When I was in Aber last my prospective sympathetic Mike Iliff (our kids get married in June) recommended a book to me - Early Christianity. The backbone of this work which takes you from the first century to Wycliffe and Tyndale grwos out of PhD work by Peter Green. Some published PhD theses are hard to read but in this case Brian Edwards has edited the manuscipt and that has made for an easy read of 17 chapters. Much of the material was familiar to me (Patrick, Aidan, David, etc) but mush was not. Some of it isvery interesting indeed. It refutes the Augustine of Canterbury thesis that was promoted in school and argues for a church that last for 500 years before then and also denies that England ever had much to do with Rome, much less the other home nations. This is wll worth getting hold of. SOme of it will surprise you,
Early Christianity in Britain
When I was in Aber last my prospective sympathetic Mike Iliff (our kids get married in June) recommended a book to me - Early Christianity. The backbone of this work which takes you from the first century to Wycliffe and Tyndale grwos out of PhD work by Peter Green. Some published PhD theses are hard to read but in this case Brian Edwards has edited the manuscipt and that has made for an easy read of 17 chapters. Much of the material was familiar to me (Patrick, Aidan, David, etc) but mush was not. Some of it isvery interesting indeed. It refutes the Augustine of Canterbury thesis that was promoted in school and argues for a church that last for 500 years before then and also denies that England ever had much to do with Rome, much less the other home nations. This is wll worth getting hold of. SOme of it will surprise you,
10 Sermon Illustrations on Worldliness
10 countries through which the equator passes
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Gabon
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Somalia
- Indonesia
- The Maldives
- Kiribati
Lord's Day April 21 2024
Cetric O |
Pastor Naphtally Ogallo |
At the centre of things
We travelled today from Eldoret to Naruku. I had not realised that would involve crossing the equator but it did. First time standing on the equator line. (I have stood on the Greenwich meridian before now. To stand on both at the same time, you have to be on Null Island, somewhere out in the Atlantic.
In Kenya
Speaking Eldoret |
Murder by the Book
Forgotten Reformer
Miles Coverdale's name will be known to those who have an interest in English Reformation history and the translation of the Bible. He is a forgotten reformer nevertheless and retired headmaster G F Main has done us all areat service by means of his thorough research and his interestingly written book. Mr Main must bequite an expert on his subject, his sources ranging from classic ones like Foxe and D'Aubigne through to some rather obscure manuscripts tucked away in unlikely places. It wasa delight to read this well produced book. I was a little sorry to finish it. Highly recommended. I wonder if a coffee table version with pictures may be considered. Just a thought.
Lord's Day April 14 2024
Another good day yesterday. In the morning we carried on in the Sermon on the Mount. We then had lunch together, always nice. In the evening we were not quite double figures as we looked at another famous verse - Jeremiah 29:11. A ladt who came the other week after a ling time not coming to church came again with her grown up daughter. That was encouraging. One Iranian family was not there as they are desperately seeking accommodation as having obtained asylum they now have to leave the hotel. Others simply wait. Not easy. My assistant Eddie helped me this morning pointing out that Christ is the ultimate one who turns the other cheek, goes the second mle, etc. I really should have been on to that mhyself. Maybe I'm getting a bit lethargic.
Family, etc
One reason posts have been a little sparse of late is that we have been spending a lot of time with the family over the Easter holidays.
Midweek Meeting April 10 2024
Six of us, four men and two women, gathered last Wednesday to look at Romans 3:1-19 and to pray. We all prayed in turn.
Lord's Day April 7 2024
Way behind with this but it's been a busy time. Last Sunday we began with communion, fairly well attended. I then preached from the sermon on the mount again, this time on oaths and vows. Good attendance on the whole. I'd forgotten to prepare a children's talk so I gave my testimony as I do at such times. Eleri was away in Wales so it all felt a bit different. In the evening we were very few so I was not over long (under the hour). We looked at another famous text - Proverbs 3:5, 6. Good day on the whole.
Lord's Day March 31 2024
Easter Sunday in Childs Hill is unpredictable. Many go away, some stay and sometimes there are new people. That is how it was last Lord's Day. I preached through most of john 20 and 21 in the two sermons. We had a good number in the morning and many fewer in the evening, as is the pattern. One visitor was a friend of a regular but another was a person in the area who I hope we will see again.
Evangelical Library Lunch Time Lecture Joseph Ivimey
Last Monday we had an excellent Library lecture on zoom from Norman Hopkins on the Baptist pastor and historian Joseph Ivimey 1773-1834.
Lord's Day March 24 2024
Midweek Meeting March 20 2024
Seven of us were there last night. We looked at Romasn 2:1-16 and then prayed together. Everyone prayed. What a privilege.
Day Off Week 12 2024
There was some waiting to do yesterday. In the morning for the gas man to fix a leaking boiler, which he wasn't able to do and will have to come back. Then later it was for a new microwave we have bought. I eventually got oout to West Hampsted and had a coffee and bought some cheese (apres soleil - see here). Otherwise, I was working on blogs (especially here), reading the Mike Parker book and watching University Challenge, which I wasn't abe to the day before. On Monday and Tuesday this week I have unusually bought The Times newspaper. I bought them chiefly for the full page obituaries of rockstar Steve Harley and IRA supporter Rose Dugdale. Yesterday I also did several of the puzzles.
Lord's Day March 17 2024
A packed morning congregation once again. That included some visiting family members, a recently retired local pastor and his wife and the brother of a regular attender plus all the usual crowd. Some of the Iranians have just gained asylum but others still wait. It's tough. As we are working through the Sermon on the Mount the subject was divorce Not an easy subject but it seems to have been appreciated. In the evening we had communion then looked at another famos verse - Philippians 4:13.
Wooden Spoon
Carey Conference 2025
A new venue has been amounced for the next Carey Conference. This time it will not be in Swanwick but in King’s Park Conference Centre, Northampton. No reason is given for the move but Carey has often been quite peripatetic and I have attended conferences in Liverpool, Ripon and Swanwick. Earlier conferences were in Cardiff and other places, I believe.
Lord's Day March 10 2024
Midweek Meeting March 6 2024
About eight of us this last Wednesday (plus one online), looking at Romans 1:18-32 and spending time in prayer. Good time.
Day Off Week 10 2024
Typical day off mainly reading. I didn't quite finish the book on naive art, which I have read before. The day before Eleri had been at the London Welsh Centre and she brought me a signed copy of book on the Welsh marches by Mike Parker. I started reading it and got through a good chunk of this interesting and well written book. In the evening I held my regular Bible study with an Iranian couple. Backhere there was time for a bit of TV.
The Times They were Achanging
I was reading a book yesterday that referred to a famous picture of Bob Dylan at the old Aust Ferry terminal in 1966. I don't remember seeing the picture but it is of interest as if you look, in the distance you can see the almost complete first Severn Bridge (it's just above the car). Before that, of course, the ancient ferry was the only way to avoid making a long roundabout journey to get from Somerset to South Wales.
Lord's Day March 3 2024
The late Chris Nicholl and his amazing feat
I notice that the footballer Chris Nicholl has died. I didn't know the name but I was interested to read of a game he was in that features in Football's Strangest Matches by Andrew Ward, a book we have somewhere in the house. The game was between Leicester City and Aston Villa at Filbert Street, in March 1976. Chris Nicholl, a Northern Ireland international, who in his career played 648 league games for a number of different clubs, managed to score all four goals. A tall central defender for Villa, he clearly appreciated the symmetry of the game and managed on the occasion to alternate own goals with his "proper" ones for Villa, all spread nicely across the ninety minutes. The first, an own goal, came in the 15th minute, from a shot by a Leicester player which deflected off Nicholl's head. He was able to equalise before the break in the 40th minute, shooting from close range after a scramble in the penalty area. In the second half, he managed, in the 53rd minute, to score a second own goal (his hat trick, you might say, but own goals don't usually count for that honour). He had again headeded past his own keeper. With four minutes to go he was remarkably able to once again cancel out his own effort, this time scoring from a Villa corner.
Exodus 35:18
Exodus 35:18 ... the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; ...
This verse has to have the potential for being one of the least striking verses in the Bible. It is part of a list in connection with the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and it is simply saying that someone in Israel made the tent pegs for the Tabernacle itself and for the Courtyard - and also the ropes. Some forgotten character or characters made the tent pegs and ropes. It seems so insignificant a work and yet, of course, without it the Tabernacle never would have stood. If the work had been defective, it would not have stood long. So today all sorts of hidden and seemingly insignificant work goes on in the Kingdom - and must go on. If the tent peg makers and rope makers, the listeners and tea makers and fall down on their job, the whole enterprise is in jeapordy.
Day Off Week 9 2024
Typical day, mostly spent reading and catching up on one or two blogs. From what I can see Post-impressionism is not really a thing just a way of noting how artists took in what impressionism had to say then moved on. Started the Banner biography of Beza. In the evening I did go out for a Bible Study with some friends, postponed from last night when we were seeing my nephew off. In the evening we began watching this futuristic Welsh drama about Port Talbot. Interesting.
Bon Voyage
On Monday night we said bon voyage to my nephew Will who is off to live in Adelaide, Australia, indefinitely. That is a second nephew down under. My nephew on the other side, Iwan, has been in Melbourne for a while now. Both are around 27 and single. Makes sense. It's an awfully long way though.
Latest Lunch Time Lecture at the Library
There was another online lecture on Monday when Dr Ian Densham spoke on Calvin and worship. This is something of a companion piece to a previous lecture on Luther the Wittenberg Nightingale. We were about twenty or so listening in. The lecture can be found here on YouTube (the Luther one is also there - see here and my own lecture given the previous time = see here). The next lunch time lecture online is from Norman Hopkins on Joseph Ivimey, March 25. Our annual lecture is live at the Library and is on June 3, when David Campebell will speak on Alexander Stewart of Moulin.
Lord's Day February 25 2024
Busy day last Sunday as I not only preached morning adn evening in Childs Hill but in the afternoon also for the Korean church that uses our building in the afternoons. Their pastor is in Korea having an eye operation. Lovely to be with them. Our morning congregation was again a little lower than it has been (still half term?). Yet another new Iranian there - will we see him again? Another Iranian has just been moved a further hour out so I'm not ure if we will see much of her again. I carried on in the Sermon on the Mount and in the evening gave my penultimate sermon on Job.
Day Off Week 8 2024
The main thing last Tuesday was reading, mostly at home but I did get out for a coffee at some point. My art book for the day was on the Pre-Raphaelites, which I enjoyed. I also finished John Steinbeck's little novella The Pearl which I very much enjoyed. Still reading the Charlemagne book and the amusing field guide to clergy.