Thought for the week

At this time of year many churches and schools hold Harvest Festival services. It is good to give thanks for another year when God has provided for our needs. Because of the dry weather in the UK crops have been less than normal but the weather has been good for harvesting so the combine harvesters…

From inside the old church building, you hear a car crunch to a halt. The driver is reputedly rather firm on the brakes. A minute or so later a 5-foot 4-inch woman comes through the small side door and sits down in a pew. It is the Queen coming unannounced to join the local congregation…

Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September at the age of 96. She has been an outstanding monarch for more than 70 years and was still fulfilling her official responsibilities just 48 hours before she died. At the age of 21 she had committed herself to serving the people of Britain and the Commonwealth for…

A growing number of people in the UK and around the world are suffering from dementia. A report in 2019 commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Society said there are 900,000 people in the UK suffering with dementia. It is projected that by 2040 this will rise to 1.6 million. Every 3 minutes someone develops dementia. 70%…

In his new solo album, “Self-Titled”, Marcus Mumford, the frontman of Mumford and Sons, makes known for the first time the sexual abuse he suffered as a young child. In his first song away from the band, “Cannibal”, he tells the story of what happened to him when, as a 6-year-old little boy, he was…

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix has enjoyed an outstandingly successful summer. The 17-year-old British diver won three medals at the Commonwealth Games, including 2 golds, and last week won another gold medal at the European Championships. Yet earlier this year she felt “terrified of diving” and came close to giving up. In a radio interview she said, “I…

Many people play the blame-game. When things go wrong, we blame other people. The water shortage is the fault of the water companies. The increase in the cost of living is the fault of the government and President Putin. It’s the school’s fault I didn’t get the grades I needed to go to university. It’s…

The book of Genesis describes the creation of the world and all life on earth, including human beings. The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, lived in the garden of Eden and enjoyed blissful fellowship with God. Adam cared for the garden and he and Eve ate all that the fertile ground produced. But…

The Bible is a source of comfort and strength to people all over the world. In the Bible God speaks to us. He reveals his own heart and character and speaks to our hearts. Psalm 23 was written by David and is one of the best-known passages in the Bible. It has been a help…

How would it feel to sit in front of the man responsible for the murder of your son? The one who took his freedom, crushed his spirit, and then took his life, circulating the evidence as part of a grotesque PR stunt? What would you say to him if you had the chance? Could you…