present matters. Whilst we inevitably have to live in the here and now, we also … Read more
This has been a tumultuous fifteen minutes or so for the disciples. Imagine hearing that your best friend is going away – you’ve heard it before, but this time it is said with such conviction that you have to believe it. In response, Jesus has given them some of the most beautiful and profound encouragement … Read more
‘But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’ Judas’ question is a good one, isn’t it? Do certain people get special treatment by God? Wouldn’t it be better to reveal yourself to as many people as possible? Jesus’ answer makes it clear that this isn’t just favouritism. … Read more