Thought for the Day
18th January 2021
Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where darkest clouds have been.
Anna L. Waring
Rachel’s sermon this Sunday has set us the challenge of thinking about our sense of calling. That always seems to imply not just faith (we are being called by a God who loves us) but also optimism. At a time when we seem to be called to retreat (stay at home, protect yourself and others), we are being challenged to think of the time when skies will be brighter, pastures green once more and we can engage again with the community that seems to have been put in the freezer for a while. I find myself thinking of the scene in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe where Aslan wakes Narnia up from winter and spring comes once more. And when that happens, where will I fit in…?
Nick Parsons
15th January 2021
Brexit… ‘don’t get me started’, as someone said recently. I’ve kept my views on Brexit, if not exactly secret, then fairly well hidden in Tyndale circles over the years and I probably oughtn’t to change, now. What about the situation in the US? It feels OK to express ‘anti-Trump’ views over here; even Trump’s most […]
13th January 2021
I’ve been thinking about roads recently. Much of the freedom I have enjoyed over my lifetime has been because of roads. I started driving in the 1970s and over ensuing years travelled widely in these islands. Before that I rode my bike extensively with friends. More recently I have been fortunate to travel across the […]
11th January 2021
Among the banners carried by the rioters in Washington DC last Wednesday was one saying ‘Jesus be my Savior, Trump be my President’. One of the most unedifying aspects of those events and of the last four years has been how some in the Christian church have regarded Donald Trump as someone ordained and called […]
1st January 2021
Our Christmas celebrations combine two biblical stories of the nativity. In a follow-up to Wednesday’s “thought”, let us reflect on the story according to Luke (1.26–2.40). What does each account contribute to our experience of Christmas? God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary who was to be married […]
30th December 2020
Our Christmas celebrations combine two biblical stories of the nativity. Over the next couple of days, let us reflect on them individually. What does each contribute to our experience of Christmas? This is the story of Jesus, according to Matthew (1.1–2.23). His ancestors were the great leaders of Israel’s history: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob… David, Solomon… […]
25th December 2020
As Christmas comes, “a deal has been done” – two sides, wrangling for years about their own best interests, have finally come to an agreement. The Christmas message is different. One side – humanity – has not been involved in any negotiation. The shepherds did not discuss with the heavenly host how best to make […]
18th December 2020
Most of us I expect have a favourite Christmas carol, though it’s not always easy to say just why we are so fond of it. We probably also have one or two unfavourite carols. In their case, it’s usually easier to say what we don’t like about them. Sorry if I cause offence, but the […]
16th December 2020
My years of preaching and leading services in chapels large and small – and, very occasionally, in cathedrals Anglican and Catholic – have taught me that every act of worship is unique. Pick the same hymns, use the same prayers, preach the same sermon as good as word for word, and the result is always different. […]
14th December 2020
As I walked to work this week, it was, as it always is, early in the morning. The sun was slowly rising over the buildings and it was most quiet – very few people around, no traffic and very peaceful. In that stillness your mind wanders, and I could not help but reflect that we […]