Dear Friends,   Bashed, bruised, broken but unbowed, the Youth Group and their brave leaders endured the experience, which some call ice skating. The best skaters go on to play ice hockey, do speed skating or dance. And then there are the rest of us who range from very good...

Dear Friends,   Every now and then, some of us will get the wedding photo album out and remember that momentous day. Perhaps we’ll reminisce together or show it to a visitor. Everyone might have a favorite picture of course. The candid shot of bride and groom is mine. But...

Dear Friends, Do you ever wake up thinking of a friend you’ve not seen for a while? That’s what happened to me this morning. His name is Inderpal Chopra Singh, he lives in Colorado Springs. We first met in Edinburgh when he was studying computer science, and I was working...

Read: Isaiah Isaiah 58:1-12, Psalm 103:8-14, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21   Dear Friends,   It’s the beginning of Lent and as always, these dates like Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras), Ash Wednesday, Holy Week and Easter, move around and often take us by surprise. I include the readings for last night’s Ash Wednesday...

Dear Friends, In the late 1990s, I had the privilege of serving as a chaplain in the British army. One of the nicer duties some soldiers pulled was called a KAPE tour. ‘KAPE’ was the acronym for Keeping the Army in the Public Eye. Sadly, for many churches, it is...

Dear Friends, Once the children are in their pajamas and the teeth have been brushed, we settle down on the floor for the bedtime stories. Each one can choose a book and provided I am not too tired, we read until all are done. Sometimes, I may begin to nod...

Dear Friends,It began in the school car park! I was dropping our daughter off at pre-school and gottalking with one of the other dads about getting our childrensigned up for his recreational basketball sessions. Well, onething led to another, and after I let it slip that I had played alittle...

Dear Friends, “5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6   When searching for inspiration,...

Dear Friends, Every year, my mother sends a new ‘Wild Britain’ calendar which is produced by the BBC’s Countryfile TV program. It features the twelve best wildlife or nature photographs with the winner’s also enjoying pole position on the front cover and is hanging in my office. Come and see...

Dear Friends, Let me begin by wishing you a Happy New Year and a Happy Epiphany.   With the joy of Christmas still resounding in our carols, this week, we celebrate the visit of the Magi and the feast of the Epiphany. A few days ago, we marveled at the...