Westminster Fellowship July 2026

Thomas Cross, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I don't always mention the Westminster Fellwoship but I was there yesterday and it was a particularly good one. Around twenty gathered to hear Dr Garry Williams from London Seminary on the Davidic covenant and, as one would have expected, it was incisive and stiimulating as he interected with the Bible and the literature. His main focus was on a 1657 work called Mysterium & medulla bibliorum, the Mysterie and Marrow of the Bible by Francis Roberts (see above). We normally make our own arrangements for lunch but Henry Dixon arranged fro us to have sandwiches together and that worked well. This is my last official Westminster Fellowship (although I have agreed to speak next year). Once I am in Wales I am not sure if I will travel up (although Jeremy Bailey does regularly). I am also thinking through the while question of retired ministers and fraternals and conferences.

Lord's Day July 5 2026

With a new month here, we began last Lord's Day with communion lokking at John 15. We welcomed our three newly baptised members into membership. So five new members in recen times. Encouraging. I carried on preaching through Luke with the burial at the end of Luke 23 and starting on the resurrection in the evening. Such great and important passages. In the evening we also had oour friend Sajida Iqbal from Pakistan present. Noot minnistrie is quit e force (see here). We had Sajida and Gill who brought here for tea with quite  afew others from the churhc. That was a happy time too. In the niorning a Gravce Baptist minister on sabbatical was with us. It was nce to put a face to a name and discover connections. I spoke to the children in the monring about Christian fellowship and how all Christians are connected and as I think abouot it we spent the day underlining that.

10 Single Volume Commentaries on Ephesians

 

1. Francis Foulkes
2. John Stott
3. H C G Moule
4. Charles Hodge
5. James M Boice
6. William Hendriksen
7. Harry Uprichard
8. Cordon Clark
9. Geoffrey B Wilson
10. Stuart Olyott

10 Notable Words Used by Washington Irving in his Rip Van Winkle Tale

1. Termagant: A harsh or overbearing woman (used to describe Rip’s nagging wife).
2. Galligaskins: Loose, baggy, or large trousers.
3. Rubicund: Having a red or ruddy complexion.
4. Dapper: someone - typically a man - who is neat, trim and stylishly dressed. (It can also refer to someone who is brisk, active and lively in their movements and manners.)
5. Junto: a small group of people, usually a faction, committee, or council, joined together for a common purpose (often secretly or with political aims).
6. Virago: Like Termagant, a domineering, fierce, or bad-tempered woman 
7. Dominie - a traditional term primarily referring to a schoolmaster or teacher in Scotland or a member of the clergy, specifically a pastor, in the Dutch Reformed Church.
8. Hollands - short for "Hollands gin" refers to a strong, juniper-flavoured gin originally distilled in the Netherlands. Also commonly known as Jenever.
9. Firelock - a historical firearm and the specific ignition mechanism it uses. It describes guns where the gunpowder is ignited by sparks struck from flint and steel, such as a flintlock. Broadly, the term historically distinguishes any flint or wheel-lock firearm from earlier matchlock systems that required a burning cord.
10. Connubial - related to marriage, wedlock or the intimate relationship between spouses.

10 People and Psalm 119

Manton/Wilberforce

1. Thomas Manton, a prolific 17th-century Puritan, wrote a massive, three-volume commentary exclusively on Psalm 119, spanning 190 separate chapters and over 1,600 pages.
2. George Wishart, Bishop of Edinburgh, in the 17th century (not to be confused with another Scot by the same name who was martyred a century earlier) was condemned to death for his faith. But when he was on the scaffold, he made use of a custom that allowed the condemned person to choose one psalm to be sung, and he chose Psalm 119. Before two-thirds of the psalm had been sung, his pardon arrived and his life was spared.
3. William Grimshaw of Haworth was accustomed to round-up the unwilling with a whip, prowling the village mid-service whilst the congregation was singing a psalm — a favourite one being Psalm 119, because it was the longest.
4. Matthew Henry the famous Bible commentator was raised on the Psalm. His father, Philip Henry, made the children meditate on one verse every single morning, cycling through the entire Psalm twice a year to foster a lifelong love for scripture.
5. William Wilberforce the 19th-century British politician who led the movement to abolish the slave trade frequently recited Psalm 119 from memory during his daily walks back from Parliament to calm his mind and maintain political courage.
6. David Livingstone the famous 19th-century Scottish pioneer missionary and explorer of Africa famously won a New Testament at his local church Sunday school when he was only 9 years old by flawlessly reciting the entire Psalm.
7. John Ruskin the art critic was made to emmorise the Psalm. He reflected heavily on it in his later years, famously noting how his mother's strict childhood enforcement of the chapter transitioned from feeling "repulsive" to becoming his most "precious" biblical text, representing an "overflowing and glorious passion of love for the Law of God".
8. Henry Martyn, the pioneer Anglican missionary to India in the early 19th century, famously memorised the entirety of Psalm 119 in 1804. During his arduous life of translating scriptures into local languages and facing exhaustion, he confessed that it was the Word of God alone that gave him strength.
9. Martin Luther held Psalm 119 in the highest regard, famously stating that he would not exchange a single leaf of it for the entire world. He viewed the psalm not just as a prayer, but as a core textbook for spiritual formation, using it to define his famous "three rules for studying theology" (prayer, meditation, temptation).
10. Charles Spurgeon, the "Prince of Preachers" deeply loved Psalm 119 and highly recommended the Exposition of Psalm 119 by Charles Bridges, calling it "worth its weight in gold."

Day Off Week 27 2026

Slighty odd day in some ways. I had hay fever all day, which can happen even though I take an antihistamine every day throughout the season. I spent the morning cataloguing books in LibraryThing (I took loadsto the Evangelical Library on Monday). Eleri was home until lunch time then going out so we had our main meal at lunch time (salmon). Because of the hay fever I didn't feel like walking the Thames and then two books I ordered weeks back arrived so I decided to go to Caffe Nero, West Hampstead, and sit in the air conditioning, reading them both which I did (only 60 pages each). Very helpful but I got quite depressed after and so after watching the news I headed for bed.

Lord's Day June 28 2026

The church was pretty full yesterday morning as we had three baptisms. One was a young lady who had grown up in the church, another was a local young man who we have got to know this year and the thrid was an Iranian. It was a great time. We also had another four Iranians there for the first time and in the evening a local lady who came once before returned. We were down to 15 in the evening but it wa sa good day all told, all the more poignant as that may be the last time I baptise anyone. Over the years I must have baptised around 43 people here in Childs Hill, an average of one a year.

10 Nicknames for Chapters in the Bible

1. 1 Kings 18 The Mount Carmel Showdown 
2. Psalm 23 The Shepherd Psalm
3. Isaiah 53 The Forbidden Chapter (the gospel according to Iaiah)
4. Isaaih 58 The Fasting Chapter
5. Ezekiel 37 The Dry Bones Chapter
6. Luke 15 The Lost Chapter (the joy chapter)
7. John 17 The High Priestly Prayer
8. 1 Corinthians 13 The Hymn of love (the wedding chapter)
9. Hebrews 11 The Hall of Faith
10. James 3 The Tongue Chapter

Westminster Conference Papers 2025 Now in print

 

10 Things you can live without

AI Generated

1. Comedian Matt Lucas has no hair (Cf TV presenter Gail Porter)
2. Singer Shane MacGowan lost most of his teeth and then had the remaining ones removed and false teeth inserted(Cf George Washington)
3. Beatles Ringo Starr and George Harrison had their tonsils removed in 1964 and 1969 (King Charles III had his tonsils and adenoids removed in 1957)
4. Footballer Pele had only one kidney from the seventies on (Cf Singer Natalie Cole)
5. Footballer Bobby Moore lost a testicle in 1964* (Cf Cyclist Lance Armstrong)
6. Marilyn Monroe had her appendix removed in 1962 (Cf Elton John, also without tonsils, adenoids and prostate)
7. Sammy Davis Jr lost his left eye in 1954 (Cf Actor Peter Falk)**
8. Nelson lost his right arm in 17974 (also his right eye 1794) (Cf Stonewall Jackson and left arm Rick Allen, Def Leppard drummer)
9. Ted Kennedy Jr had his leg amputated in 1973 (Cf Frida Kahlo)
10. Actor John Wayne had most of his left lung removed in 1964 (Cf Singer Al Jolson)

*Women survive well with none and so would a man with none but they could not reproduce

**Of course, people like Stevie Wonder have no use of either eye

(pop star Pink had her gall bladder removed in 2012 cf singer Kacey Musgraves; Django Reinhardt, Tony Iommi and Jerru Garcia all had bits of their fingers missing; actor Ben Stiller and golfer Armold Palmer had their prostate removed))

10 Words and ther Meanings From Anthony Beevor's Rasputin

LukaszKatlewa, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>,
via Wikimedia Commons

1. Banya A steam bath-house, often made from logs
2. Barin A Russian country gentleman who owned an estate
3. Dusya Darling
4. Gornitsa A guest house or guest room for travellers and pilgrims
5. Hieromonk A monk who has also been ordained as a priest, or a priest who becomes tonsured later Izba A simple peasant house, often a log cabin caulked with moss
6. Moujik Typical Russian peasant
7. Okhrana Tsarist secret police
8. Pogrom A riot, not just those anti-Semitic in nature
9. Starets A venerated elder of the Russian Orthodox Church
10. Strannik A wandering pilgrim

(Bonus: Tarantass A long, low four-wheeled cart which could be converted into a sled in winter)

Beevor, Antony. Rasputin: And the Downfall of the Romanovs. Orion.

10 Contrasts Between Genesis 1-3 and Revelation 21 and 22

Made with AI

1. The Starting and End Point: Genesis 2:8 God places the first humans in an uncultivated, rural landscape Revelation 22:2 God brings redeemed humanity into a grand city, the New Jerusalem.
2. The Curse Undone: Genesis 3:17 God curses the ground because of human rebellion. Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be any curse.
3. The Flow of Living Water: Genesis 2:10, a river flows out of Eden to water the physical earth. Revelation 22:1, the River of the Water of Life flows eternally from God’s throne.
4. The Hiding Ends: Genesis 3:8, terrified humans hide from God's physical presence among the trees. Revelation 22:4, the ultimate restoration is achieved: They will see his face.
5. Banishing the Dark: Genesis 1:5, God creates the night to alternate with the day. Revelation 22:5, night is permanently abolished because God's glory replaces all darkness.
6. Access to Life Restored: Genesis 3:24, cherubim guard the way to the Tree of Life to banish humanity. Revelation 22:14, humanity is granted the formal right to the tree of life (also see 22:2)
7. No more sea: Genesis 1:10 the creation of the seas Reveation 21:1 no more sea
8. Precisou stones: Genesis 2:12 mentions gold and onyx Revelation 21:18-21 describe the New Jerusalem in terms of precious stones and golden streets.
9. Satan cast out: Genesis 3 tells how Satan brought about the fall through a serpent Revelation 21:8, 22 and 22:15 speak of eil being expelled. See also Revelation 20.
10. The Bride: Genesis 2 Adam is presented with Eve as his bride Revelation 21:2 and 9 speak of the holicity as Christ's bride.

Midweek Meeting June 24 2026

I forgot to add some text here. A little grop of us met once again. Out new friend from last week returned. We looked at the important subject of the sovereignty of God and prayed. No-one online.

More Thames Path Pics

Billingsgate

Whale on the Wharf (made from plastic waste)

Millennium Dome on the South Bank

London cable cars in the distance

Blackwall Basin

Outram Pumping Station, Isle of Dogs

Canary Wharf

Final word of poem by W C Bennett inscribed along a 170m stretch by Nicky Hirst (Flow on in glory, still flow on, O Thames, unto the sea, Through glories gone, through grandeurs here, through greatness still to be: Through the free homes of England flow, and may yet higher fames, Still nobler glories, star your course, O my own native Thames!)

Day Off Week 26 2026

I carried on with my Thames walk on Tuesday, although things didn't turn out quite the way I planned. I got the Jubilee line down to Canary Wharf, where I had a coffee in a Black Sheep cafe. I then headed for the path but at that point the Thames makes a big loop and so you can get to it in three directions. I'm not sure what I did but by the time I eventually got to the path I was quite a way on and so I walked back, eventually getting to Island Gardens DLR, where I headed home. I notice that at a certain point references to the Thames Path are replaced by ones for Riverside Walk. By then I had walked well over 12,000 steps in the heat (although there were breezes to be fair). As for the rest of my day off, I did some reading (a book on Spurgeon and the Sabbath which I'd almost completed the day before and a chunk of Owen on Gospel Evidences of Saving Faith). I also had a nap so I was awake for the England game against Ghana - a rather boring nil-nil draw.