Dear Friends, Most of the tornadoes and hurricanes which are reported on are the ones which strike the USA mainland followed by the heroic efforts of communities to rebuild and recover. The resilience and stamina of people to begin again after such devastation is remarkable and something to be admired...

Dear Friends, There are many ways to celebrate Independence Day. We will probably go to a local celebration. But perhaps we will also do some exploring of this amazing land. We often hear about people taking road-trips to explore America and this may well be something we will have to...

Dear Friends, “Life is difficult.”   That is how M. Scott Peck begins his book ‘The Road Less Travelled’. He explains how helpful it is to acknowledge this truth but also that it does not help for us, to whine or moan about our problems, at least to other people....

Dear Friends, The Rev Dr George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community and former Moderator of the Church of Scotland did not believe in coincidences, me neither.   For the last year, I have been getting to know the various school-run parents and grandparents when dropping off our daughter...

Dear Friends In our gospel lesson this week (Mark 4:26-34), Jesus compares the preaching and sharing word of God by Him and His disciples to seeds sown in the soil. How that seed germinates into faith may be unique to each one of us based on our different personalities, backgrounds...

Dear Friends, In the rush to get on to the next thing, we are often so distracted that we fail to be present with the people and tasks right in front of us. Not only do we deprive ourselves of being in the moment, but we often present a version...

Dear Friends, Before another long hot summer gets under way, there is some essential business that needs our attention! Last week, this week and weeks to come are devoted to school concerts, moving up and graduation ceremonies. These rites of passage help those involved to conclude a chapter of their...

Dear Friends, During the season of Pentecost our thoughts turn to God in the person of the Holy Spirit. The triune God through whom the world was made, sent Jesus to save us from sin and sends His Holy Spirit to remain with us as His continuing presence in the...

Dear Friends,The Psalms are a great source of encouragement.Psalm 1 begins:“Blessed is the one   who does not walk in step with the wickedor stand in the way that sinners take   or sit in the company of mockers,2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,   and who meditates on...

Dear Friends,   Great excitement visited our breakfast table this morning, not because of what was in the children’s bowls, instead, it was the mess strewn garden that lay outside our kitchen window. The lawn had served as our local bear’s dining table and his grocery store was our trash...