Thought for the Day
10th August 2022
I’ve been attempting some decluttering at home. Marie Kondo, Japanese “organising consultant” has written books on the subject and suggests you give house room (beyond items you need) only to objects that “spark joy”.
Words in a sermon from a visiting preacher some years ago must have made an impression on me because I still remember some of what was said now. We were challenged to think about what we needed to give up at Tyndale, to make space for the new things God might have in store for us as we prepared to be joined by our new minister, Michael Docker. The context was the Old Testament story of the Israelites making a golden calf as an idol to worship, when Moses was away. I think I recall that the thought was that perhaps there’s a risk that we hang onto some familiar activities or ways of doing things, for the wrong reasons.
What decluttering might we need to do in our life together at Tyndale as we anticipate our new minister joining us? Will God “spark joy” in us as we seek to do this?
I’m not sure Paul would have thought of it in these terms (?!) but one could see his words to the Philippians as encouraging a little decluttering and ordering of our minds: “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Hopefully I haven’t pushed the decluttering metaphor too far for you!
Ruth Allen
5th August 2022
Recently attending my local health centre for a routine blood test, I was welcomed into the treatment room by the middle-aged practice nurse with a friendly ‘Come in, Mr Stewart!’ By the time the sample was taken, I’d become ‘luvvie’, and at the end, as she sent me on my way, it was ‘Thank you, […]
3rd August 2022
I make no apology for using this Thought for the Day to share news from Afghanistan, received today from Sat 7 which beams Christian broadcasts into the Middle East. Their viewers report a dire situation one year after the Taliban takeover. With overseas assets frozen to prevent the Taliban using them, the government has no […]
1st August 2022
Here is a story about someone I have not quite met. It starts about eight years ago when he became a governor of the school I taught at. He had lots of bright ideas for the school. I know this because he wrote them in a manifesto circulated before he was elected. It said that […]
29th July 2022
“Lord, teach us to pray”. These words introduce the reader of Luke’s gospel to one of the most well-known passages of scripture – the Lord’s Prayer, as it is usually known, although an alternative title may be more accurate – the Disciple’s Prayer. The words of the prayer in Luke chapter 11 are not quite […]
27th July 2022
In her last ‘Thought for the Day’ Margaret described the carving we had recently seen in Elne, France, of Elizabeth and Mary talking together (and Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah eavesdropping from behind a pillar!). This past week I’ve also been thinking about that meeting, and other episodes in the opening chapters of Luke’s Gospel, because they […]
22nd July 2022
Over the last twenty years or so Pauline and I have enjoyed many cruises, taking us all over the world. Our first cruise was to Alaska, where we were able to enjoy a flight in a small aeroplane over the wonderful glaciers and mountain scenery. As we flew over this marvellous terrain, the theme music […]
20th July 2022
This Wednesday I shall be doing a morning shift at the National Trust House at Tyntesfield. I will be in the chapel built in 1875 by William Gibbs to the glory of God. We know who was the architect, who designed the windows and the mosaics but we have no names for those who actually […]
18th July 2022
Last week Facebook reminded me that six years previously I had shared a cartoon with my friends. The picture showed two people in conversation, with one commenting wryly ‘My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane’, and it was somewhat disconcerting to realise just how often over the […]
15th July 2022
Every couple of months or so, Merry and I meet up with a few friends to discuss a film, or sometimes a tv drama. We’ll have watched it previously at home before meeting up, and we share our responses to the story, the various characters and the issues raised. Very occasionally we choose a film […]