Ecclesiastes 11:3b

 

Childs Hill Park

Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,

in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

Pascal at the PA

Yesterday, I was back at the Pastor's Academy perhaps for the last time. I was at the reading group leading a discussion of a new biography of Blaise Pascal by Graham Tomlin. The book is a fine piece of work and appears to give a full and fair description and assessment of the giant and genius that is Pascal. The below were written to provoke discussion, whuch they did. They plan to look at Oilgrim's Progress next, September 7.

Pastors Academy Reading Group April 27 2026 [GB]

Blaise Pascal, the man who made the modern world by Graham Tomlin [H & S 2025]

Impressions? Did you enjoy it? What did you know of P beforehand? Can we trust Tomlin?

Intro [1-8] Does Tomlin oversell P? Did P anticipate postmodernism?

1 Great Century [9-36] How necessary is this chapter, how helpful? Is P an enigma [13]?

2/3 Majesty of Science [37-59]/Weighing the Air [60-73] Do these chapters help us with the science versus religion debate? What are the differences between P and Descartes? Would it be better today if scientists were more open to changing their minds if the evidence suggests it? [63] Do “Science & theology require different methods”? [72] If so, why? “It is the heart that perceives God not the reason”; true? [72]

4 Nothing Is Certain [74-96] Any libertins or honnete hommes today? What are the differences between P and Montaigne? How did they see death similarly/differently? Where did they differ on attitudes to self? What about man's insignificance/right responses to the human condition? 'What do I know?' or 'What do I do?' [95]

5 Children of Port-Royal [97-123] Is there an argument for sometimes abstaining from communion? What about retreats? [102] What about contrition and attrition? [112] What about pre-communion self-examination? [113] Does Chapter 5 help us on the matter of living out “the spiritual life in the middle of the world”? [121] What about providence – eg P not marrying, escaping his crazy uncle, etc? [120, 122]

6 Night of Fire [124-149] Is there a place for burying a talent? What do you make of P's “second conversion”? How does it compare with Descartes' story? Is it anti-physical at all?

7 Two Champions [150-168] Who are the two champions; what difference does P highlight under their names? Are Protestants far too confident that they, they alone, know the true meaning of the Bible? [159] Is sceptical dogmatism/dogmatic scepticism the right way to think?

8 Demented, Heretical or Jansenist? [169-196] What do we say to the five propositions? Is God a capricious despot moving pawns around? [172] Is there a blurring of Church and world today and will instruction put things right? [174] Were Jansenists Calvinists in disguise? [175; 112/3, 185] Would an entirely different approach help us perhaps? Does ridicule have a place? [176] Is there more of a need for popular writing? [178] Are there things to discuss here about use of technology/ persecution? What about the Jesuit views considered in letters 5 & 7? What do you make of the discussion of grace 186-191? Are both Jesuits and Jansenists wrong? Is it true to say heresy is often driven by an apologetic agenda, the Jesuits being a prime example? [192/3] Was P a Jansenist?

9 Hidden God [197-220] P speaks of the force of truth; a useful phrase? [197] What of his commitment to Romanism? [198] “P was always a too big and independent a mind and a character to fit ...” True or false? If true, good or bad? [199] Ridicule and eloquence might amuse but do not convert – discuss [201] Is the idea of God being hidden useful [202]? “True miracles can never be performed by anyone … to confirm an error” Is that a biblical position? [206] Are false miracles a proof there are true ones? [207] Do people believe miracles or not on the strength of evidence or what's in their hearts? [208] Is this helpful on the incarnation? [209, 220] Is P's doubt over creation's power to convert right? [212] It provides “too much to deny and too much to prove”; true? [213] “... he must see enough to know that he has lost him ...” Useful? [217]

10 Cleopatra’s Nose [221-244] Is P helpful on politics? Did the Jansenists act Jesuitically? [243]

11 Distracting Ourselves to Death [245-267] P was not content with conventional wisdom; is that a good thing? [251] What of P's struggle to balance his love of maths, etc and his love for God? [255] Is P helpful on distraction? Why is the most pleasure in the chase? [260] How do Montaigne and P differ on happiness? What about the long quotation 263?

12 Christianity Is Strange [268-293] Was P pre-suppositionalist? [275] How do we learn to love people? [276/7] Is P's order of arguing his case good? How do we escape thinking only of the past and future? [287] What about the problem of self-deception? Do we need to learn that we are monsters? [289] Is the observation top of 292 about Adam true and helpful? Is Christianity strange?

13 Make It Attractive [294-317] Is it right to say that simply piling up rational arguments for faith is a mistake? [299] What about “All those contradictions which seemed to take me furthest from the knowledge of any religion are what led me most directly to the true religion”? [302] How important is it to stress that we need a Redeemer? [303] What about his approach to Islam and the Old Testament? And the centrality of Jesus Christ? [308] Is the realisation that revelation is paradoxically hidden a helpful insight? [309] “Despite its total implausibility”? [310] The importance of the cross? What about pages 316, 317?

14 Spinning Coin at the Edge of the Universe [318-342] Atheism – not a bad argument but a bad gamble?? [332] What about the power of habit? [334] Confirmation bias?? [336] Three ways to believe? [340]

15 Hate Your Self [343-364] Does P define conversion well? [343] The competitive, deceiving, divided, trivial self and the remedy? The right balance in hating self?

16 If You Only Had a Week to Live [365-388] What do we make of P and his critics?

Lord's Day April 27 2026

It was our privilege yesterday to hear Geoff Low preach on John 17 and Job 41, 42. We had what are good turn outs for us (c 50 and 15) and good fellowship between times. Geoff and Rachel live south of the river and so our paths have hardly crossed despite moving in very similar circles.

10 Nyms

Claus Färber (3247); based on bitmap image by Nataraja., CC BY-SA 3.0
<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

1. ananym, pseudonym consisting of the real name written backwards eg Erewhon, novel by Samuel Butler
2. anthroponym, personal name eg Brady
3. aptronym, a name suitable to one's occupation eg Usain Bolt the runner, Sara Blizzard the weather forecaster
4. cryptonym, secret name eg Operation London Bridge the code name for the funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II, who died September 8, 2022.
5. homonym, one of two or more words spelled or pronounced alike but different in meaning eg bat (an animal/sporting equipment), park (recreational area/position a car) rock (a stone/a music genre)
6. metonym, name used of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated eg Wall Street (the financial sector in the US) The Press (news media or journalists) Boots on the ground
7. pseudonym, fictitious name eg Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), George Orwell (Eric Blair), Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
8. retronym, term newly created and adopted to distinguish the original or older version, form, or example from other, more recent versions, forms, or examples eg steam train, acoustic guitar
9. synonym, one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses eg large, huge, giant/pretty, attractive, alluring
10. toponym, place name eg descriptive Rocky Mountains, Greenland; commemorative Victoria, St Petersburg; associative/origin New York, Jamestown, shift New England

The Fox and the Cat

It's not a great picture and the creatures are behind mesh, which does not help, but I was amazed the other day to see this little cat and this fox looking at each other. The fox was not malicious and the cat was not afraid, as far as I could see.

10 Reasons to Lament over the Church of Christ

Claude Vignon, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>,
via Wikimedia Commons

This list was prompted by what Christopher Ash had to say at the conference

Because of ...

1. The persecution so many suffer
2. The needless divisons that too often exist
3. The false teachings that have come in and doen much harm
4. The ill taught nature of so many
5. The scandals that Christians fall into, especially ministers
6. The triumphalistic pride and self-confidence that is sometimes shown
7. The lack of success in evangelism
8. The worldliness that characterises so many
9. The lack of love and joy that is so often the case
10. The lack of repentance that seems to prevail so much

British Museum

Jononmac46, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

I forgot to say that one of the things we did when the family was here, apart from the London Wetlands Centre and Whipsnade Zoo, etc, was to go to the British Museum to see this wonderful pendnat recently discovered from the time of Katherine of Aragon. See here. We have a friend working in the museum and she arranged for us to see the Samurai exhibition too.

Banner of Truth Conference Final Day

We finished the conference with another sermon from Dan Peters and a closing sermon from Mark Loughridge. Mark took us to Psalm 126 ad spoke of the need to celebrate joyfully, pray expectantly, work confidently and listen to Jesus singing, praying and reassuring us. Dan chose to remind us of the need to preach in the Spirit. It is difficult to preachin the Spirit if that is what you are describing. It was a timely and helful word, nevertheless, and the whole conference wa a great blessing - not just the messages but the more informal discussion too. Next on April 12-15, 2027. Speakers will include Gerrard Hemmings and David Whitla,.

Banner of Truth Conference Day Three Evening

 

At 5 pm this evening we had a session chaired by David Campbell on various mission matters - from Africa, India, Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada, Banner worldwide and the Open Air Mission. Then after dinner we had the final session with Christopher Ash, looking at Lamentations 4 and 5.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Three Morning

Another good couple of sessions. This morning we were more in the back of the engine, seeking a theology of revival with Brian Edwards' help and noting the connection between Calvary and Pentecost with David Vaughn. Brian Edwards made an interesting point towards the end, that Christian maturity is more important than revival.

He gave us a very interesting Spurgeon quotation as he closed.

It is a sorrowful fact that many who are spiritually alive greatly need reviving. It is sorrowful because it is a proof of the existence of much spiritual evil. A man in sound health with every part of his body in a vigorous condition does not need reviving. He requires daily sustenance, but reviving would be quite out of place. If he has not yet attained maturity growth will be most desirable, but a hale hearty young man wants no reviving, it would be thrown away upon him. Who thinks of reviving the noonday sun, the ocean at its flood, or the year at its prime? The tree planted by the rivers of water loaded with fruit needs not excite our anxiety for its revival, for its fruitfulness and beauty charm every one. Such should be the constant condition of the sons of God. Feeding and lying down in green pastures and led by the still waters they ought not always to be crying, "my leanness, my leanness, woe unto me." Sustained by gracious promises and enriched out of the fullness which God has treasured up in his dear Son, their souls should prosper and be in health, and their piety ought to need no reviving. They should aspire to a higher blessing, a richer mercy, than a mere revival. They have the nether springs already; they should earnestly cover the upper springs. They should be asking for growth in grace, for increase of strength, for greater success; they should have out-climbed and out-soared the period in which they need to be constantly crying, "Wilt thou not revive us again?"

See here.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Two Evening

This evening we had messages from Jeremy Walker and Christopher Ash, again. The conference theme is revival and Jeremy guided us through nine of its characterisitcs, with historical references, ie supplication, proclamation, conviction, affection, opposition/division, puriification, elevation and extension, magnificaion and intensification. With Christopher Ash, we looked briefly at Lamentations 2 and then ore extensively at Lamentations 3, with an emphasis, as ever, on Christ.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day Two Morning

A good morning here in Yarnfield Park. We began with a short prayer meeting and then heard two papers on past revivals and theirblessons. First, American missionary to France, David Vaughn, spoke on the East African Revival and then, secondly, Brian Edwards spoke on Primitive Methodists. Both very interesting and rather forgotten. Between those we heard from, John Rawlinson gave a farewell speech, reminiscing and urging us not to build a legacy but to be faithful to the Lord. I was interested to hear that he was at a Banner Youth Conference in 1980 in Clovelly Hall, a conference which I believe I was also at.

Banner of Truth Conference 2026 Day One

It is good to be here in Yarnfield Park once again at a packed Banner Conference. I drove up with my father-in-law and my friend Keith Berry. The opening session was a sermon from Dan Peters on the widow of Nain's son in Luke 7 and it was preaching of the very highest quality. Then after our evening meal Christopher Ash gave the first of three addresses on Lamentations. He handled it very well, managing not to depress but to stir us.

Article in the May ET

The May Evangelical Times has already arrived here. I have an article in it once again.

Lord's Day April 19 2026

A good day preaching in Childs Hill yesterday. Usual sort of numbers (40/18 or so). One newcomer in the morning and an old friend in the evening. In the evening we had communion and welcomed in a new member. I carried on in Luke 20 in the morning (the stone the builders rejected) and looked at Psalm 19 in the evening.