Midweek Meeting July 27 2022

Our meeting on Wednesday went fine, looking at Philippians 3:3-9 and praying, Good time and good to remind ourselves of the heart of the gospel.

Day Off Week 30 2022

A big chunk of my most recent day off was spent reading the new book on John 13-17 by Sinclair Ferguson There are several such books and I have read some of them. This one can be highly commended from all points of view. Great stuff. I would have finished the whole thing but got distracted by a fact based procedural crime drama. I also managed a visit to my currently favourite food place and gave the dog a couple of walks.

Lord's Day July 24 2022

Sunday was a bit different in some ways as I am here (almost) alone at the moment as my wife and son are in Aber - just Alffi to keep me company. Anyway I preached okay in the morning on John 3 (trying out my Aber material) and in the evening on the final chapter of Micah 7. Our Iranian friend did not return but a very pleasant couple from Hong Kong joined us. I hope we see them again soon. Good numbers otherwise on the whole. In the afternoon I made myself a fish meal and had a little sleep which I rarely do. I took Alffi in the evening and that was okay.

10 People I met tracting last Saturday

We gave out tracts last Saturday in Golders Green. Most people try to ignore you but here re ten that, for various reasons I interacted with. (I can't remember the order in which they came)

1. The tract was entitle forgiveness and one woman simply said "we all need more of that" with which I could not disagree.
2. An Algerian Muslim, keen to be friendly and convinced that our only hope is God's mercy but adamantly opposed to the idea that Jesus is anything more than a prophet.
3. A lady from Nepal who I had thought was a Filipina.
4. A lady we have known for many years who mostly sits under Charismatic ministry. I was glad to see her because the last time she was with us I had corrected her prayer.
5. A Filipino who came to the house once to groom our dog. He said he was a believer too.
6. The son of one of my very elderly members currently in hospital. It was good to hear about this member's situation face to face.
7. I have never had this before but a teenage boy flounced past and said "I am gay" the implication being that he could not take my tract on forgiveness, although I said he was welcome to take it.
8. A man who saw the tract and said "rubbish". I like to be quick on my feet and so I replied "So are you" - not exactly a Christian response, on reflection. What I meant was that we are all rubbish without Christ. I don't think he was offended.
9. A young woman who I am sure was Jewish sat nearby and read the whole thing carefully. I wanted to interact with her after but she went, although I saw her later and she was urging her boyfriend to read it.
10. A red haired Ukrainian lady called Aleksandra who said she was looking for a church to attend.

Midweek Meeting July 20

 

Great time on zoom once again in Philippians and in prayer. We also had a short members meeting after where we heard the testimony of a potential new member.

Day Off Week 29 2022

Last Tuesday it was very hot. I stayed indoors and read. I am currently reading Steve Nichols' biography of R C Sproul which is leisurely, thorough and has a nice tone. It is interesting to find out the background. I am also reading a birthday book from one of my sons by joournalist Ann Treneman, looking at 100 graves in Britain (William Blake, Marc Bolan, General Booth, John Bunyan, etc - its by area not surname). I also watched episodes of Trom a Faroese drama (a bit plodding). Eleri and I also had a meal in Brent Cross before she headed west to camp with the school.

Lord's Day July 17 2022

 

Last Lord's Day was a good day. As we worked our way through Luke 11 I came to the verse that is written up behind me and that people see every Sunday. It was good to go through it and the verse before. There were good numbers morning and evening but a few missing for various reasons. There was a new Iranian young lady full of enthusiasm. I hope we see her again. In the evening we had communion and then I preached on Micah 6 - almost there now.

Aberystwyth Conference 2022

Details of the coming conference in August are now available in various formats. See here. I am speaking on the Wednesday night, looking at John 3:1-8.

Midweek Meeting July 13 2022

I forgot to put something in about this last week but we did have a good time looking at the closing part of Philippians 2, about the challenging lives of Timothy and Epaphroditus and having a good time of prayer.

10 ways The Great Blondin crossed Niagara Falls

1. Simply walking on a tightrope (he first did this June 20, 1859) by day and by night

2. stopping part way to set up a camera and take a picture

3. He also did it blindfolded

4. backwards

5. trundling a wheelbarrow

6. on stilts

7. carrying a man (his manager, Harry Colcord) on his back

8. sitting down midway while he cooked and ate an omelette (very French)

9. standing on a chair with only one of its legs balanced on the rope

10. doing various backflips, somersaults and other gymnastic moves

Day Off Week 28 2022

I've done a lot of reading this week. I devoted my day off to two books - How to argue with a racist by Adam Rutherford (not quite finished) which I picked up after reading his more recent Control. The themes overlap slightly in that the more recent one deals with eugenics and this one with attempts to establish racial distinctions on the basis of genetics. Despite the evolutionary assumptions the book sounds an expected alarm against jumping to conclusions (Jamaicans can sprint, Jews are clever, etc) on the basis of race.

Very helpful. I don't know Phil or Angela Hill at all well but I have been aware of Phil's ministry since I was a student. On Facebook he expressed some sadness at the appearance of his atheist son's book Original Sins. Being a nosy parker I downloaded it and read it. Matt Hill clearly loves his parents on some level but caricatures them mercilessly and with some humour as part of his rejection of most of what they (and I) believe. As the publicity suggests it is an extraordinary memoir, a story of faith, family, loss, shame and addiction. It is recklessly honest, funny but grave, courageous and compulsive (I could not out it down). Because of its subject matter I would not recommend it to most people but if you want to read the story of someone from a good (but imperfect) evangelical family and how he went miles adrift then this is worth a read. Not that it explains anything. The author claims to have been convinced by intellectual arguments against Christianity but I think it is clear that is not why he has rejected this precious faith which could be such a blessing to him as it has been to me. The book certainly makes me more Calvinistic. There's a lot more I could say but this is probably not the place.

O how the grace of God amazes me!
It loosed me from my bonds and set me free!
What made it happen so?
His own will, this much I know,
Set me, as now I show, at liberty.

My God has chosen me, Though one of nought,
To sit beside my King in heaven's court.
Hear what my Lord has done,
O, the love that made Him run
To meet His erring son! This has God wrought.

Not for my righteousness, for I have none,
But for His mercy's sake, Jesus, God's Son,
Suffered on Calvary's tree;
Crucified with thieves was He;
Great was His grace to me, His wayward one....

10 Pop Songs whose titles do not appear in their lyrics

1. Bob Dylan - “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (also, “Positively 4th Street,” “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” “My Back Pages,” etc)
2. Led Zeppelin - “Immigrant Song” “The Lemon Song” etc
3. The Beatles -" A Day in the Life" (Also "Ballad of John and Yoko", "Tomorrow never knows")
4. Nirvana — “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, etc
5. 40 - U2, etc
6. Queen — “Bohemian Rhapsody”
7. Coldplay — “Viva La Vida”
8. The Who — “Baba O’Riley”
9. David Bowie — “Space Oddity”
10. Paranoid - "Black Sabbath"

(Also - The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody; Chumbawumba - Tubthumping)

10 ways to cut a cake

 

Lord's Day July 10 2022

 

It was encouraging to have good congregations morning and evening last Lord's Day. We carried on in Luke 11 in the morning and then looked at Micah 5. it was good again to have so many children in the morning service. We have started again on the children's catechism.

Aberystwyth Trip

I made a flying trip to Aber last week. I went to get my son Gwïon. I took a gown for him as it was graduation day (two years late). He didn't attend the ceremony but we took some photos and had a nice meal in Medina. He also met up with friends. It was good to to catch up with Rhodri and family. I had intended popping into my sister's en route home but she had covid so that was not possible (I had hoped to see her first grandchild too so a shame).

Midweek Meeting July 6 2022

It was good to be with twelve or so others on Zoom last night (including one who joined us from hospital). Most people prayed and there was plenty to pray about. We also looked at the next bit in Philippians and watched a brief missionary video.

Lord's Day July 3 2022

Last Lord's Day was another encouraging opportunity to worship God with his people. We began with communion and then I tackled Luke 11:14-23 in the morning and Micah 4 in the evening. In both cases we were covering the big picture and so perhaps it lacked a little in application. We had people over for lunch and that was nice.

Elvis

Went to see the film Elvis last night. I wasn't sure whether it would pass muster but I must admit I was impressed. No doubt there are errors and simplifications but it basically gives you the story as it is understood, suggesting what a phenomenon Elvis was, what an advantage and disadvantage it was to have the Colonel as his promoter, Elvis's church and world background, etc. Perhaps it could have had a bit more gospel. Elvis recorded nearly 90 gospel songs (His Hand in Mine, In My Father's House, Joshua Fit the Battle, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, How Great Thou Art, By and By, Peace in the Valley, etc) but none are noted. The introduction of rap I understand but could have done without. Those are quibbles though.