Today I’m going to be using the “f” word a lot in my message. I’m warning you in advance because it’s a word we don’t hear a lot in church. I don’t know why, but it could be because there’s a lot of stigma attached to it? Anyway, it comes up as our theme for…
DetailsOne of the great figures in British history is Lord Horatio Nelson who was blinded in one eye early on in his naval career. During a battle, his commanding officer sent a signal to Nelson to break off the attack. Nelson, sensing a chance to win, raised his telescope to his blind eye and remarked…
DetailsIt may have escaped your attention, but over in Europe, the European Football Championships are taking place. Of special interest, to me at least, is the fact that Scotland has qualified for them after an absence of participating in international competitions since 1998! It is fair to say that Scotland is therefore not considered to…
DetailsWe will be having a different style of worship service in church this week as we welcome Melissa Neumann from the Synod Intergenerational Team who will be leading our intergenerational service today. Given the activity that has been going on over the last few weeks, it promises to be a very different sort of service…
DetailsThere is a Japanese proverb that states “the nail that sticks out most gets hammered down” to make the point that it is difficult to be different. If you are different, you stand out and, as a result, can make yourself more of a target for abuse or contempt. If you think back to your…
DetailsToday we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we reflect on our unique understanding of God to be three distinct persons, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. While it’s a famously difficult concept to understand, we should maybe see the Trinity as more like a mystery to marvel at rather than a problem to be solved. While…
DetailsIt must have been amazing for the disciples to be in the presence of Jesus. Here was someone who could show them what life in the Kingdom of God looked like. Through watching Jesus and learning from Him, the disciples could see that there was a difference between how the world was and how it…
DetailsThis week, I was thinking of a quote from Dr Samuel Johnson. He said, “Depend upon it Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully”. It is a cheery thought I know, but when time is short, we do tend to recognise what the more…
DetailsI heard someone say that the problem they have with Christians is that they have just enough religion to hate and not enough religion to love. It’s a well-known fact that Christians are called to love others. It’s also a well-known fact that we don’t always manage this. Throughout history, the some in the church…
DetailsAs many of you probably know by now, I am a fan of the grape. Well, I am a fan of the product of grapes once they are fermented and bottled. But a bit like the internal combustion engine, I have little concept of the process involved, I simply appreciate what it does. Yet even…
DetailsWhoever said “talk is cheap” has clearly never sought advice from a lawyer before. But it’s true that actions speak louder than words. We are more sceptical about things than we used to be, and we tend to challenge assertions and seek proof of the integrity of what someone is saying. Often, we are told…
DetailsOne of the benefits of modern life is how rapidly news can spread from one part of the world to another. Thanks to the internet, an event in one country can be reported on in another country almost instantaneously. Even news relating to ourselves can be spread far and wide thanks to social media. It’s…
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