Day Off Week 9 2025

We travelled last week to South Wales but this week it was back to a more traditional day off. I did my walk in the rain, although I again deviated from the indtended path. I ready a large chunk of David Copperfield - still a long way to go. I caught up on the Univeristy Challenge from the day before and in the evening we watched the final two episodes of the latest Unforgotten. There was also work on a project for next week.

10 Popular Songs That Feature Morse Code or Something Similar

1. Wichita lineman Glenn Campbell
2. London Calling The Clash
3. Starman David Bowie
4. YYZ Rush
5. Can I believe you OMD
6. Secret Messages ELO
7. Radioactivity Kraftwerk
8. You keep me hangin' on The Supremes
9. Watching you without me Kate Bush
10. Shooting Star Mamas an the Papas

Lord's Day February 23 2025

Another typical Sunday has gone by. I preached again from Ephesians and 2 Chronicles. In the morning it was based on some old material and I made the rookies' mistake of having too many sub-subpoints. It was also disappointing that we had three less in the evening service ho cam last week. We press on.

Our Building Project

Midweek Meeting February 19 2025

We were seven on Wednesday (four men and three women). Eddie led us through the final chapter of Lamentations and we spent time in prayer. It's been a good series , well led.Most prayed.

Lives Behind The Music

I have enjoyed reading this collection of obituaries from The Times. The linking theme is that they are all popular musical entertainers. There are around 75 names altogether, nearly all of whom I was aware of (Phil May was new to me; I didn't know the name Jet Black; I knew the name Captain Beefheart but noithing about him). Some are legends, as they say, others less so. They die at different ages (with a little glut around 27 as is known - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc). Few of them seem to have lived very easy lives and most of those who weren't abused themselves in some way were immoral or drug abusers. Some of the stories are very sad (Elvis, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain, etc). There are very few Christians here (Alvin Stardust and Glenn Campbell?) few religious at all. They are really a bunch of misfits in many ways but redeemed by their musical genius. From David Cassidy to Shane MacGowan I read them all and found them all interesting in one way or another. The obituaries change in style and length over the years (I'd like to have had a longer one on Marc Bolan). Some are missing (such as Johnny Cash).

Gwen Grace

Part of the fun here in Wales is meeting my six week old granddaughter Gwen for the first time.

 

Warren Gatland

I am in Wales at the moment. My son Owain (who turns 24 today - happy birthday!) and I came up on the train to join Eleri yesterday. On the way, who should be sitting a few seats from us but Warren Gatland, until recently manager of the Welsh rugby team (btw no mention of them becasue it is so bad at the moment - not really Warren's fault I think). Anyway my oldest grandchild played his forst proper game of rugby yesterday so I asked Mr Gatland if he'd sign something for me. I had a pen but the only piece of paper I had was an A4 manila envelope. Anyway, he very kindly signed it (see above). He wrote just the right thing. I explained to him that I am not a rugby fan as such but I am a Welshman. I think he understood.

10 Things God Cannot Do

https://www.oakgrovecofc.org/sermons/things-god-cannot-do/

This list could be varied. It was prompted by the first paper to be given at the Affinity Study Conference at the beginning of next month.

1. Learn anything new Isaiah 46:10, 1 John 3:20
2. Be surprised Psalm 139
3. Change James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8
4. Bear to look at evil Habakkuk 1:13
5. Suffer Malachi 3:6, etc
6. Faint or grow weary Isaiah 40:28
7. Die or cease to exist Psalm 102:25-27
8. Be tempted James 1:13
9. Lie or be unfaithful or breaka promise Psalm 89:34, Titus 1:2
10. Deny or disown himself 2 Timothy 2:13

Lord's Day February 16 2025

Somehow I forgot to give a report the other Sunday when I preached on the final verses of Ephesians 2 and 2 Chronicles 15. As I recall, it was a fairly typical Sunday but in the evening we had communion and a fellow turned up who had hardly ever been in church but is interested. Two Asian ladies were also there and it was nice to introduce them to each other and hear them chatting away in Hindi. (I've slotted this is in in an appropriate place).

Midweek Meeting February 12 2025

We carried on with Romans 8 last Wednesday, just looking at verses 12 and 13. This is such important teachig. It was good to be looking at it once again with the others gathered. We had a good time of prayer too.

Day Off Week 7 2025

My day off last Tuesday was similar to recent ones except that when I went on my walk on the Heath I went off my usual track and ended up in the Caffe Nero in Highgate, which I've not been in for a while. While in Highgate, I popped into the Oxfam shop and spotted a nice Paul Gallico illustrated book. I read some of The small miracle and started on the papers for the Affinity conference at the beginning of next month but my main reading was again David Copperfield. I also watched the University Challenge I'd missed and, in the evening, a bit of Miss Austen.

Jan Akkerman in Bush Hall

Got myself down to Shepherd's Bsh last night with a ministerial friend of mine to be at Jan Akkerman's final concert in a brief eight day tour of the country. He was on fine form and played mostly Focus numbers. I particularly enjoyed Anonymus (with a bit of Yankee Doodle thrown in for good measure). The band were as tight as ever and we enjoyed brief solos from the bass and drums. Jan himself seemed happy enough most of the time. The hall was full and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It's weird to think that much of this music was wrtten fifty years ago or so. 

Fay Revival in Yorkshire in the 1790s EL

We had an excellent paper on Zoom yesterday from Roger Fay from Ripon on revival in Yorkshire in the 1790s. Roger described what happened and some of the resuts and then gave some analysis of the issues it raised such as Arminianism and women's ministry. He ended

In conclusion, our consideration of the divinely wrought revivals that took place in Yorkshire in the 1790s, even with all their attendant problems, should make us thirsty for fresh outpourings of the Spirit of God today, even though we should be careful to test all things, hold fast to what is good and abstain from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22). Let the Methodist historian George Smith, writing in 1864, have the last word as he looked back on what had taken place in the 1790s, a date that was nearly within living memory in his own day:

O how gloriously has Jehovah revealed Himself! How fearfully has He displayed His wrath against all unrighteousness and confronted the awakened sinner with all the terrors of judgment! And yet, at the same moment, how blessedly and graciously He manifested Himself in pardoning mercy to the broken-hearted, believing penitent. We can scarcely believe it possible for God to reveal Himself more marvellously in a world of material existence, than we have known it done in some of these seasons, when all classes of mind, persons of every age, men and women of every description of character, the pious and profane alike, have, with one accord, stood awe-stricken in the felt presence of the heart-searching God.

Is this not what we need to experience today, with all the consequent God-glorifying salvation of sinners and blessing of the church, the ‘felt presence of the heart-searching God’ as he draws near to us in the person of his glorious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!.

The lecture should be on the Evangelical Library YouTube Channel soon. Ournext lecture is from Dr Ian Densham on Octavius Winslow, on March 10, Details of the zoom number from The Library. 

The lecture can be accessed here.

Lord's Day February 9 2025

Good to be back in Childs Hill on the Lord's Day for a full day of two services and having lunch together. I preached to a large congregation in the morning from Ephesians 2 and to a much smaller one in the evening on 2 Chronicles 14. Some missing in the morning, mostly due to illness, but good to see people back, including one couple who were unwell for most of January and a young convert who stopped coming for eight months (!) but seems back on track. A new Telugu speaking lady came in the evening. I hope we see here again soon.