It was a little bit different this week in that we had Gayle Pennant showing a short presentation and speaking to us about the work of Caring for Life. We have endeavoured to support the work in Leeds for many years. Leeds is far away and we struggle a little to keep up but it was good to have someone speaking about the work again on zoom. We were also able to have a short time of prayer afterwards as well. The last year or two has been tough for all of us and it has clearly been a hard time for C4L but they seem to be quite encouraged on the whole.
A blog featuring whatever I fancy, often on the Christian faith but not exclusively
Day Off Week 45 2021
This week I stuck to my new policy of reading one of these art books I have collected each day off. I chose the one on Dali which was very interesting. Dali was at his most prolific in the thirties but those paintings still seem very modern. I also read two of the three new Day One Books on Welsh heroes. I read the one on Thomas Coke by John Aaron first as I knew least about him. Then I read Nathan Munday's one on William Morgan which is fine although there is not much to say. I know about Thomas Charles and look forward to reading Jonathan Thomas's take on him. Each book is around 70 pages and I guess has young people in mind. Looking forward to seeing more. I was also reading some books I have agreed to review for Foundations and watched some TV in the evening. I also spent time movinga desk out ot the bedroom and replacing it with a bookcase.
Lord's Day November 7 2021
A new month so we began with communion. We were very few but things picked up and we were again a good number morning and evening. In the morning I preached on the ninth commandment and in the evening on bread (which didn't go as well as honey and salt had). As ever a quite varied congregation with all sorts of people there (people originally from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ghana, Greece, Iran, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, The Philippines, South Korea, The West Indies). A new Iranian family in the morning. One of my sons was passing through in the evening so that was nice.
Midweek Meeting November 3 2021
We went back on Wednesday to 1 Chronicles - to Chapter 27 (only two chapters to go). We had a good turn out, with at least 13 present and a good time of prayer. We are aware of some real needs at present and that gave an edge to our praying.
Fraternal Week
I was going to put a post called Fraternal week last month but there didn't seem to be time. The way things work for me is that the first Monday and the first Wednesday of each month are fraternal days and so the first week of the month tends to be busy. On the Monday I go to a traditional fraternal, the Westminster Fellowship which now meets in Westminster Baptist Church. Then on the Wednesday a number of us go for a walk on Hampstead Heath. We meet at a station, walk to a coffee place then on to another station. So there is no formality, we just talk about what we wish with whom we wish. It works well though. As for the Westminster Fellowship, last month we had Andy Young speaking very helpfully on evangelism and this month Dr Philip Sampson speaking on the very topical subject of creation care. Dr Sampson works at the Animal Ethics Centre in Oxford and is a Schaefferite. He gave a very interesting presentation on caring for creation, backed up by a range of excellent quotations from all the good guys (Calvin, the Puritans, Spurgeon, etc).
Day Off Week 44 2021
The week before it was half term and three grand children were here so there was no formal day off (though I got to play crazy golf and watched the film Ron's gone wrong). Last Tuesday we were back to a more regular day off. I spent most of it studying Benjamin Beddome, one of my passions (see here). I also read a fascinating little book on the artist M C Escher.
10 Musicals With One Word Titles
I'm not really a fan of musicals but I like the idea of this list.
- Oklahoma! 1943
- Grease 1972
- Chicago 1975
- Annie 1977
- Evita 1978
- Cats 1981
- Wicked 2003
- Matilda 2011
- Hamilton 2015
- Frozen 2017
(Many others come to mind such as Oliver!, Hair, Rent, Dames, etc)
Lord's Day October 31 2021
It was very encouraging yesterday, especially with regard to numbers. In the morning we were around 40 and in the evening, though we were only 12, it was twice what it was last week. (Others joined us on zoom am and pm). The morning congregation was swollen by five brand new comers, one of whom also came in the evening; a returning family of three and a couple visiting members. We also had people back from half term. Having said that there were still ten others who might have been there but weren't for some reason. I preached on the eighth commandment in the morning on Matthew 5:13 in the evening. I hope our newcomers return soon. Enjoyed singing Wesley's O Jesus, full of truth and grace. What a wonderful hymn!
GBM Annual Meetings 2021
It was a great joy to be at the Grace Baptist Mission meetings today to hear the various missionaries and the preaching of James Muldoon at All Nations Christian College, Ware. I always enjoy the GBM meetings as it gets you looking outward. I think I particularly enjoyed it this time for several reasons - the fact there was not an in person one last year; the presence of Reuben and Cathy Saywell, new missionaries to The Philippines, the remoter setting; the smaller numbers (about 260); the fact one needed to make less choices on who to listen to; the excellent sermon on Revelation 7 from James Muldoon. Lovely day.
Midweek Meeting October 27 2021
We had a special last night on zoom. We got to know Reuben and Cathey Saywell when Reuben was a student in London Seminary and we have been pleased to know of their intention to work for the Lord in The Philippines under the umbrella of GBM. It was an opportunity last night for a Bible study and a report from Reuben. We started a little late due to a technical hitch but we had a good number present and it was a good evening.
VR04 Leamington Spa
While I was in Leamington Spa recently I saw a statue of Queen Victoria
and it reminded me of a long forgotten attempt to record such statues where I come across them.
For others click the Queen Victoria tag.
10 Old Testament Deaths where Conventional Weapons were not used
- The Israelites bring down the walls of Jericho with trumpets and a loud shout (Joshua 6:20)
- Shamgar uses an ox goad to strike down Philistines (Judges 3:31)
- Jael uses a tent peg to kill Sisera (Judges 4:21)
- Gideon's army defeats the Midianites equipped with jars, torches, and trumpets (Judges 7:20)
- A woman uses a millstone to kill Abimelek (Judges 9:53; see also 2 Samuel 11:18-20)
- Samson uses a donkey's jawbone to strike down a thousand men (Judges 15:15)
- Samson brings down the Temple of Dagon on himself and kills thousands of Philistines (Judges 16)
- The High Priest topples off a bench and breaks his neck (1 Samuel 4)
- David kills Goliath with a stone (1 Samuel 17:40 and 48-51)
- Absalom dies by having his head caught in a tree and then speared (2 Samuel 18) This one is disqualified but 1 Kings 8 has been suggested, where we learn that Hazael took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over Ben Hadad's face so that he died.
John Wycliffe The Morning Star
We had another excellent lunch time lecture last Monday on Zoom for the Evangelical Library. The lecturer was Rob Childs the new minister at Droylesden Independent near Manchester. Some give the impression that Wycliffe could have signed the FIEC doctrinal basis, while others are keen to deny Wycliffe's evangelicalism. This paper seemed to hit just the right note, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. A recording of the lecture can be had from the Library. Our third and final lecture of the year will be from Dr Robert Oliver on Christopher Blackwood on November 22, again on zoom at 1-2 pm. Details for logging on from the Library.
Lord's Day October 24 2021
Generally speaking, if people can leave London at half term they do. Numbers were quite low last Lord's Day then - twenty five in the morning and only six in the evening (plus some zoomers for oth services). In the morning I looked at the next commandment in the series - You shall not commit adultery. In the evening I dipped into the Andrew Wilson book I so enjoyed and spoke on honey. A good day but difficult with the numbers so low. Nicely diverse congregation including a new couple from Zimbabwe in the morning.
Bojoura - Everybody s Day
Some great music in the sixties without doubt. Thijs van Leer on flute, of course.
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