Early Christianity in Britain

When I was in Aber last my prospective sympathetic Mike Iliff (our kids get married in June) recommended a book to me - Early Christianity. The backbone of this work which takes you from the first century to Wycliffe and Tyndale grwos out of PhD work by Peter Green. Some published PhD theses are hard to read but in this case Brian Edwards has edited the manuscipt and that has made for an easy read of 17 chapters. Much of the material was familiar to me (Patrick, Aidan, David, etc) but mush was not. Some of it isvery interesting indeed. It refutes the Augustine of Canterbury thesis that was promoted in school and argues for a church that last for 500 years before then and also denies that England ever had much to do with Rome, much less the other home nations. This is wll worth getting hold of. SOme of it will surprise you,

10 Sermon Illustrations on Worldliness

1 To be worldly is only to think horizontally and to forget about the vertical

2 Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould

3 If someone kills your brother you would not be his friend. Given the crucifixion of Christ, why would you want to be the world’s friend?

4 When negotiating hair pin bends in the Alps, the thing to do is not to see how close to the edge you can get but to drive safely all the way

5 Keep the boat in the water and the water out of the boat

6 A characteristic of adolescents is often their eagerness to follow the latest fad - worldly Christians often behave similarly

7 A stick insect can so blend with its environment that it can’t be seen - some Christians look no different to unbelievers

8 If two live electric wires touch there will be sparks. To prevent this there are two options - isolation or insulation. It is the latter that pictures the Christian - in the world but not of it.

9 Gollum and his detrimental obsession with the ring

10 Accents People often pick up an accent from others if they spend time with others, sometimes quite quickly. Others retain their original accent even after years of living with those with a different accent

10 countries through which the equator passes

1. Ecuador
2. Colombia
3. Brazil
4. Gabon
5. Kenya
6. Uganda
7. Somalia
8. Indonesia
9. The Maldives
10. Kiribati

Alo Sao Tome and Principe and the two Congos.

Lord's Day April 21 2024

Cetric O

Pastor Naphtally Ogallo

Yesterday I was still in Eldoret and so worshipped at the church where the APC was and where I have been staying, the church founded and pastored by Naphtally Ogallo. He nad his wife Helida have been so very welcoming. There are three main services in the church on Sundays. Joshua Bolaji led the interactive adult Sunday School on Psalm 32 and then in the main service I preached from Deuteronomy 33:27. I hope it was a blessing. In the final session our friend Cetric from Nairobi preached helpfully from John 1:1-18.

At the centre of things

We travelled today from Eldoret to Naruku. I had not realised that would involve crossing the equator but it did. First time standing on the equator line. (I have stood on the Greenwich meridian before now. To stand on both at the same time, you have to be on Null Island, somewhere out in the Atlantic.

In Kenya

Preaching in Kisumu

Lake Victoria

Last Monday (April 15) my wife kindly took me first thing to Heathrow where I caught a KLM 'plane to Amsterdam. From there I flew KLM to Nairobi. That took about eight and a half hours/ I was soon through customs and baggage and out into the Nairobi darkness. This is my seventh time on African soil and second time in Nairobi so the sights and sounds and smells were pretty familiar. I was met by Murungi Igweta, pastor at Trinity BC, with his son Asa. I was taken to the church, where I slept in one of the rooms they have on the compound.

Next morning I was driven to Kisumu in the truck by Cetric and two other young Kenyan men. We had to make an early stop for a tyre change and I enjoyed an Americano at a Java Cafe. Not a drop of coffee since then. I'm appreciating black tea anew. By pressing on without stopping we made Kisumu by nightfall. All three drove in turn. The Kenyan countryside is pretty much new to me and so it was fascinating at first to see kids herding small flocks of sheep and goats or cows. We spotted zebra in the distance at one point. Hawkers were selling a large variety of items at different points and several lorries laden with sugar cane were aso spotted. People everywhere walking or on bikes or in mutatas and carrying varied items. In the end it became a little tedious, however and then night fell.

In Kisumu, we called first at the house of the Baptist pastor Tonny Karwa and his wife, Olivia. They have a fascinating story. I stayed at the beautiful house of Ken Otiwa, his fellow elder, and his wife Elizabeth. Very nice. Ken kindly showed us Lake Victoria. We had two days of conference in the Kisumu church. I guess about sixty came each day. We looked at Romans over nine sessions with a Q&A to close. .There were about sixty there. I was joined for this by Joshua Bolaji, a Nigerian born Londoner who has ministered in South Africa for many ears and is very involved in the African Pastors Conferences (more here). Joshua joined us at the last moment having flown from the UK to RSA to Kisumu via Nairobi in less than 72 hours. It was great to meet him and we have been getting on well.

We next travelled to Eldoret from where I write. Jpshua drove this time. The other two young men returned to Nairiobu. This city is somewhat cooler and there has been a lot of rain. It was a great joy to meet Naphtally Ogallo once again and his wife Helida. Naphtally worked with Keith Underhill in the planting of Trinity, Nairobi, a work I have known of since I as a student. It was the church in Aberystwyth where my son now pastors that sent Keith out. Joshua, Cetric and myself are sharing a three bedroom suite in the church grounds. We are being well fed on the local fare, though we sent out for pizza tonight.

The Eldoret conference is much bigger, the biggest APC I have done, with over 120 present. It is not easy to take in what I have to say, however, with my foreign accent and tendency to speak more rapidly as I warm to the subject. In both places we have left notes.

Tomorrow we will share the speaking at the three services. Looking forward.

Eldoret Ad

Speaking Eldoret

Murder by the Book

Detective fiction is a very enjoyable form of literature. It is pretty undemanding but the plot usually gets you thinking at least. I must have read my first such fiction as a boy when I would go along to the mobile library that used to park at the end of our steet once a week. I don't know what the books I read were but they may have included Agatha Christie I've read one or two of those. The British Library have a series up and running that I have dipped into. When we were in Ross-on-Wye recently there was a lovely bookshop there and I bought Murder by the book artly as a memento. The book contains mostly very good short stories, mainly by authros I have not heard of. I thought it might have had more literary themes but apart from one story that refers to Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who I wasn't sure was real (she is -see here) there was nothing like that. It was more books per se and writing them. I'll probably buy some more some day.

Forgotten Reformer

Miles Coverdale's name will be known to those who have an interest in English Reformation history and the translation of the Bible. He is a forgotten reformer nevertheless and retired headmaster G F Main has done us all areat service by means of his thorough research and his interestingly written book. Mr Main must bequite an expert on his subject, his sources ranging from classic ones like Foxe and D'Aubigne through to some rather obscure manuscripts tucked away in unlikely places. It wasa delight to read this well produced book. I was a little sorry to finish it. Highly recommended. I wonder if a coffee table version with pictures may be considered. Just a thought.

Lord's Day April 14 2024

Another good day yesterday. In the morning we carried on in the Sermon on the Mount. We then had lunch together, always nice. In the evening we were not quite double figures as we looked at another famous verse - Jeremiah 29:11. A ladt who came the other week after a ling time not coming to church came again with her grown up daughter. That was encouraging. One Iranian family was not there as they are desperately seeking accommodation as having obtained asylum they now have to leave the hotel. Others simply wait. Not easy. My assistant Eddie helped me this morning pointing out that Christ is the ultimate one who turns the other cheek, goes the second mle, etc. I really should have been on to that mhyself. Maybe I'm getting a bit lethargic.

Family, etc

One reason posts have been a little sparse of late is that we have been spending a lot of time with the family over the Easter holidays.

First, in the week March 24-30 we had visits from our Aberystwyth boys - our fourth son Gwion and his fiancee Lydia and my first son, Rhodri and Sibyl and their four sons. That was a great few days with various activities including a visit to London Zoo one day for me and the six, which was very much enjoyed.

Then on April 6 Eleri, myself and my fifth son Owain (and Alffi the dog) drove to Wales where we met up with Eleri's sister Catrin and her family in Monmouth. We then stayed with her other sister, Fflur, too and her damily in a house in Ross-on-Wye back over the border for two nights. On the Tuesday our two Cardiff sons, Dylan and Dewi and their families visited us. That was a lovely time too. On the Wednesday we headed to Cardiff and after a lttle more family time, Owain headed back to London (with Alffi) by train and Eleri and I headed to Aber. Eleri stayed there all the way until Wednesday when she came home via Merthyr, where an elderly family member's funeral was taking place. I left Aber on Friday April 5. There was a strike that day and so instead of the more obvious five hoour Aber-Birmingham-London trip it was more like seven hours getting from Aber to Shrewsbury to Newport to london on the last traiin. It was also necessary to go by bus from Aber to Machynlleth. Marathon journey then and back late but plenty of time to recover the next day.

At some point my youngest grandchild celebrated his first birthday. It's not been that easy  first year but looks very bonny and is full of life.

This last week has mostly been getting ready for my trip to Kenya which begins Monday. I was also busy at the Evangelical Library on Monday, leading the Midweek Meeting Wednesday, leading a men's meeting this morning (Saturday) and preparing for Sunday. Busy days.

Midweek Meeting April 10 2024

Six of us, four men and two women, gathered last Wednesday to look at Romans 3:1-19 and to pray. We all prayed in turn.

Lord's Day April 7 2024

Way behind with this but it's been a busy time. Last Sunday we began with communion, fairly well attended. I then preached from the sermon on the mount again, this time on oaths and vows. Good attendance on the whole. I'd forgotten to prepare a children's talk so I gave my testimony as I do at such times. Eleri was away in Wales so it all felt a bit different. In the evening we were very few so I was not over long (under the hour). We looked at another famous text - Proverbs 3:5, 6. Good day on the whole.

10 Popular Soap Bars

1. Pear's amber
2. Lux
3. Dove
4. Wright's coal tar
5. Imperial leather
6. Palmolive
7. Knight's Castle
8. Camay
9. Shield
10. Lifebuoy

Lord's Day March 31 2024

Easter Sunday in Childs Hill is unpredictable. Many go away, some stay and sometimes there are new people. That is how it was last Lord's Day. I preached through most of john 20 and 21 in the two sermons. We had a good number in the morning and many fewer in the evening, as is the pattern. One visitor was a friend of a regular but another was a person in the area who I hope we will see again.

Midweek Meeting March 27 2024

It was a little unusual the other Wednesday in that we had a Bible Study and then  churh members meeting before ending with a short prayer meeting. It went fine but I would rather not do it too often. The method of taking two separate nights, I think,works best.

Evangelical Library Lunch Time Lecture Joseph Ivimey

Last Monday we had an excellent Library lecture on zoom from Norman Hopkins on the Baptist pastor and historian Joseph Ivimey 1773-1834.

Ivimey, the eldest of eight was born at Ringwood, Hampshire and brought up under Arian influences, but became a convinced Particular Baptist. He was a tailor at first and came to London finding work but was unsuccessful and returned to the Hampshire, Dorset area, where he became an itinerant preacher. Early in 1803 he was recognised as a minister, and settled as assistant to Robert Lovegrove at Wallingford, Berkshire. He was chosen pastor of the Particular Baptist church, Eagle Street, Holborn, London, in 1804, and was ordained the next year.

From 1812 he was on the committee of the BMS. He was also first secretary of the Baptist Society for Promoting the Gospel in Ireland and visited Ireland in May 1814. In 1817, and again in 1819, he made missionary journeys to the Channel Islands. He believed in strict communion and advocated the abolition of colonial slavery.

He is buried in Bunhill Fields. There is also a tablet to his memory in the boys' schoolroom at Eagle Street.

In Writing 143 Now Out

The latest copy of the Evangelical Library Magazinw is out today.

Lord's Day March 24 2024

I was at Pains Hill Chapel in Surrey once again yesterday. Numbers were just inside or outside single figures but people listened well and there were almost as many in the evening as in the morning. I preached on love and peace from John 3:16 and Philippians 4:13. I had a very pleasant afternoon with a couple from the church and it was good to catch up with them. Eddie preached here.

Midweek Meeting March 20 2024

Seven of us were there last night. We looked at Romasn 2:1-16 and then prayed together. Everyone prayed. What a privilege.

Day Off Week 12 2024

There was some waiting to do yesterday. In the morning for the gas man to fix a leaking boiler, which he wasn't able to do and will have to come back. Then later it was for a new microwave we have bought. I eventually got oout to West Hampsted and had a coffee and bought some cheese (apres soleil - see here). Otherwise, I was working on blogs (especially here), reading the Mike Parker book and watching University Challenge, which I wasn't abe to the day before. On Monday and Tuesday this week I have unusually bought The Times newspaper. I bought them chiefly for the full page obituaries of rockstar Steve Harley and IRA supporter Rose Dugdale. Yesterday I also did several of the puzzles.

Lord's Day March 17 2024

A packed morning congregation once again. That included some visiting family members, a recently retired local pastor and his wife and the brother of a regular attender plus all the usual crowd. Some of the Iranians have just gained asylum but others still wait. It's tough. As we are working through the Sermon on the Mount the subject was divorce Not an easy subject but it seems to have been appreciated. In the evening we had communion then looked at another famos verse  - Philippians 4:13.

Wooden Spoon

 

Mason Grady scores Wales' third try

Sadly, after a fifth and final loss today Wales are defnites for the wooden spoon, Worst for twenty years.

Midweek Meeting March 13 2024

Eight of us were present and all prayed after a message from Eddie on prayer from 1 Thessalonians that included disussion and that made us want to pray.

Carey Conference 2025

A new venue has been amounced for the next Carey Conference. This time it will not be in Swanwick but in King’s Park Conference Centre, Northampton. No reason is given for the move but Carey has often been quite peripatetic and I have attended conferences in Liverpool, Ripon and Swanwick. Earlier conferences were in Cardiff and other places, I believe.

The dates for this coming conference are Tuesday 7th - Thursday 9th January 2025. The main speaker will be Brooks Buser, who served at one time church planting in Papua New Guinea among the Yembiyembi people. He is now President of Radius International, which trains cross-cultural workers for missionary service among unreached people groups.

Day Off Week 11 2024

Another day of reading and working on some of my blogs with TV in the evening after the regular Bible Study up the road.

Lord's Day March 10 2024

We were a decent number Sunday morning but I've just been counting up who was missing and it reaches double figures. We have lost four Iranian refugees who have had to move hotel. There were another 16 at least away for various reasons. It is hard to keep up. I preached the next section in the Sermon on the Mount and in the evening I started a series on famous texts, beginning with John 3:16. I'd hoped to entice sime people oout who don't aready come but it was a wet old day.

Midweek Meeting March 6 2024

About eight of us this last Wednesday (plus one online), looking at Romans 1:18-32 and spending time in prayer. Good time.

Day Off Week 10 2024

Typical day off mainly reading. I didn't quite finish the book on naive art, which I have read before. The day before Eleri had been at the London Welsh Centre and she brought me a signed copy of  book on the Welsh marches by Mike Parker. I started reading it and got through a good chunk of this interesting and well written book. In the evening I held my regular Bible study with an Iranian couple. Backhere there was time for a bit of TV.

The Times They were Achanging

I was reading a book yesterday that referred to a famous picture of Bob Dylan at the old Aust Ferry terminal in 1966. I don't remember seeing the picture but it is of interest as if you look, in the distance you can see the almost complete first Severn Bridge (it's just above the car). Before that, of course, the ancient ferry was the only way to avoid making a long roundabout journey to get from Somerset to South Wales.

Lord's Day March 3 2024

We were back to pre-half term numbers last Sunday morning, which was good. In the eening we were our usual small number, just into double figures. We started the day with communion, thinking about Passover. In the main morning meeting we carried on in the Sermon on the Mount and in the evening I gave my final message on Job. It has been good to go through the book once again.

The late Chris Nicholl and his amazing feat

I notice that the footballer Chris Nicholl has died. I didn't know the name but I was interested to read of a game he was in that features in Football's Strangest Matches by Andrew Ward, a book we have somewhere in the house. The game was between Leicester City and Aston Villa at Filbert Street, in March 1976. Chris Nicholl, a Northern Ireland international, who in his career played 648 league games for a number of different clubs, managed to score all four goals. A tall central defender for Villa, he clearly appreciated the symmetry of the game and managed on the occasion to alternate own goals with his "proper" ones for Villa, all spread nicely across the ninety minutes. The first, an own goal, came in the 15th minute, from a shot by a Leicester player which deflected off Nicholl's head. He was able to equalise before the break in the 40th minute, shooting from close range after a scramble in the penalty area. In the second half, he managed, in the 53rd minute, to score a second own goal (his hat trick, you might say, but own goals don't usually count for that honour). He had again headeded past his own keeper. With four minutes to go he was remarkably able to once again cancel out his own effort, this time scoring from a Villa corner.

Exodus 35:18

Exodus 35:18 ... the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; ...

This verse has to have the potential for being one of the least striking verses in the Bible. It is part of a list in connection with the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and it is simply saying that someone in Israel made the tent pegs for the Tabernacle itself and for the Courtyard - and also the ropes. Some forgotten character or characters made the tent pegs and ropes. It seems so insignificant a work and yet, of course, without it the Tabernacle never would have stood. If the work had been defective, it would not have stood long. So today all sorts of hidden and seemingly insignificant work goes on in the Kingdom - and must go on. If the tent peg makers and rope makers, the listeners and tea makers and fall down on their job, the whole enterprise is in jeapordy.

Happy St David's Day

 

Most of my grandchildren celebrating today in Wales

Midweek Meeting February 28 2024

Seven of us gathered (plus three online) for our Bible study and prayer meeting. We began a new series on Romans with Romans 1:1-17. I tried to be interactive. Good prayer time too.

Day Off Week 9 2024

Typical day, mostly spent reading and catching up on one or two blogs. From what I can see Post-impressionism is not really a thing just a way of noting how artists took in what impressionism had to say then moved on. Started the Banner biography of Beza. In the evening I did go out for a Bible Study with some friends, postponed from last night when we were seeing my nephew off. In the evening we began watching this futuristic Welsh drama about Port Talbot. Interesting.

Bon Voyage

On Monday night we said bon voyage to my nephew Will who is off to live in Adelaide, Australia, indefinitely. That is a second nephew down under. My nephew on the other side, Iwan, has been in Melbourne for a while now. Both are around 27 and single. Makes sense. It's an awfully long way though.

Latest Lunch Time Lecture at the Library

There was another online lecture on Monday when Dr Ian Densham spoke on Calvin and worship. This is something of a companion piece to a previous lecture on Luther the Wittenberg Nightingale. We were about twenty or so listening in. The lecture can be found here on YouTube (the Luther one is also there - see here and my own lecture given the previous time = see here). The next lunch time lecture online is from Norman Hopkins on Joseph Ivimey, March 25. Our annual lecture is live at the Library and is on June 3, when David Campebell will speak on Alexander Stewart of Moulin.

Lord's Day February 25 2024

Busy day last Sunday as I not only preached morning adn evening in Childs Hill but in the afternoon also for the Korean church that uses our building in the afternoons. Their pastor is in Korea having an eye operation. Lovely to be with them. Our morning congregation was again a little lower than it has been (still half term?). Yet another new Iranian there - will we see him again? Another Iranian has just been moved a further hour out so I'm not ure if we will see much of her again. I carried on in the Sermon on the Mount and in the evening gave my penultimate sermon on Job.

Wales bad to worse

Wales's woeful six nations continues. They lost to England by just two points on February 10 (16-14) and then to Ireland last Saturday, 31-7. France next but on a Sunday so I won't watch that live. It's a young team with many new caps so perhaps there's hope for the future.

Midweek Meeting February 21 2024

We were just under double figures at the midweek meeting this week. Eddie carried on with his series on prayer, looking at Paul's prayers in Colossians (and Epaphrad wrestling). We had a good time of prayer too.

Day Off Week 8 2024

The main thing last Tuesday was reading, mostly at home but I did get out for a coffee at some point. My art book for the day was on the Pre-Raphaelites, which I enjoyed. I also finished John Steinbeck's little novella The Pearl which I very much enjoyed. Still reading the Charlemagne book and the amusing field guide to clergy.

Lord's Day February 18 2024

As I expected, numbers were down last Sunday as many were away. Trying not to be discouraged. I preached the next sermon in the new series on the Sermon on the Mount. In the evening Eddie preached to the usual smaller number from Exodus 16.

Brady's Coffee

 

My sister spotted this in Ireland and bought us some. I haven't tasted it yet. More here.