Wales in 100 Objects by Andrew Green

A lot of publishing is driven by crazes. Ever since Neil MacGregor's History of the world in 100 Objects in 2010 there has been a steady flow of books in the same format. Over the last 100 days or so I have been reading Andrew Green's Wales in 100 Objects. The book (also available in Welsh) has a page of text and a picture (by Roland Dafis) for each object and soa  day at atime approach is slow but sure. The text is very well written and infomative. New dicoveries are being made all the time and changing the detail, although the general picture is long established. Fascinating.

Midweek Meeting October 9 2024

I didn't feel quite ready for the meeting last Wednesday. I'd got distracted somehow. Anyway, we got through. Seven of us there. Most prayed. We looked anothe rof the psalms I have no reord of covering before.

Day Off Week 41

The main thing on my day off was reading the bulk of a book I wanted to consult as part of a project I have in mind. There was soem writing uo to do with that. I hadn't watched University Challenge on the Monday as I was busy with a meeting so I watched that on catch up. Tere was some other reading too and a walk and a coffee, of course.

Island Aflame by Tom Lennie

Finished reading this today. It is subtitled: The Famed Lewis Awakening that Never Occurred and the Glorious Revival that Did. I greatly enjoyed it. Written in what I suppose is a journalistic style, Mr Lennie manages to straddle the sceptical but sympathetic line (something I hgenerally aim at myself) as he seeks to explore the revivals in the Hebrides under Duncan Campbell in the late forties and early fifties. You cannot move in the (Reformed evangelical( circles I move in without hearing at some point about Duncan Campbell and the revival in the Hebrides - the two sisters who prayed, the sense of Gpd, the conversions, etc. What this book does, very helpfully, is to try and untangle fact from fiction, truth from exaggeration. It is meticulous and completes the task, I felt, very well, destroying the myth but preserving the core truths of what was undoubtedly a work of God. It means admitting that Duncan Cambell was a pathological liar and that the Free Church made some big mistakes but this sounds much more like what happened than anything else available. Check it out.

Lord's Day October 6 2024

A new month is here so we began with communion as usual. Over twenty there so that was good. We red Isaiah 53. A good large congregatioon in the morning as we celbrated harvet by singing the traditional hymns and looking at Hosea 10:12. Some missing, mostly due to illness but plenty of others there, including visitors. An Uzbek woman who knows a couple who come regularly was there again, which was good. An Iranian man who goes to the Met Tab joined us eary on. I think he is just visiting the area, An Iranian lady who does live nearby came with her youngson, who was able to attend Sunday School (I also spoke to the children about the means of grace). A very elderly couple who have just moved from Nigeria to London were there. I hope they got on okay. Someone kindly gave them a lift home. We also have some old friends staying with us who were there. Andrew was my assistant at one time and he and Jill lived in the church flat for three years. With them we were up to about 15 in the evening, which looks wuite decent. Finding 2 chronicles very interesting.

10 Countries or Territories Whose Flag Incorporates the Union Jack

1. Australia (since 1908)  
2. Fiji  (1902) 
3. New Zealand (1997) 
4. Tuvalu (1970) 
5. Bermuda (1910)   
6. British Virgin Islands (1960)  
7. Cayman Islands (1958)_  
8. Falkland Islands  (1999) 
9. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (1985)  
10. Turks and Caicos Islands (1968)  

Midweek Meeting October 3 2024

Things were a little different this week in that we had the opportunity to hear from a North African friend of ours who pastors in  the South of France. We needed to meet on Thursday rather than Wednesday to fit in with his schedule but that increased numbers rather than lowering them, despite having had a members meeting the night before. We were fifteen rather than our usual six or eight. Our friend simply reported on the work and then we prayed for a little while. It was good to have him around (he stayed with us) albeit briefly. He hopes to travel soon to North Africa with friends exploring future possibilities.

Day Off Week 40 2024

More like the usual day off pattern on Tuesday, although early on I had to be at the doctor's for a blood test. When I came back I went to my study in the chapel and threw away another pile of sermons. This time it was handwritten ones and that was hard. During the day I read, had a coffee and looked at today's Times (as it had an obituary for Kris Kristofferson). I also tried to make prgress on this project I have to complete in the month or two. In the evening we watched the first episode of Ludwig with David Mitchell and enjoyed it mostly. Then the itv news and sleep.

Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age Rosaria Butterfield

The Pastors Academy reading group gathered again recently. About ten of us gathered, led by Peter Day, to discuss Rosaria Butterfield's latest tome, Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age. The five lies are as follows

Lie #1: Homosexuality Is Normal (Chapters 1-4)

Lie #2: Being a Spiritual Person Is Kinder than Being a Biblical Christian (Chapters 5, 6)

Lie #3: Feminism Is Good for the World and the Church (Chaoters 7-10)

Lie #4: Transgenderism Is Normal (Chapters 11, 12)

Lie #5: Modesty Is an Outdated Burden That Serves Male Dominance and Holds Women Back (Chapters 13-16)

Like me, several thought the book badly edited and too long, (I even spotted a spelling mistake on page 220 and a grammatical error on page 236). Some thought she has grown rather harsh since previous books. Maybe. While recognising this is a book for American women not British men we thought that it made some excllent points and it led to some good discussion among us, eg on whether women should be submissive in the realm of the state (we all agreed they should be in church and in the home).

It was a nice surprise to see a friend of mine from University days. He has recently retired and someone in the same position he knows invited him (we were in fact four Aber graduates - two slightly older men, a pastor and an elder, now also in the London area). I made some suggestions for the next book to do and we agreed to look at one of them next time - Leonardo de Chirico on Thomas Aquinas. Our chairman (Brad Framnklin) deftly volunteered me to lead. That meeting is January 27, 2025.

Lord's Day September 20 2024

We had a good day last Lord's Day. I was preaching morning and evening. In the morning we looked at the last section of the Sermon on the Mount, such a sobering passage. An added bonus was the presence of the Saywell family, over from the Philippines, where they have known great blessing. Reuben reported and spoke to the children, which made things a bit longer but it was okay. New Iranians continue to come. Not much English. Eleri entertained 22 of us here for lunch. Amazing! In the evening we were back down to 12 or so but it was good to look at 2 Chronicles 4 and learn more aboit the Temple and its lessons.

10 Parallels Betweeen Joseph in Genesis and Jesus

1. Both are the most loved of their fathers (Joseph, Genesis 37:5-11, Jesus, Matthew 3:17)
2. Both Joseph and Jesus’ brothers were jealous and did not believe in them (Joseph, Genesis 37:4-5, 11, Jesus, the Jews did not believe in him and hated him, John 7:5, 15:24)
3. Joseph was sent by his father to his brothers, Jesus was sent by his Father to his brother Israelites (Joseph, Genesis 37:13, 18-20, Jesus, Matt.21:37-3, Mark 12:6-7, Luke 20:13-15, John 5:23)
4. Both foretold their future sovereignty (Joseph Genesis 37:7-12, Jesus Matthew 26:64; John 18:37)
5. Both were stripped of their clothes (Joseph, Genesis 37:23, Jesus John 19:23)
6. Both were sold by one of the 12 named Judah or Judas (Joseph, Genesis 37:26-27, Jesus, Matthew 26:15, 27:9)
7. Joseph was tempted but did not sin, Jesus was tempted in all things yet was without sin (Joseph, Genesis 39:9, Jesus, Hebrews 4:15)
8. Joseph was bound, Jesus was bound and brought before Pilate – (Joseph, Genesis 39:30, Jesus, Matthew 27:2)
9. Joseph’s brothers later repented for what they did to him (Joseph, Genesis 42:7, Jesus, Zechariah 12:10)
10. Joseph is exalted, and set over all Egypt (41:39-40, 1 Peter 3:22; Philippians 2:9-11)

Prayer Meetings September 2024

We had a series of prayer meetings last week. There were six of these altogether - two early birds meetings at 7.30 am on Monday and Friday, meeting every night Tuesday to Thursday and a final prayer breakfast on Saturday morning at 8 am. The Saturday and midweek meetings were best attended with six or more at all those. In the early morning we were down to two or three. A nominal 11 people attended the meetings (ie 11 different people came at least once). We'll try and have another next February.

10 Things you don't have to know

These are really illustrations dealing with the fact that sometimes genune Christians will not know when exactly they became Christians. Such a lack should never mean a person has no assurance.

1. You don't have to know when you were born to be alive
2. You don't have to know which door you came in by to know you are in the building
3. You don't have to be able to describe how you got there to be sure you are in London
4. You don't have to remember getting dressed to know you have clothes on
5. You don't have to remember what you ate to know you have eaten dinner
6. You don't have to have seen the apple fall from the tree to enjoy eating it
7. You don't have to know when the bread was baked to enjoy eating it
8. You don't have to know when your pet dog was born in order to enjoy playing with him
9. You don't have to have seen the sunrise to enjoy its rays
10. You don't have to know the source of the Nile to swim in its waters

10 Ways God's Word is Pictured in Psalm 119

1. Something hidden in a secret place 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees.
2. Something containing wonderful things 18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
3. A life saver 25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. (See also 37 40, 50, 93)
4. A path or way 27-35 27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds. … 29 Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me and teach me your law. 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. 32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding. 33 Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. ... 35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
5. A strength provider 28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
6. A shepherd 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 176 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.
7. A star 89 Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
8. Silver and gold 72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (See also 127)
9. Honey 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
10. Light 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (See also 130)

10 Interesting Time References in Psalm 119

 

20 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.

44 I will always obey your law, for ever and ever.

55 In the night, LORD, I remember your name, that I may keep your law.

62 At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.

97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

117 Uphold me, and I will be delivered; I will always have regard for your decrees.

148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.