Lord's Day February 19 2023

As I expected, we were a few less than the week before yesterday morning, though a similar small number in the evening. The morning passage was a very solemn one from Luke 13:22-30 and in the evening we looked at Job 13 and 14 following communion. The Cuban lady returned in the morning, which was good but our Iranians were thin on the ground for various reasons. Our Afghani friend is sticcking with us it seems, which is good. Not many peopl hung around for a cuppa in the morning

Midweek Meeting February 15 2023

We were on zoom again last Wednesday for our meeting and with a bumper turn out. People prayed and before that we did a one off from Exodus 15:22-25. We have finished Zeophaniah and I hope to go on to Galatians.

Day Off Week 7 2023

We've not heard much about the old day off recently. That's because life has been a lttle bit random for the last few weeks (a visit from the family and trips to the west country and the north east) and so there has been no conventional day off. I tried to have one last week, however. Time went on a brilliant biography of Galileo by David Wootton that I am reading, lots of blogging (I have many blogs) and then soem TV in the evening.

Henry Smith on Marriage

Unless there be a joining of heart and a knitting of affections together, it is not marriage in deed, but in show and name, and they shall dwell in a house like two poisons in a stomach, and one shall ever be sick of another.

Lord's Day February 12 2023

It was good to be back in Childs Hill yesterday. I preached from Luke 13:18-21 in the morning and then in the evening we went back to Job and looked at Chapters 11 and 12. We had a fellowship lunch after the morning service, which was very enjoyable. In the moring we had a bumper congregation as we were joined by visitors - two with an Aberystywth connection, a deacon's mother and an old Nigerian friend; also a new lady who normally comes with only her youngest daughter had all four daughters with her as it is half term; there was also another new Iranian (making ten in all now) and a lady originally from Cuba joined us. I hope we see her again. Another new lady who we had missed for a few Sundays was back but she will be away for a while again. In the evening we were much smaller but well into double figures. A good day.

More Recent Deaths of Faithful Pastors

In the opening weeks of this year we have seen the passing of at east four stalwarts of the faith and ministers of the word. Four very different men with quite different views on various matters, they are now in glory having faithfully served in their own generation. They will be missed.

An obituary for Mr Ramsbottom of the Gospel Standard Baptist can be found here.

An obituary for the Church of Scotland minister Eric Alexander can be found here.

I am not aware of an obituary for Hywel Roberts who was from Pwllheli and ministered many years in Penzance.

The death of Michael Toogood a Baptist minister who planted a church in notorious Soho has occurred very recently.

Obituaries later appeared for Michael Toogood on the Banner website and in The Evangelical Times

North Yorkshire Bible Rally Darlingon

It was my great privilege to preach last night at Geneva Road, Darlington. I guess there must have been about sixty of us there. It was good to enjoy fellowship with the minister, Mark Rowcroft, who chaired and who, with his wife Abi, kindly gave me warm hospitality. Mark was a student here in London many moons ago. I preached on Proverbs 23:17, 18. You can see the service here on Youtube. It was nice to see my commentaries on Proverbs and Song of Solomon on sale at the bookstall, courtesy of the Old Temperance Bookshop, Reeth. (Darlington is in Durham so technically not quite in N Yorkshire!). You can find the service here.

Shackleton by Fiennes

I recently bought a copy of Ranulph Fiennes' biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton. I haven't really thought about polar explorers since I was a child. Shackleton was something of an adventurer with several downsides to his character. It was right, however, that Antarctica should be explored and so, although he did not achieve many of his goals (reaching the South Pole being the main one) he did advance science and understanding through his intrepid work. While I was reading the book, which is informed by Fiennes' own experiences in this field, I noticed a film on Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, on BBC iplayer (more here) and enjoyed watching that. Amundsen was presented in a similar light to what I had read about Shackleton. They can't all have been the same as Birdie Bowers, part of Scott's team, was a decided Christian, as notd in Peter Masters's book Men of Destiny. (see here) I must check out again the Vangelis album of music for the film Antarctica (see here) and Colin Harper's album Titaniium flag a concept album on similar themes. (see here)

Another Monday

My two Mondays before last have been busy and the last one was too. This time I was in Westminster Baptist Church for the Westminster Fellowship which meets once a month most months. The usual twenty or so gathered and this time, under the chairmanship of Jeremy Bailey, we had a time of discussion. We discussed a number of subjects including cults and cultic traits, retirement from the ministry and marriage. Useful contributions from many.

Midweek Meeting February 8 2023

About twelve of us gathered on zoom for our midweek meeting yesterday. We looked at the final part of Zephaniah (3:14--20). It was good to end on such a positive note. We had an excellent prayer time with men taking the lead well and most people praying at some point.

Lord's Day February 5 2023 Hilperton/Finchley

Because of the wedding in Devon, I did not preach at Childs Hill last Lord's Day. Instead, Eddie Webster from Nottingham preached. What we did was to head for the home of Eleri's sister, Catrin, and her family, in Trowbridge, arriving first at nearby Hilperton, their church, where about thirty gathered to hear John Hall preach on Romans 7 (also in the congregation were Robert Oliver and Josh Williamson, a minister from Australia who I knew of but had not met). It was nice to chat after especially aboutb John's Christian Basics, which I am using with people again in Childs Hill at present. (See here). After lunch, we headed to London and I decided to vsit our friends at the Kensit Church, Finchley, where they were also about thirty in number (good these days for an evening). Spencer was preaching from Gaatians 2. In Hilperton they still use tatty copies of Grace while in Finchley they sang five hymns from screens, some from New Christian Hymns and some from Praise! I didn't feel we gained anything much from the latter effort. Both churches use NKJV, not a translation I have ever been keen on. How encouraging to think of the word being preached like that all over the country in different places. A good day.

For Hilperton see here - https://www.gracereformedbaptistchurch.org.uk/

For Kensit, Finchley (an FIEC church) - https://www.kensit.org.uk/

For Childs Hill Baptist - http://www.childshill.com/index.html

Wedding in Devon

Last Friday Eleri and I made our way down to Devon. We stayed overnight in a nice AirBnB in South Molton attending on the Saturday a wedding near Braunton on the Ash Barton Estate (more here). The marriage was between a Nigerian lady, Uyo and an Englisham, Richard. We have known Uyo and her family many years. It was a wedding of mixed cultures then but it worked well and we hope that bodes well for the future. A very pleasant day. After the civil ceremony, I spoke from Colossians 3:18, 19 in quite clear terms, I hope. Eleri enjoyed meeing the harpist who was there. A Welsh speaker, of course. (I think this is the right one).

Stan Freberg Banana Boat Song ft Bugs Bunny & Speedy Gonzales et al

This used to come on the TV from time to time, when Iwas a kid. I thought it was hilarious There is another one I can't find, where the Yellow rose of Texas gets a simialr treatment.

The last two Mondays

I suppose it has been a busy time to some extent recently. We had our son and his family here for a few days at one point and we visited the natural history museum with them. I had a zoom committee meeting about the work in Cranford on January 26. On February 1 we had our first fraternal walk of the year on the Heath. Only four of us. I have also started some baptism classes for our Iranian friends. Then I have also been busy on the last two Mondays in different ways.

Firstly, on Monday Jan 23, I spoke on zoom for the Evangelical Library on Samson Occom and his time in Britain which I am also serialising as articles in In writing, It is a very interesting story and I hope I was able to get it over. A recording is available from the Library. We also had a Library committee on zoom in the afternoon.

Secondly, on Monday Jan 30, I was up at the Pastors Academy for the latst reading grop. We looked at Mez McConnell's book The leat, the last and the lost. We had a bumper turn out. No-one was entirely satisfied with it but most were more willing to give it consideration than I was. I was put off by the amouont of pagan sociology the book contains. I suppose I should see past that and benefit from the content. Hard to do sometimes. Next time we will be looking, God willing, at Michael Haykin's Amidst us our beloved stands.

Midweek Meetings January 25 and February 1 2023

Midweek still on soom, we've carried on with Zephaniah. It is hard to be reminded of the judgement so much but as we come to the end there are more encouraging things and we are nejoying it. The prayer times are fine but still the men are a little slow to lead. I mustn't be too prescriptive.

Lord's Days January 22 and 28 2023

I'm not sure how I've got quite so behind but I have somehow. I am not opreaching in Childs Hill this Lord's Day but I was  preaching throughout January. The last two Sundays in January were given over to sermons in the morning from Luke 13. We looked at the barren fig tree and the woman bent over for 18 years who Jesus healed. In the evenings I took a second text from Leviticus, looking at thescapegoat, and then a one off from Psalm 32:5. The pattern continues to be a good sized morning congregation and a small evening congregation. Ipreach for about 30 minutes at both services. Attendance is a little sporadic. You never know quite who is there. These last two Sundays we have enjoyed giving and receiving hospitality between the services.