'Hope for the Hopeless' - Weekly Reflection 24th May 2026

 Today at St Oswald’s, on this Pentecost Sunday, we sang a familiar worship song, 'My hope is built on nothing less,' (Cornerstone). This Hillsong rendition is a rewrite of an original hymn by Edward Mote in 1834.

I was amused and pleased because this song had been buzzing in my head since Tuesday last, and it certainly is a great song to have as ear worm!

Tuesday last was week three of the ‘Living with Loss’ course being held at  HMP Rye Hill. I have been going along in support of Elisabeth (Free Church Chaplain) who is leading the course. She knew that I had celebrated a birthday (16^th May) and invited me to share something about my age (75) and what kept me ‘alive’ and what gave me hope.

Well, of course my Christian faith gives me hope, and I was able to say that very clearly. And when speaking of hope to Christians in a Christian context I have often explained what hope is my using an acronym, HOPE - Holding Onto Past Experience.  For surely this is what we see written in the Scriptures. The Israelites rehearsed and remembered their past, told in story and song.  Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past gave them courage for the present and hope for the future.  

This is picked up in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. No more so than in the Eucharist, which is about remembering, 'do this in rememberance of me.' Recalling that Jesus gives ‘strength for today and a bright hope tomorrow’, to quote another hymn. (From ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ which was one of the hymns we had at our wedding 44 years ago. A hymn that has continued to pop up over those years, serving as good reminder of God’s faithfulness throughout the years)

Back to Tuesday and the group in Rye Hil. I didn’t mention my acronym of Hope.  And therefore I was intrigued when a young man said, ‘how can you have hope if all your past experiences have been rubbish.’

Now, I have been chewing that over again and again and wondering just where do people find their hope outside of God. I have been trying to think hard about my life before I became a Christian and thinking about what gave me hope then. But there is nothing I can think of apart from being more optimistic by nature.

Before I became a Christian I think I might have said a whimsical phrase that I have on a mug, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” This has been attributed to John Lennon. It is an okay quote, and I know it has inspired and continues to inspire many people.

However, for me it has the ring of  optimism about it, which is okay to a point.

As a Christian I have come to lean upon a simple quote from Mother Juian on Norwich.

“All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Julian of Norwich, (1342-c.1416) whose influence has grown steadily across the centuries, is now regarded as one of the most significant Christian mystics of the Middle Ages. She wrote Revelations of Divine Love, the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman. At the heart of her vision was a radical and tender truth: that divine love is the ultimate reality, holding all of creation together, even in the midst of suffering.

I find this quote to be more meaningful and grounded in divine love of the one who sang all creation into being and by whose Spirit continues to animate and sustain the cosmos.

The importance of hope is well explained and explored in a seminal book by Viktor E. Frankl Man's Search for Meaning. First published in 1946, it is a memoir and psychological exploration by Frankl, chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II and introducing his psychotherapeutic approach called logotherapy. 

I think it is one of those books that everyone should read at some time.

Some of this links in with a book I am reading currently which I have mentioned before. ‘The Devil You Know: Encounters in Forensic Psychiatry’ by Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne.

One of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrists, Dr Gwen Adshead, shares the eye-opening insights that she has gained providing therapy to countless violent criminals and calls for greater compassion and shared humanity in the face of complex and emotive psychological issues.  

One of the common factors in therapy sessions is to try and get the patient back to their early and formative years.

For as it now well recognised, it is those early years that can lead to a person to develop from childhood into a dysfunctional adult.

‘How do have hope when all your past experiences have been rubbish.’

How would you answer that question, are  you even able to answer that question. 

I am still struggling to find an answer. But one thing is certain that life without hope soon leads to despair and can lead to death. That was one of Victor Frankl’s observations in the Concentration Camp. He said that he saw the light of hope go out of men’s eyes and knew that within days they would be dead.  

I got close to that once. When I was living in London and a set of circumstances and a letter I had received sent me into a deep despair. During the night I went out for a walk and found myself by the river Thames, along the Embankment. I looked at the dark swirling waters and the steps going down into the inky blackness. The thought did cross my mind to step down into the river and let all the pain and despair and my life be carried away into oblivion.  Fortunately, I was a Christian and fortunately it wasn’t anything other than a moment of thought. Even so, it was a scary moment.

Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 

 

https://youtu.be/QvLxZEU02uI?si=kvD63pXclebeWG7e

(“Sweetest frame” refers to the most pleasant or appealing human experiences, emotions, or foundations, which the hymn advises not to fully trust, instead placing ultimate trust in Christ.)

 

'So, just who is in control?' - Weekly Reflection 17th May 2026

The Titanic continues to fascinate people, and we recently watched the BBC docudrama, The Titanic Sinks Tonight. (BBC Two - Titanic Sinks Tonight, Series 1, The Unsinkable Ship)

In one of the scenes a lifeboat watching as the Titanic slipped beneath the waves. A man stood up and said, we ought to pray, is everyone okay if we say the Lord’s Prayer together.

Given the year, 1912, for the most part this would have been a normal thing to have done, and the Lord’s Prayer would have been familiar if not to everyone, then at least to the majority.

Of course, the Lord’s Prayer has been written about, and sung in a variety of ways, and so there is little I can add by way of reflection.  (I can highly recommend the Bible Project’s teaching on the Lord Prayer - The Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer Explained | Free Guide)

Today (Sunday 17^th May) we are on Day Four of the ‘Thy Kingdom Come' initiative based around praying the Lord’s Prayer allied with a specific prayer for five not yet Christians friends or family.

It is quite remarkable how this initiative has grown and spread across the world. This is from the ‘fronts page’ of the Thy Kingdom Come web page.

Since it began in May 2016, God has grown TKC from a dream of possibility into a movement which unites more than a million Christians in prayer, in nearly 90% of countries worldwide, across 85 different denominations and traditions- so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Every person, household and church are encouraged to pray during the 11 days in their own way.

It is our hope & prayer, that those who have not yet heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and His love for the world, will hear it for themselves and respond and follow Him.

Specifically, we again invite each and every Christian across the globe to pray that God’s Spirit might work in the lives of 5 people who have not responded with their ‘Yes’ to God’s call.

I was listening to a podcast the other day ‘Is Politics Dividing the Church? – Tom Wright and Preston Sprinkle.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3r6bvfkEkLwpgVtY1XXMrb?si=b7bff8a483964e24

Tom Wright is one amongst a growing number of Biblical scholars who have said that we have seriously misread the Gospel story, in particular that the ‘Gospel’ is focussed around our going to heaven when we die because we have said a prayer of accepting Jesus into our lives. He doesn’t say that this step is unimportant but focussing on our destiny as being ‘heaven’ needs adjusting and rethinking.

On Thursday last (14^th May) we celebrated 'The Feast of the Ascension’ which amongst other things points us towards the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20.

It is here that Jesus declares he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

Tom Wright asks the question, ‘what does it mean to say that Jesus has all authority and rules on earth?’

This pushes us back to the Lord’s Prayer and what appears to have been missed or perhaps its full implication has remained a tad vague. For in truth there is a danger, rather like this in the lifeboat, the Lord’s Prayer can become a sort of catch all talisman, like it has some power when spoken out.  

‘Your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

I do hope you are among the many thousands across the world engaging with the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ initiative and praying for five not yet Christian’s to come to a living faith in Jesus.

But more than that can I invite you to really reflect on what it might mean if this prayer was to be realised in your life, in the life of your Church, in the life of your community, at work and across the world.

Those of you who have joined the Rugby Group of the Prison Fellowship for our monthly prayer gathering will know that I change the wording of the Lord’s Prayer.  Praying ‘on earth’ important as that is, can become a tad vague, and so to give it a bite I invite us to pray, ‘Your Kingdom come and your will be done in prisons as in heaven.’  

Can I invite you, nay challenge you, to say the Lord’s Prayer with this ‘bite.’.

‘Your Kingdom come in my life, in the life of my family, in the life of five people for whom I have a particular concern. Your Kingdom come in my local council as it meets this week, in parliament and across the world.

And then allow yourself to dream, to imagine and to reflect on what that might look like to see God’s Kingdom come upon earth and for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

And then from praying to action, taking Saint Augustine’s words to heart who said: 'Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.'

And as you kneel in prayer and then rise to action let this song minister deep within your heart and soul...

https://youtu.be/1guKNXwbE2I?si=QXlIzoCmRa81ucCp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Fixing our eyes on King Jesus' - Transcript of sermon St Andrews Shilton 10th May 2026

 

St Andrews’ Shilton 6^th Sunday after Easter

Acts 17: 22-31 & John 14: 15-21

On 8 September 2022, King Charles III became the UK's monarch upon the death of Queen Elizabeth 11. The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom took place eight months later Saturday, 6 May 2023,

Next Thursday, May 14^th is Ascension Day. Somewhat regrettably this Feast often suffers neglect and a misunderstanding of its importance.

Partly I think that is because we have taken and embraced a triple decker world view, heaven above, earth in the middle and hell below.

Jesus, having lived on earth, died, spent a very brief time in hell, before rising and then ascending into heaven.  Very often spatially located somewhere up above the sky and the clouds.

Ascension is often thought of as Jesus going up into the sky and often portrayed this way in art and sculpture.

But people have been in that space and there is no sign of what we might call heaven.

However, if we take the concept of Charles 111 ascending the throne and being crowned we might be getting closer to a better understanding and the importance of this event.

The predominant ruling power at the time of Jesus’ earthy ministry was Rome. And it was Rome’s representative that had Jesus crucified and placed above his head, ‘The King of the Jews.’

The Ascension is Jesus coming in the clouds of glory, as spoken of in Daniel 7:13-14, to take his place and sit down at the right hand of God and receive all power and authority both in the earthly realm (our reality) and the heavenly realm. (God’s reality)

“Again, the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 14.62

Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension are all part of a royal proclamation that Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and the dawn of a new creation has begun.

Now it may not feel or even look like Jesus is Lord and that a new creation has begun. That is because it is both now and not yet. In technical terms that is called inaugural eschatology.

The people of Athen’s didn’t consider that a new creation had dawned and that Jesus was Lord of Heaven and earth. For them there was a whole panoply of gods, and just in case, they had an altar to an unknow god, to hedge their bets as you might say. Walking around the city Paul notices this amongst all the many other temples and shrines.

And listen to what Paul declares to them in verses 24 of our Acts reading..

 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.”

Remember the occasion when Jesus’ disciples were waxing lyrical about the marvel of the temple in Jerusalem, such big stones, they said. However, Jesus warned them that a time was coming when there wouldn’t be one stone left upon another.

Jesus then went on to say, ‘destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.’ It was only later that they realised this referenced Jesus personified the Temple in Jerusalem, the heaven and earth space.

When the first temple was built, under Solomon, during the dedication of that temple the Shekinah glory of God descended and filled the temple.

In our Gospel reading we hear of Jesus promising that if we abide in him, then we too will receive that very same Spirit.

That we will not be abandoned as orphans, that through the Spirit we will know God and know him as Lord of heaven and earth, the creator and sustainer of all things.

Know that despite all the crazy things going on in the world right now, or indeed all the crazy things in the world that have happened throughout history, that it is all leading to a new heaven and earth reality. A heaven and earth reality that has already broken into the world in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

A heaven and earth reality now manifest in God’s people, the Church, you and me. We are signposts pointing towards the reality of this new creation.

We are those who out of our love for God obey all the commands which Jesus summarised as loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself.

But how, you might ask, do I remain as a faithful signpost in a sea of trouble, a light in the darkness.

Remember the story of Jesus walking on the water whilst a storm raged. Remember the story of how Peter, wonderful impetuous Peter, takes that step of faith and steps out of the boat. And it is only when he takes his eyes of Jesus and looks at the storm that his faith falters and he begins to sink.

But notice, but notice, but notice - when he stepped out in faith the storm kept howling around his head, the storm didn’t stop.

And yes, we are facing some fearsome storms right now, and you might also be facing some of your own storms as well, personal storms raging in your life.

Anchoring our hearts and minds in the Scriptures in one good way of remaining steadfast in the storms that assail us.

Like these wonderful words from Hebrews 12.1-2, words that are very dear to me as someone who loves running.

‘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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

Take especial note of the call to fix our eyes on Jesus – that was when Peter’s faith failed him and he began to sink.

One of the ways to help someone having a panic attack is to ask them to focus on you - “look at me, look at me, now breathe, in and out, in and out.”

Jesus says to us in our pain, hurt and confusion - "look at me, look at me, now breathe."

Let me ask this question, do you find yourself focussing on the storm, catastrophising, or are your eyes fixed upon Jesus?

From our Gospel this morning and verse 16 & 17;

Jesus said…

^“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

The world that lives in disobedience to God and certainly does not keep any of God’s commands, but lives to its own power and authority, will not be able to accept God because it means relinquishing their own power and grand ideas about how the world should be run and operated.

As God’s people, who are abiding in God and keeping our eyes firmly fixed upon Jesus, we will know the Spirit of truth, we will know God’s presence and not be left or abandoned as orphans.

We can be as a light in the darkness and hope in the despair, signpost to God’s new creation, carriers of God’s Kingdom come upon earth, filled with very presence of God through the promised Holy Spirit.

Let us pray;

O Saviour Christ, in whose way of love lays the secret of all life, and the hope of all people, we pray for quiet courage to match this hour. We did not choose to be born or live in such an age; but let its problems challenge us, its discoveries exhilarate us, its injustices anger us, its possibilities inspire us, and its vigour renew us. Pour out upon us a fresh indwelling of the Holy Spirit; make us bold and courageous in sharing faith in both word and deed for your Kingdom’s sake we ask.

 

                https://youtu.be/E_nLERH27dM?si=WBcIPGffCI4YRPiL 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Running with perseverance' - Weekly Reflection 2nd May 2026

On Saturday last (1^st May) I went out for a run.  I have been running for 48 years now, not very fast or very far. After completing the London Marathon in 1983 I knew that running a full marathon was to much of a stretch for me and settled into running half marathons.

They provide enough of a challenge without a massive overreach.  My ten-mile run on Saturday took me 2:00:41. That is slower than the winner of this year’s London Marathon, covering 26 miles. And not one, but two athletes broke the two-hour barrier.  Sawe came in at 1:59:30 and Kejelcha came in at 1:59:41. Remarkably in 1908 Johnny Hayes broke the three-hour barrier at 2:55:18. The massive development in training, nutrition, understanding biology and shoe technology have made what at one time seemed impossible, possible.

It will probably come as no surprise that one my favourite Bible verse is Hebrews 12:1-3.

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today in Church we had a young family visiting us. Mum was currently following the training programme ‘Couch to 5k.’ Couch to 5K is a simple, free running plan for absolute beginners endorsed by the NHS. The plan has you running 3 times a week, with rest days in between and a fresh schedule to follow each week.

By the end, people should be able to run 5K with confidence, no matter their starting fitness level or when they last exercised. Couch to 5K was created by a new runner, Josh Clark, who wanted to help his 50-something mum get off the couch and start running too!

I checked myself from saying that for 5K is hardly worth the effort of putting on the trainers! Unless I am seriously out of sorts running three miles takes very little effort. But that is because I have been running since 1978 and my body is used to this.  In the same way for those who do run incredible distances and at an unbelievable pace, they can do so because of training.

When writing to the Corinthains Paul obviously had the Greek Athletic Games in mind when he wrote….

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the game’s trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore, I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air.… 1 Cor.9.24-26

A question for us to ponder. How good are we at embracing a ‘strict discipline’ when it comes to living the life of the Faith?  How much time do we spend taking a deep dive into the Scripture’s? How much time do we spend in prayer and how much time do we spend with other ‘athletes’ encouraging each other, especially those who have just got off the couch and recently embraced the Christian faith?

Today at St Oswald’s was our first All Age Worship since our Vicars, Alan and Jane retired and we moved into vacancy.  Appropriately we focussed on the calling of Jeremiah. See Jeremiah 1:4ff.

We reflected together that God knows us and loves us, that we are all called to serve God by serving each other, that God calls and equips and gives us all we need to do what God is asking us to do, and that God is always with us and will not leave us.

Back to the young family visiting us this morning and dad wasn’t a runner but keen on sports, in particular football. Shifting the focus from running to football reminds of a comment made some years ago, that our Churches often look a bit like a football match, several thousands of people in need of exercise watching twenty-two people in need of a rest!

Have you heard the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done, and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  Jeremiah 1:5

Okay, you may not be called to be a prophet to the nations, but we all have unique calling, we all have a special gifting, we all have a part to play.

Michel Quoist in his book ‘The Christian Response’ writes, ‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work present in this particular place, at this particular moment in history.’

Attributed to Augustine of Hippo is the phrase “Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.”

Think about that for a moment. If that be true, then by our not running the race set before us and designed especially for us, we are in danger of frustrating the plans of God for the redemption of the cosmos.

Now, where are my trainers!

https://youtu.be/HzP6Mx3CiMM?si=8LC1iPZx2pI2z_Zt

'Curiouser and curiouser' - Weekly Reflection 26th April 2026

Curiouser and curiouser…

This phrase is from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (London: Macmillan & Co., 1865), by the English author Lewis Carroll. 

“Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English.”

And on curiosity we are all probably aware of the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat.’ However, are you aware of the full proverb that makes a tad more sense, the full saying is ‘Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.’ The moral of the proverb is to avoid curiosity for curiosity’s sake if you should be minding your own business. When someone says ‘curiosity killed the cat’ they are warning you that curiosity can be dangerous and lead to misfortune if left unchecked by wisdom.

I have just begun to read ‘The Devil You Know’ co-authored by Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne. (Faber & Faber 2022). Dr Gwen Adshead gave the fascinating Reith Lectures in 2024 exploring evil and violence. BBC Radio 4 - The Reith Lectures, Gwen Adshead - Four Questions about Violence, Can we change violent minds?

The Lectures are drawn in part from the book, especially with some of the case studies. For that is what the book offers. Twelve people who have committed crimes of violence.

Adshead is obviously curious and it is this curiosity that drives her work with some of the most damaged and damaging people as one of the leading forensic psychiatrists in Britain. The danger for readers is a morbid curiosity and wanting to pour over lurid details. 

However, Adshead’s motivation in inviting us to step into the treatment room and meet these twelve people is to try and demonstrate there is a powerful case to be made for rehabilitation over that of revenge, compassion over condemnation and empathy over fear.

What is our motivation for being curious about another person? The range of motivations cover a very broad spectrum from wanting to gain power over them, maybe to do them some harm. Or more benign, we may want to really know who they are and what struggles they are facing so that we might be able to help.  However, that carries a health warning, as in the full proverb quoted above, ‘curiosity killed the cat’ is a warning that curiosity can be dangerous and lead to misfortune if left unchecked by wisdom.  I can tell you from my own experience when trying to help someone I got way out of my depth and because of other factors I was dealing with at the time, I had a break-down. Thankfully nothing too serious and after some rest and recuperation I was soon back at work. But that little brush with the danger of going out of your depth was a valuable life lesson. I now know the signs and will take steps to step out, step back, or whatever is needed to keep myself safe and the other person safe.

However, overall on balance having a healthy curiosity of the other is good and can help society to flourish.

I don’t want to go down an Alice’s rabbit hole scenario and talk about the ongoing conflict between the USA and Iran, but it would seem obvious that the USA Administration have very little understanding about the Iranian culture.  Conversely it would appear that the Iranians do have a curiosity about the USA and western culture, which, for the most part, they have chosen to reject.

I am drawn to the story of the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at the well as recorded in John 4. And I am curious about Jesus’ curiosity. Jesus' curiosity about other people, his curiosity about the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the lepers, the prostitutes. Was Jesus curious about other people?

And why the Samaritan women – well, after her encounter she went and told the villagers, ‘come and meet a man who has told me everything I have done.’

Now, I have no problem with ‘divine revelation’ there are several stories like this in the Scriptures. There are also many people who will claim to have a divine revelation about someone and often accompanied by a message from God. So, no problem there.

However, what I would struggle with, was if Jesus always took the short cut route and when encountering someone called up a heavenly record to fact check on the person.

I think Jesus was immensely curious about people. So much so that this got him into trouble. Because he was curious about the sorts of people who didn’t matter in the eyes of the rich and powerful and the leaders. (See Matt.23.4)    However, the little people, the outcasts, the prisoners, the poor, deaf, the lame and the mute. We see Jesus spending time with such people. Because, as with Gwen Adshead, Jesus knew it is the sick who need a physician.

I wouldn’t dream of stepping anywhere close to the sort of thing Gwen does. However, we can listen to her story, as she invites us to listen to the stories of those whom society has cast down, cast out, and most often cast away.

We can listen and learn wisdom about what is a healthy, good and an appropriate curiosity about the other. We can learn to listen attentively to the other as well as learning to listen to the Spirit, being open to what the Spirit may disclose.

 I hope something in this reflection has piqued your curiosity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Marking Dates and Days' - Weekly Reflection 19th April 2026

We always knew this day would come!

Today at St Oswald’s we said farewell to our Vicars, Alan and Jane Hulme who have been with us for just over six years. They now move into a well-earned retirement. *

The transformation of St Oswald’s over that period is amazing. They both felt a deep call of God to come to Rugby for a ‘period’ and bring healing and wholeness into St Oswald’s. For all sorts of reasons, the congregation at St Oswald’s needed deep healing and bringing back into life and love, not least a love for one another. The building itself was also in need of ‘healing.’  Over the last six plus years they have led us on a journey of transformation.  (Interrupted by Covid!)  One of their first tasks was to call the Church to repentance. We spent Lent in prayer and fasting with Alan and Jane making themselves available to hear any stories of hurt, anger or anguish. A Service of Reconciliation was held, and we moved into Easter with a firm grip and understanding that the past has been recognised, we have sought forgiveness and now it is time to move on and build for the future. Having dealt with the past, they then began to help us build a life of prayer, discipleship, fellowship and outward facing ministries. Always asking the question of anything done, why are we doing this and how does this connect to the life of Faith and helping people encounter God or to grow as a disciple of God. Nothing was, or is done ‘just because we have always…’  Things are tried, some work and grow, others don’t and are stopped or tweaked.  

They concluded their time with us this morning by giving us ‘Ten Top Tips for a Vacancy.’ One of which was to remember the past, but don’t stay there. To try and ban the phrase, ‘When Alan and Jane where here they did it like this,’ hence it becomes something written according to the Law of the Medes and Persians!  (See Daniel 6:8)

Apart from reflecting back on the time Alan and Jane have been at St Oswal’s, which coincidently has largely mirrored our own time here, we both arrived at much the same time, I have been reflecting on dates and time. 

A well-known phrase from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 comes to mind, ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:’

Popularised for those old enough to remember by "Turn! Turn! Turn!", also known as "To Everything There Is a Season", a song written by Pete Seeger in 1959.  It became an international hit in late 1965 sung by the American folk rock group the Byrds. 

 (The song was originally released in 1962 as "To Everything There Is a Season" by the folk group the Limeliters.')

Those dates in our diary, for good or ill, for pain or for pleasure, they come, they present themselves, and then they pass, but always leaving some trace, as any reader or watcher of detective stories know.  

'Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

   Bears all its sons away;

They fly forgotten, as a dream

   Dies at the opening day.'

Last week I reflected on a little of my own journey of coming to embrace the Christian Faith. As I entered my teens I knew that no matter what I did, or where I went, or however rich or poor I might become, that one day, my name would be written on a little brass plaque on a coffin lid. Name, date of birth date of death.

This was one of the most abiding memories of my dad in his coffin. Shortly after my six birthday he was killed in road traffic accident at the age of 36. Following the custom of the time he was laid to rest in the front room of our council house. The coffin was left open and the lid propped up against the wall. That little brass plaque became a deep-seated memory that would come back to haunt me as I grew into my adolescent years.

That date will come, that birthday, that wedding date, that anniversary, that holiday. That dentist appointment or that operation or scan.  For good or ill these dates and days will come and go and leave their mark.

However, unlike the Law of the Medes and Persians, what kind of mark is left is not ‘set in stone’ (to mix metaphors). We, to a greater or lesser degree, can make choices.

Another of the ‘Top Tips’ spoken of today was to regularly read the Bible. In retirement I have come to appreciate the Scriptures and their depth of wisdom in a whole new way, largely through podcasts, especially from the Bible Project and Tom Wright but from other sources as well.

'Take a deep dive into the wisdom of Scripture.' 

That wisdom gained from reading Scripture can help us make good choices. For example, one of the overriding motifs of Scripture is that of flourishing. Both my own flourishing and the flourishing of the ‘other.’  Therefore, that is a question to ask, will what I am about to say or do (or not do!) bring flourishing? If you have time listen to this podcast of an amazing Christian entrepreneur who, informed by Scriptures, especially Jesus’ parables, has set up several companies that seeks the flourishing of everyone involved in the business at whatever level. https://open.spotify.com/episode/60ehAlo9ZzeuGTyBx5geN9?si=c1503b3329fc4265

As we experience the ebb and flow of life we might make this our prayer; ‘Our God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.

https://youtu.be/N-hN740J6qA?si=vXEt4yVU8qVrNnOp

* Watch the Service on YouTube - 

https://www.youtube.com/live/Npx5aquvVFU?si=UcWTJkgcpGq8KYyT

'Walking the Way' - Reflection 12th April 2026

On Saturday last, April 11th,  'I Am Maximus' became the first horse since Red Rum to regain his crown in the Grand National, as Willie Mullins also became the first trainer since Vincent O'Brien in the 1950s to win three successive editions of the Aintree spectacular.

Another record was set by jockey Bruce Hobbs in 1938. Born on Long Island, New York, Hobbs became the youngest and tallest jockey to ride the winner of the English Grand National when successful on Battleship, a son of Man o' War, in 1938 just three months after his 17th birthday. Two weeks later, he won the Welsh Grand National on Timber Wolf. At the end of the 1937–38 season, during which he rode 35 winners, he became the first jockey to win three Grand Nationals in one year, lastly the Cedarhurst version.

Following the Second World War Bruce Hobbs began a career as a trainer, becoming a private trainer for John Rogerson at Letcombe Regis in Berkshire. In 1953 he moved to Newmarket, Suffolk and became assistant trainer to Cecil Boyd-Rochfort. In 1961 and 1962 he was assistant to John Clayton. In 1964 he moved to the Carlburg stable near Newmarket and became private trainer to David Robinson. Hobbs became a public trainer in 1966, basing himself at the Palace House stable where he remained for the rest of his career.

And in 1966 Hobbs signed up a young lad from Lancashire as an Apprentice Jockey.  This young lad carried the same name as a famous goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, and by a strange coincidence joined Hobb’s stable in the very same day when England won the world cup with Banks in goal.

What took me to take this somewhat unusual step wasn’t a deep love of horses, or of racing, or anything to do with the sport at all. Up until that point I had zero interest or knowledge about racing and the only thing that came close to riding a horse was a donkey ride on Blackpool beach!

What took me there was adolescent angst about dying, more particularly about dying unknown.  Not an untypical angst for teenagers to battle with as they grow up and begin to grow away from their parents. (In the ordinary course of things)

In short I hoped to become famous, so that when I died, as I was acutely aware that I would do one day, that my death would be noted and not be a mere little note in the obituary column of the local newspaper.  

At the age of fifteen and preparing to leave school I was underdeveloped and stood less that five-foot and weighed in at less than six stone.  When talking about what we would do when leaving school, it was my best pal, James Masters who quipped that I ought to become a jockey because of my size. That quip sowed the seed that eventually led me to traveling down to Newmarket, to Palace House Stables, so named because they were at one time the royal stables of Charles 11, a keen advocate of horse racing.

I never did become a jockey, famous or otherwise and after serving my five years as an Apprentice Jockey I left the racing game and began a raft of various other jobs, principally as a bartender in hotels in and around Newmarket.

God never really featured in my thinking or concern during any of this period. I had left school, St Anne’s Church of England Secondary Modern School, with a deep fascination with Jesus but a deep dislike for any form or organised religion and the Church.

That was to change in 1974 when I began to work for Spillers Food & Nutritional Centre as an Animal Technician. There, I was to meet David, a man like me in his mid-twenties. However David was a Christian, and a Christian of a type I had never met before, one who had a lively and active faith.  I began working there in March 1974 and by the winter of that year I had begun to look again at the Christian Faith and still have the Bible David gave me in November 1974.

It was reading that Bible that I read Colossians 3.3 – ‘For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.’

This proved to be a light-bulb moment, my Damascus Road, my enlightenment. On the 1st January 1975 I made a New Year's Resolution to become a Christian. 

My life, my true life, my God given authentic life, was not to be found in fame or fortune, but in walking with Jesus. It was not having my name in headlines but written in ‘The Lambs Book of Life.’   (See Luke 10.20)

Today at St Oswald’s we reflected on the Emmaus Road story, Luke 24.13-35.  We were encouraged to consider Jesus as the ‘master evangelist’ and consider the ways he acted in this encounter.  (To see the sermon visit - https://www.youtube.com/live/_1R7Jn85MA8?si=MClUAY8knRCfJfnY)

These are some of the key points on which we were invited to ponder.

What’s our story, what does Jesus mean to us, how did we come to encounter the risen Jesus.  Note in this story it was while these two disciples were ‘walking away’ from Jerusalem, It was when they were at their lowest, when they were downcast, befuddled and massively disappointed, all hopes and dreams shattered. Jesus joins them and walks alongside with them, ‘going away from Jerusalem’   - this is love ‘going out of its way’ for the sake of the other, to bring them Good News.

Jesus listened to their story and only then began to respond to their disappointment.  Listening is a key skill we can learn and develop.  A few weeks ago, I undertook the Prison Fellowship training for Bereavement Counselling.   (Bereavement especially for prisoners is broader than the death of a loved one) Listening was one key skill were encouraged to develop.  Not long ago Radio Four had a series called, ‘Across the Red Line’ Two people on the opposite sides of an issues were invited to sit across their opponent who was allowed to speak without interruption. There opposite number was then invited to reflect back what they had heard.

The other key thing we learn from the Emmaus Road story is Jesus’ knowledge of Scripture, his knowledge of the big picture. How good are we at knowing this bigger picture, how good are we at using Scripture to reflect back on what’s happening in people’s lives and in the world.

I am not taking here about selective proof text to be stuck on like some plaster, but knowing the stories, knowing the flow of things. Helping people sit into the deep wisdom to found in the Scriptures.

For example, in this past week my son and I were having a back and forth on WhatsApp about education (he is a teacher). We talked amongst other things about human flourishing, one of the primary reasons for education. This is a major motif of the Scriptures, our own flourishing, that is, what makes for the good life, (see Psalm 1) and what helps the flourishing of the ’other.’ 

I recalled hearing a story of lady who came from Uganda and secured her dream job in Switzerland. However, after she moved there with her young family she then moved back.  She didn’t want her daughters growing up in the atomised individualistic atmosphere of Western culture.  Practically she missed the support of her community. An African proverb says, ‘it takes whole village to raise a child.’   

Ponder this…

What is your story of meeting Jesus and are able you able to tell that story?

Have you found Jesus to be there at your lowest moments, bringing you encouragement?

How good are you at listening? Maybe with a friend try the exercise of listening and then reflecting back what they have just said.

How well do you know the Scriptures, the stories, the overriding themes and motifs?

How good are you at going out of your way to be with the ‘other’ and journeying with them?

For we know that a little bit of love goes a long, long way…

Ponder on your part in sharing God's love as you listen to this song.

https://youtu.be/auwgDr2BA7E?si=_hLtj2bFR9ZDqIJu