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| Horseshoe Falls |
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| Canal near Pontcysyllte |
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| Pontcysyllte Aqueduct |
We had a lovely family holiday in a farmhouse near Llangollen last week. Just the twenty of us as we are now with six more nearby. Lovely time.
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
John Fawcett
This book which I downloaded in electronic form and read on kindle is a full and leisurely account of the life and ministry of the author's father. It includes many quotes from Fawcett's journal, letters to and from him and his poetry. A rambling book, its 440 pages could easily be reduced by half and still be worth reading. I read it at a quick pace seeking out information for a paper I am to give on Fawcett next month. Fawcett, a Particular Baptist pastor in Hebdenbrodge, Yorkshire, was clearly a godly man, a fine preacher and a force to be reckoned with in his day (1740-1817). At the end of the book are two of his sermons.
Thomas Telford
We have been on holiday near Llangollen and have been to see Pontcysyllte aqueduct and the horseshoe falls. This brought Thomas Telford to our attention and so when I was in a bookshop in Llangollen and saw this little Shire volume, I bought it and read it. It is the right length for someone with a passing interest like me. It focuses on his work in Wales and Scotland, which is what I wanted. Some nice illustrations to help me along. Telford, a Scotsman, lived 1757-1834. He began as a builder and became an engineer.
Lord's Day April 20 2025
It was good to preach on resurrection themes last Lord's Day. We had a good congregation in the morning and only eight in the evening (four of us were resent for communion beforehand). There were five new people in the morning - an Indian lady, an Iranian cople just moved into the area, a Chinese lady who spoke no English and a disturbed man who could not settle and soon left.
Midweek Meeting April 16 2025
Just four of us the other Wednesday plus one or two online. It was Easter week and so I took us to the subject of the crown of thorns, which take us to the cross itself. We spent time in prayer too but the whiole meeting was very brief - under an hour.
10 colours of noise
1. Black noise
Black noise, is simply silence.
2. White noise
White noise is comprised of an equal amount of every frequency, all played at once. It happens in real life when your TV or radio makes static noise.
Pretty much any other color is basically a slight variation on white noise, based on a rough comparison between the frequency spectrum and the colour spectrum.
3. Pink noise
Pink noise is essentially bass-boosted white noise, where the amplitude decreases as the frequencies get higher. It got its name thanks to the pink/violet hues present at the lowest frequencies of light. This is the perceptually ‘balanced’ white noise that many are comfortable with; a lot of ‘white noise machines’ actually play something that’s a lot closer to pink noise.
4. Red noise
5. Brown noise
Brown noise is the only colour not on the the colour spectrum (although some people do call it red noise for that reason). Its namesake is Brownian motion, the term that physicists use to describe the way that particles move randomly through liquids.
Brown noise is even bassier than pink noise; while pink noise boosts bass to adjust for human ears, brown noise boosts bass a bit more, just to further warm things up. This noise is similar to the sound of waves crashing or winds roaring, so if you’re a fan of the sea, brown noise might be the noise for you!
6. Blue noise
Blue noise is, unsurprisingly, the opposite of pink noise. Rather than being bass-boosted, it’s treble-boosted, and the frequencies are so high that most of them are barely even perceptible to us. It sounds pretty similar to the hiss that occurs when you stick your thumb in a hose with running water—a high, screechy tone.
7. Violet/Purple noise
In a similar vein to blue, some people also use violet noise, which has even louder high frequencies than blue noise (violet is to blue as brown is to pink). These aren’t particularly useful for helping you sleep, but they have an important application in audio dithering.
8. Grey noise
Grey noise is very similar to pink noise, but with one key difference. While pink noise approximates a curve to adjust for all human ears, grey noise is tailored specifically by scientists for each person who uses it.
Grey follows a much less general curve, with more specific dips and jumps at certain frequencies to accommodate one’s unique frequency response. It’s used to treat hearing problems like tinnitus and hyperacusis, and doesn’t have many popular use cases outside of medicine.
9. Green noise
Green noise amplifies mid-range frequencies with uniform intensity. Green noise sounds are perceived as similar to ocean waves or a stream. There is limited research that shows green noise benefitting sleep, but background noise can help mask noisy environments that disrupt sleep.
10. Orange noise
Orange noise is a custom variation of pink noise focused on low frequency energy for your ambient listening enjoyment.
10 School Register Absence Codes
- C: Indicates the student is absent due to exceptional circumstances.
- D: Indicates the student is dual registered at another school.
- E: Indicates the student is suspended or permanently excluded.
- I: Indicates the student is absent due to illness (not medical or dental appointments).
- M: Indicates the student is absent due to a medical or dental appointment.
- Q: Indicates the student is unable to attend due to a lack of access arrangements.
- R: Indicates the student is absent for religious observance (only one day is usually allowed, and any further absences are coded as C if agreed).
- S: Indicates the student is absent for study leave.
- T: Indicates the student is absent because a parent is traveling for occupational purposes.
- U: Indicates the student arrived after the register was closed.
(Bonus X: Indicates the student is a non-compulsory school-age pupil not required to attend.)
Evangelical Library Lunchtime Zoom Lecture KEith Berry on Jan Hus
It was great last Tuesday to hear Keith Berry giving the third and final zoom lecture of our latest series of lunch time lectures for the Evangelical Library. He spoke on a recent trip to the Czech Republic where he followed in the footsteps of the proto-reformer, Jan Hus (1369-1415). In Bethlehem Chapel where he preached the "six heresies" for whch he was martyred are recalled. They are
1. The Church:
Hus believed the Church was the body of those predestined to salvation, not the hierarchy, and that Christ was the head, not the Pope.
2. Indulgences:
He criticized the sale of indulgences and the belief that they could forgive sins.
3. Communion:
Hus advocated for communion in both bread and wine for both laypeople and priests, challenging the traditional practice.
4. Validity of Sacraments:
He believed the validity of sacraments was dependent on the moral character of the priest, not just their ordination.
5. Criticism of Church Discipline and Organisation:
Hus openly criticised the Church for its corruption and abuses.
6. Wycliffite Teachings:
Hus was accused of adopting and promoting the teachings of John Wycliffe, including ideas about the Bible and Church authority.
Hus said "By the help of God I have preached, still am preaching, and if his grace will allow, shall continue to preach; if perchance I may be able to lead some poor, tired, or halting soul into the house of Christ to the King's supper." When he died he prayed "Lord Jesus Christ , I implore Thee , forgive all my enemies for Thy great mercy's sake ; and Thou knowest that they have falsely accused me and have produced false witnesses and have concocted false articles against me!"
10 Duties of a minister according to 2 Timothy 4
- Preach the word
- Be prepared in season and out of season
- Correct
- Rebuke
- Encourage
- Do this with great patience and careful instruction
- Keep your head in all situations
- Endure hardship
- Do the work of an evangelist
- Discharge all the duties of your ministry (prayer, reading, visiting, etc)
Banner Conference 2025 04
The final morning of this year's Banner was the anecdote packed second of David Campbell's addresses. Very helpful. We closed with Warren Peel expounding Proverbs 4:23 making good use of Flavel's Keeping the heart.
Many of us did not know the F W Boreham story about his call from Mosgiel to Hobart, found in his biography and retold by David.
... For reasons of their own, the officials at Hobart had asked me to let them have my decision not later than Saturday, March 24, and I had promised to respect their wishes in that matter. As that day drew nearer, the issues narrowed themselves down to one. Did the acceptance of the English trip commit me to a prolonged ministry at Mosgiel?
When that Saturday dawned, we were as far from finality as ever. The post office closed at five o’clock in the afternoon and I was determined, come what might, to hand in my reply by then. In my confusion I recalled for my comfort a conversation that, during one of his visits to our manse, I had enjoyed with Mr. Doke. One lovely morning we were sitting together on the veranda, looking away across the golden plains to the purple and sunlit mountains, when I broached this very question: ‘Can a man be quite sure,’ I asked, ‘that, in the hour of perplexity, he will be rightly led? Can he feel secure against a false step?’ I shall never forget his reply. He sprang from his deck-chair and came earnestly towards me. 'I am certain of it,’ he exclaimed, if he will but give God time! Remember that as long as you live,'' he added entreatingly.
More than ten years later I found myself face to face with a crisis. I had to make a decision on which my whole life's work depended, and I had to make the decision by five o'clock — the hour at which the telegraph office closed - on a certain Saturday evening. It chanced once more that a minister was my guest. But he could not help me. He thought it vastly improbable that God could concern Himself about individual trivialities. 'The Lord has so much to see to ... such a lot of beds in the ward! ' He was inclined to think that a certain element of chance dominated our mortality, that a man was bound to take certain risks, and that life was very much like a lottery. 'And if a man make a mistake at a critical juncture like this?' I asked anxiously. He shrugged his shoulders.
'And after that the dark.' I remember with a shudder how my faith winced and staggered under that blow. But I thought of the sunny morning on the verandah ten years before, and clutched desperately and wildly at my old faith. Saturday came. I positively had not the ghost of a notion as to what I ought to do. At five minutes to five we were standing together in the porch of the post office, desperately endeavouring to make up our minds. We were giving God time: would the guidance come? At three minutes to five, Gavin, the church secretary, rode up on a bicycle. He was obviously agitated.
‘What do you think I heard in the city this morning?’ he asked eagerly. I assured him that I could form no idea.
‘Well,’ he replied, his news positively sizzling on his tongue, ‘I heard that you have been called to Hobart!’
‘lt’s true enough, Gavin,’ I answered, ‘but how can we consider such an invitation after your goodness in giving us a trip to England?’
‘A trip to England!’ he almost shouted. ‘Man alive, didn’t you earn your trip to England before you went? Why, you’re very nearly due for another!’
I begged him to excuse me a moment. The clerk at the counter was preparing to close the office. I handed in my telegram and rejoined Gavin, who insisted on taking us home to tea. At his house I wrote out my resignation, asking him to call the officers together at ten o’clock next morning.
Banner Conference 2025 03b
The Wednesday evening of the conferencewas made up of a global news session and Stuart Olyott's second and final message, this time on Finishing well. The best aspect of this message was that the finish was clearly seen to bewhen we die not when we retire. Otherwise he was largely repeating what he had said about starting out - that too a lesson in itself. We heard from seven men in the sharing session, inclduing two veterans - Keith Underhill and Andrew Swanson. What a privielege to hear.
Banner Conference 2025 03a
Wednesday morning at the Banner began again with prayer and then there were two sessions before lunch on our theme of a lifetime in ministry. First we had Lessons in Life and Ministry: A Personal Reflection the second message from retired minister David Johnston. This was a lovely reflection on his long ministry in various Presbyterian churches touching on conversion, call, convictions, challenges, etc. Then after coffee we had a helpful first exploration of the subject When a Call Comes to a New Ministry from David Campbell, who I believe is in his third charge. This did not answer every question by any means but it did argue (from Acts 16) that in the sovereignty and guidance of God it can be right to accept a move from one post to another. David made use of the writings of Hezekiah Harvey, someone I had never heard of. He had plenty of anecdotes from church history too (Chalmers, Thornwell, etc).
Banner Conference 2025 02
Tuesday at the Banner was a full day with an afternoon break featuring two morning addresses and two evening ones. We started with prayer and a very helpful message on lifetime ministry and the Son of God from Garry Williams who also spoke later in the day on the same subject. The second part of the morning was led by retired minister David Johnston on life and ministry, reflecting on the ministry of Moses. The last session of the day was from Jeff Kingswood from Canada on 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Garry Williams was particularly insightful and helpful as he took us to the temptations in the wilderness (particularly the third) at the beginning of Christ's ministry (Matthew 4) and Gethsemane at the end of it (Matthew 26). In the wilderness, Christ was the new Moses, the new Israel and the new Adam. Taking us to Psalm 2 he helpfully pointed out how the first two temptations begin If you are the Son of God ... whereas the third begins All this I will give you .... He pointed out that the problem was not so much with what the devil offered Jesus as with the menas he suggested for securing it. There was also a proper emphasis on Christ as Saviour first and then example.
In the second message on Gethsemane we had a full and helpful treatment of the theological difficulties and lessons to learn about stress in the ministry, with nice quotations from Hilary of Poitiers, John Calvin et al.
... And whence came his sorrow and anguish, and fear, but because he felt that death had something in it more sad and more dreadful than the separation of the soul and body? And certainly he underwent death, not merely that he might depart from earth to heaven, but rather that, by taking upon himself the curse to which we were liable, he might deliver us from it. He had no horror at death, therefore, simply as a passage out of the world, but because he had before his eyes the dreadful tribunal of God, and the Judge himself armed with inconceivable vengeance; and because our sins, the load of which was laid upon him, pressed him down with their enormous weight. There is no reason to wonder, therefore, if the dreadful abyss of destruction tormented him grievously with fear and anguish. Calvin
That which He has not assumed, He has not healed. Gregory of Nazianzus
Jesus dies on the cross, but not of the cross. B B Warfield
Banner Conference 2025 01
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| Andrew Lucas |
On Monday afternoon I drove up from London with my father-in-law and Dinu Moga from Oradea, Romania to the conference centre. We began at five with an opening sermon from Andrew Lucas pastor in Omagh, Ulster. He took us to various places in the story of Paul where Paul experienced discouragement, weakness and loneliness. He sought to show that each time it was in the Lord that Paul found relief and we must do the same. After our evening meal we had a superb message from Stuart Olyott on setting out in the ministry. as he said it is simple being a minister though not easy. he urged us to know your God, to know yourself, to knowyour flock and to know yoour job (qhich is to be an example, to pray, to preach the gospel, to declare the whole coounsel of God and to shepherd every sheep (including the lambs). SUperb stuff.
Banner Conference 2025
After not being at the conference last year I am here again in Yarnfield Park for the Banner of Truth Ministers Conference. Nice to have family and friends here. Great joy to have Iain Murray introduce one of the sessions. Reports to follow.
Lord's Day April 6 2025
Over twenty of us sat down at the communion table on the Lord's Day, the first in April. This included the two newly baptised men who I mentioned last week. I then preached on Ephesians 4:13-16 (really enjoying Ephesians by the way). We had some Iranians around for lunch, which was nice. Although the morning congregation was quite large the evening one was small. I was glad I'd picked out an encouraging verse from the Old Testament to stir us up.
Midweek Meeting April 02 2025
A good time of praye rand Bible study last week as we looked at the classic verse.
Day Off Week 14 2025
It's a week ago now but I did have a nice day off on April 1 not caught out by any pranks. I've now reached page 745 of David Copperfield so the end is in sight. Also had a nice walk and a coffee and watched Univeristy Challenge from the day before which I had missed because of a meeting with the architect. We also watched the last of the interesting drama based on the story of Ruth Ellis. Also a bit of research for apaper I have to give next month.
Lord's Day March 30 2025
Many events seemed to combine last Sunday. It was the end of Ramadan and the first Sunday of the new year for Iranians. It was Mothers Day in the UK and the clocks Sprang forward an hour to British Summer Time. Perhaps for the latter reason and may be some others it was not the best Sunday to have a baptism bit we did and followed it with a meal. We baptised two young Kurdish Iranian men. One was so late due to travel problems that we almost postponed it. We got there, however. I reached on Matthew 13:44. About twenty of us stayed for lunch and that was a very nice time. In the evening Eddie preached well to s small gathering, a second look at Colossians 3.
Midweek Meeting March 26 2025
We were the usual few at the Wednesday meeting as we carried on through Romans 8 and spent tme in prayer.
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