I’m struck by the absence of ‘nice’ people in the Bible. You’d think it’d be a hot-bed of pulsating sweetness.  An endless procession of sugary tea and apple-checked old ladies.  That’s what Christianity is all about, right?  Benevolence and good intentions. But when I read about the heroes of faith, that’s not what I see. They’re  passionate and godly and brave and kind.  They’re excited and despairing and hopeful and a million other things besides. But ‘nice?’ – ... Read More

I like to think of myself as a bit of a ‘kooky’ believer.  A little too edgy for Church. Zany! A bit of a rebel – and way too cool for that dogma stuff. Not for me the mainstream precepts.  Get this – I listen to non-Christian bands.  Doctrine? That’s ole’ school, man.  Get with the beat, baggy. Doctrine’s for sad old has-beens. Of course, this is nonsense.  For starters, I’m as edgy as my Dad’s golf socks.  It’s tempting to think I can straddle the divide between secular and ... Read More

1. ‘Go up you bald head’ (closely followed by sound of munching bear.  Who’s laughing now, sonny?) 2.Samson killing 1000 men with a donkey’s jawbone. As you do. 3. Jezebel painting her face before the dogs eat her. 4.Elijah picking up his skirt and then casually outrunning a chariot. 5. Mary and Joseph losing Jesus for a DAY before realising he’d gone. 6. The disciples: sort of like Bert and Ernie but slower on the uptake. 7. Noah’s ark.  Forget the children’s picture books with the giraffe sticking ... Read More

Woke up this morning feeling panicked. Then I read this, from Spurgeon: He will keep the feet of his saints. (1 Samuel 2:9) The way is slippery and our feet are feeble, but the Lord will keep our feet. If we give ourselves up by obedient faith to be His holy ones, He will Himself be our guardian. Not only will He charge His angels to keep us, but He Himself will preserve our goings. He will keep our feet from falling so that we do not defile our garments, wound our souls, and cause the enemy to blaspheme. He will keep our feet from wandering ... Read More

Glen preached on 1 Samuel 1 this morning, which includes the story of Hannah’s longing to conceive.  This is something of a live issue for us, as we’d love to have kids – but it may not be possible. I’ve been recovered from anorexia for a good few years now, but this may be an area where the damage can’t be reversed. If you’re struggling with some of these issues, this is a great incentive to seek help early on. But it’s hard for me not to turn in on myself with all sorts of guilty, self-accusing ... Read More

‘For to us a child is born and to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders’. (Isaiah 9:6). What does Christmas mean to you? I’m a Christian.  Been one now, for many years.  I know the right answer to this question.  But, confronted by the melee of Christmas, I’m finding myself caught up and carried along – in the wrong direction. There’s so much to do.  Groceries and presents to buy – but also deadlines to meet and bills to pay. It’s like buying Delia’s ready-mix ... Read More

Recently I was listening to a sermon on Hebrews 12.  The passage says this: ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’. (v1-3) Now, I’m not the brightest match in the box. I’d always assumed the verses  meant this: ‘life’s funny isn’t it?  Bit like a stadium, where I’m the main event… (Yes, I Know how ridiculous this sounds, but wait, ... Read More

How much of our worries are in our minds? How does anxiety impact our physical health – and can it be a positive as well as a negative emotion? Research carried out in February by Oxford’s Professor Irene Tracey found that the pain we expect, correlates to the pain we experience. This is what’s known as the ‘nocebo’ effect – the flip-side to the better-known placebo.  In her study, volunteers given pain relief were told that the drug had worn off before this was the case.  Each time, their pain returned to the level it was at ... Read More

Whether on the news or in the movies, we’re all familiar with the hostage situation.  The tense face-off between a crazed gunman and a negotiator. A taut interchange, where every word, every nuance buckles under the weight of meaning. Where lives hang in the balance and your reactions dictate life and death. In this situation, how would you cope? Would you stay silent? Follow orders and keep your head down? Or try to take charge? Negotiate, persuade? This is what the SAS recommend in a hostage situation: 1. Never volunteer and always ... Read More

What comes first, the addiction or the depression? The guilt or the grief? Am I ashamed because I self-harm? Or do I self-harm because I’m ashamed? I’m not sure there’s an answer – certainly not a simple one anyway. I wonder if it’s to do with our fear and longing to be known. Psalm 139 says this: You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word ... Read More