Footballers have been reminded this week to avoid physical contact, such as hugging and handshakes, when celebrating a goal.  (Such reminders are, of course, purely academic / irrelevant for Crystal Palace).  Several managers and players have expressed the difficulty, even impossibility, of complying with such regulations in all the emotion of a goal being scored. One particular feature of the current pandemic…

Friday morning was the first morning, so far this lockdown, that I really began to struggle.  I remember waking early in the morning, coming down stairs, grabbing my coffee and sitting down to read my Bible.  But before I opened the application on my phone I foolishly turned to my news application instead.  For about fifteen minutes I became lost in a…

First of all, may I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, Holy, Hopeful (any more H’s?!) New Year.  A popular feature of each New Year is, of course, the making of resolutions – to lose weight, to exercise more, to be more organised etc.  More ‘spiritual’ resolutions might include to read through the Bible during 2021, to spend more time in prayer…

What is it that you love about Christmas?  When I was growing up I enjoyed the food, spending time with the family, the Christmas films, but if I’m really honest, the things I loved were the presents.  I was so excited to come downstairs and open my stocking to see what Santa had brought.  Then, after breakfast, my family would gather together…

Some may remember the Sunday School chorus starting with the above line and going on “Down in my heart, (where?), Down in my heart, (where?), Down in my heart.”  Such words are then essentially repeated, concluding “Down in my heart to stay.”  Perhaps the songwriter had limited time / paper when composing these words! Our third Advent candle reminds us of the…

Our second Advent candle today reminds us of the peace brought to us and achieved by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.  Many will love the fact that FAITH stands for Forsaking All I Trust Him, and GRACE, God’s (or Great) Redemption At Christ’s Expense.  But what about PEACE?  How about Pardon Experienced At Christ’s Expense or even Propitiation Executed…

Today marks the beginning of Advent.  In any other year, we would be physically present for the lighting of the first Advent candle, the candle that is to signify hope.  The word ‘sad’ doesn’t do this year justice, and the reality that we won’t be able to have a ‘normal’ Christmas, complete with carol singing, and our regular Christmas services, leaves me…

At the Ministers’ weekly prayer gathering (via zoom) on Thursday morning we discussed together some of the applications of the wonderful account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his whole family in Acts 16.  There are a number of remarkable aspects in this story – let me refer to just two: 1 – Prison Praise  In spite of being severely…

I was particularly struck by Jim Henderson’s remarkable thought during his wonderful testimony last Sunday morning that he is able to enter the Aldershot Garrison, wearing a mask and armed with a double-edged sword! Jim was, of course, referring to the word of God and the description of it in Hebrews 4v12: “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper…

Today, and on Wednesday, we especially remember all those who died / suffered in the two World Wars and later conflicts.  It is important to have such specific times of remembrance since, whilst some things can get stored in our memories, others may disappear as if they never happened. For those of us with healthy minds, we can attempt to choose which…