Lord's Day December 14 2025

We entered the Christmas period yesterday with sermons on The first Christmas lights and The first Christmas card looking at Matthew 2 and Luke 2 respectively. Eddie preached in the morning and it was me in the evening. Typical say in that the morning congregationwas large (40?) but could have had more along and the evening small (15?). We were both enabled to preach well.

Micah Thomas Article Now Online

 See here 

10 Metareferences in the movie Elf

I have just finished watching the movie Elf as I do at this time of the year each year. I was struck by one particular scene where Buddy the eld looks out from a bridge on a snowy night and how it references James Cagney in the Frank Capra film It's a wonderful life. Others have noticed similar things and the movie is described by some critics as being a "meta film" in the way it acknowledges and plays with audience expectations of the Christmas movie genre, tying familiar tropes together to create an original story wrapped in a "holiday classic bow".

1. It's A Wonderful Life Buddy's bridge scene references George Bailey contemplating his purpose in life.
2. Miracle on 34th Street Buddy's trip to Gimbel's is reminiscent of the scenes in Macy's. Gimbel's was Macy's store rival.
3. Edward Scissorhands Buddy makes snowflakes like Edward. He doesn't have the same tools but he achieves the same result.
4. A Christmas Story Buddy's snowball fight is a reference to this film. Buddy saves Michael from school bullies just like Ralphie.
5. A Christmas Story The Ralphie actor has a cameo. Peter Billingsley plays Buddy's elf supervisor Ming Ming.
6. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Leon The Snowman resembles Rudolph's Sam. The snowman Leon and Sam are both mentors to elves
7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Buddy's elf costume recalls Hermey the mistfit elf's costume.
8. The Santa Clause Elf plays on the theme of nonbelievers being converted by the irrefutable evidence of the Christmas spirit and Santa Claus's existence, with a normal man being thrust into the North Pole environment.
9. The Christmas Star Edward Asner plays Santa again not a crook this time but the real thing.
10. National lampoon's Christmas Vacation Once again there are antics with an oversized Christmas tree.

These metareferences are sometimes referred o as Easter eggs. So Easter at Christmas!

Midweek Meeting

Our usual gathering last Wednesday and something of a Christmas theme.

Day Off Week 50 2025

Had one of my reading days last Tuesday. There are a number of books that I am reading day by day at the moment. With those I am reading other Chrstmas books including this Washigton Irving book that I picked up recently and have now finished. The book contains the most beautiful writing in a most beautifully illustrated book. American Irving simply describes a few days in England at Christmas, staying at an old house whose lord is a great lover of the old traditions, especially at Christmas. The book is charming and also provides a limited amount of information on the background, partcualrly ina series of footnotes at the end of the book. Undoubtedly, the Puritans took a wrong turn when they banned Christmas. They certainly meant well and it would be a mistake to suppose that an Irving Christmas is typical of pagan celebrations but the idea of enjoying yourself in winter is not something any Christian should have too many qualms about.

A fourth Christmas Book

Read this book made on StoryJumper

Lord's Day December 7 2025

I was preaching somewhere where I have never preached before on the Lord's Day, in Wellington Chapel in Herefordshire. We went Friday night to a place called Kington where we stayed Friday and Saturday night. We enjoyed the Christmas market in Kington on Saturday morning adn a sixtieth birthday party in Newtown on the Saturday night. Then on the Lord's Day I preached in Wellington on John 5:28, 29 and 1 Peter 5:7. An elder, Mark Gray, led for me in the morning. We had lunch with people from the church in between. On Sunday night we drove back to London. Turing then but a lovely weekend.

Midweek Meeting December 3 2025

Six of us gathered last night with one online. We looked at Romans 12:3-8 and then prayed. We all prayed one after the other.

Westminster Conference 2025

So I have spent the last two days at the annual Westminster Conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are now well settled inSt Giles Christian Mission, strange as it seemd to be there away from centrl London the first time we did it. We tried something new this year. Normally most of the papers are followed by discussion time but this year on day one we had most of the diiscussion at the end of the day after the three papers had been given. This was only a partial success, among the problems being that speakers tended to produce over long papers, despite their best efforts. We kicked off with Mark Thomas on the Puritans and original sin - a solid and useful paper, quite demanding to listen to. Then Paul Levy took us through Machen's magisterial Virgin Birth of Christ. The third paper was from Donald J MacLean on the temptation of Christ from Thomas Manton but ending with Hodge and Shedd. Jeremy Walker led the discussion but it was hard to focus anywhere.

Day 2 was more traditional with Andy Young on the active obedience of Christ, covering pretty uncharted territory regarding Karh, Piscator et al. We then had a marathon from Sinclair Ferguson on Samuel Rutherford. We closed, in contrast, with a fresh, very lively and brief life of Athansius given by Gavin Kinnaird. Great numbers resnet. We meet again next year, God willing, around the same time.

Westminster Conference Starts Tomorrow

 

The Westminster Conference starts tomorrow at St Giles Mission, Islington

Lord's Day November 30 2025

Sunday was a bit different as I was sat listening and my assistant Eddie preached morning and evening. He got on well. Good number in the morning though loads were missing, as ever. Had a very nice Iranian meal with members in the afternoon.

Midweek Meeting

Just a small crowd for our midweek meeting last week. We looked at Romans 12:1, 2.

Day Off Week 48 2025

Nearly a week gone by since my day off but I do want to record it. I won't really be having one this week. Four things - 1. Reading. I read a large chunk of Dianarama, a new book about the infamous interview and the facts surrounding it. Finished that now. 2/3. Watching. First, the new Frankenstein on Netflix, which I enjoyed. Director Guillermo Del Toro takes the Mary Shelley idea and does his own take. It's a great film (apart from some of the cgi) but misses a few tricks that a Christian worldview might provide help in. Great pre-Christmas film with all that snow. (I now recall that I have also seen his Shape of Water but not his Pinocchio, which I met get on to). Second, a couple of episodes of Prisoner 951 (there are four altogether). It is interesting becasue the family whose story is related lives nearby (I have met her) and we have a lot of Iranians in the church. 4. Eleri came home with a coat for me, from Costco. She's so kind.

Article in Christmas ET

The Evangelical Times has its annual Christmas supplement out. I have an article in it called Is there room in your heart for Jesus?

Lord's Day November 23 2025

Once again, it was a slow start last Lord's Day with a decent morning congregation adn one not so good in the evening. A new lady came who comes to ouor mothers and toddlers so that was a first. Other new people from previous weeks were not back and lots of tohers missing again too. One lady who rarely gets to us was there though adn that is encouraging. I decided that with Ephesians completed and just two chapters to cover in 2 Chronicles that I would do both, one in the morning and one in the evening. So it was the seond part of Jsiah's reign in the morning and the great Passover in his time and then in the evening the wickedness of sin, the danger of judgement and the hope of restoration. Great to come to that point. People have enjoyed the series and were glad to see that there are excellent things to befound even in potentially unpromising looking material.

Midweek Meeting November 19 2025

We were a large number last night plus three online. This was partly because it was also a members meeting. We began with Psalm 117 then had the meeting and finally had time for a few to pray.

Lord's Day November 16 2025

Rather late with this but we were altogether last Sunday, of coourse. It was a slow start with the morning congregation doubling in it course. I preached the last sermon in the series on Ephesians (number 340). The new lady from last week returned and another new person came in with a fold up bicycle under his arm. Hope we see him again. Nice to have one of my former assistants and his wife with us. In the evening it was communion and 2 Chronicles 34. We were about 16.

Nuremberg

Popped to the cinema this afternoon to see the film Nuremberg. Great acting, powerful drama and touching on such a crucial moment in world history the film had everything in its favour. It sligktly annoys me that we tend to get the humanist version of events as opposed to anything Christian. I have read books on Nuremberg by chaplains but this film gives no hint that there were chaplains present or that there was a spiritual dimension to what happend at all. Rather, we focus on a psychiatrist who was there and who wrote a commercially unsuccessful book on his time. With that caveat, great stuff. Ironically, the psychiatrist seems to have worked out that the Nazis were just normal human beings gone wrong not preternatural monsters. Warning - it includes what I assume is genuine footage of the dead and dying in the camps. Two past oscar winners on show and two past nominees I understand. Only one light moment I noticed - two doctors fight and an officer berated them - you are mental health professionals! 

Double International Win for Wales

We sit quite light to the nation's sporting successes but on a day when both the Association and Rugby football teams have won it is worth noting. We beat Japan by one point with the last kick of the game in the rugby, which I watched most of, and Liechtenstein 1-0 in the soccer, too. Hopes of world cu[ qualification remain alive.

Two Latest Library Lunch Time Lectures Now UP

You can find my lecture on John Fawcett and Fergus Pearson on Thomas Scott along with several other lectures at the Evangelical Library Channel.

https://youtu.be/UHoFm9sbbMY?si=Ld6piNpjuuZEF21X

https://youtu.be/K5OLUCMClU0?si=icrRknv2eWOzdMGr

10 words beginning with Plum

1. Plum
2. Plume
3. Plump
4. Plumpen
5. Plummy
6. Plumage
7. Plummet
8. Plumber
9. Plumule
10. Plumbago

10 words beginning with Pum

1. PUM
2. Puma
3. Pump
4. Pumice
5. Pumpkin
6. Pumpking
7. Pummel
8. Pumpernickel
9. Pumelo
10. Pumpjack

In Writing 146

 The latest issue of In Writing, the magazine of the Evangelical Library will soon be available.

Midweek Meeting November 12 2025

Eddie led prayer meeting last night. He took us to Acts 9 and looked at it from the angle of persecution and converted persecutors. We prayed first for North Korea, Northern Nigeria and Iran and then for more usual matters. All five of us plus one on zoom prayed twice. A good evening.

Day Off Week 46 2025

Various things on Tuesday. Quite early on I headed down to central London and to the National Gallery where there was an exhibition of paintings by Joseph Smith, the distinctive Derby artist. All the famous choriascuro works are there plus some interesting 3d exhibits and lots of helpful explanation about the background to the paintings. In the evening, we watched the BBC's Mr Burton. Monday marked the hunredth anniversary of the birth of that flawed Welshman, Richard Burton (born Jenkins). I presume the biopic was accurate enough. The bilingual situation is fascinating, especially in such an industrialised part of Wales and so relatively recently. There was a brief zoom meeting in the afternoon but most of the rest of the time went on reading the first 50 pages of the first volume of Densil Morgan's Theologica Cambrensia which I've been wanting to read for some time.

Lord's Day November 9 2025

We were about fifty last Sunday in the morning and many stayed for lunch after it. Always a nice time. I preached from Ephesians 6:18-20 on prayer. In the evening we were around 16 and I preached from 2 Chronicles 33, the wonderful chapter on Manasseh. Lots missing as ever but one new person.

The WInter's Tale

This lovely book retells the story of Shakespeare's late and lesser known Winter's Tale. It is beautifully illustrated and would be a great present for a child or an imaginative adult. I'm loving it. The reteller is Georghia Ellinas and the artist Jane Ray. It isndone by Shakespeare's Globe.

Midweek Meeting November 5 2025

Lots of fireworks on Wednesday night - outside and in our hearts, I trust. We looked at the wonderful doxology at the end of Romans 11 and then prayed. As happens from time to time a loal wandered in. This time a Mexican young lady studying dementia at Masters level. Hope we see her again.

Women of Grace and Guts

This historical work by Juila Jones covers a fairly little known aspect of mission in India at the beginning of the twentieth century. I suppose this is pretty ordinary and unspectacular work but it has produced fruit that continues to this day. The unusual aspect of what is presented is that it concentrates on the the work of women who, as the title suggests, are marked by grace and guts (Winifred Booth, Ruth Morling, Olive Elliot and others, including the many Indian Bible women). The story deserves to be rescued from the yellowing pages of the SBM Herald and presented in this way. This well reasearched, well illustrated work is well worth seeking out. (One or two typos but no-one is perfect).

Day Off Week 45 2025

Days off are a little different these days as my wife Eleri is not on work on Tuesdays. We headed over to Brent Cross before lunch to do a little shopping. Eleri was busy much of the rest of the day and so I did my usual thing and read. I read most of the signed history book by Julia Jones that I picked up at the GBM meetings. It is arattlung read and I have now finished it. More anon. In the evening we watched some episodes from the ITV drama Coldwater. Also spent some time dabbling wioth AI music to no great purpose.

Thomas Bilney: Forgotten Reformer

This brief little book seeks to rehabilitate the little known martyr Thomas Bilney. Information about Bilney is limited but Stuart Fisher has done a very thorough job in gathering what there is and presenting the material in a warm and devoted way. Two appendices show that Foxe's history can be relied on and that although Bilney recanted once he did not do so a second time. The timeline and the many illustrations add to the attractiveness of the book, part of an excellent Day One series.

Lord's Day November 2 2025

Back to preaching twice this last Lord's Day. We began with cmmunion and then I preached the last in the series on the armour of God. We were out for the afternoon but back in time for a fairly well attended evening service (nearly 20) and the last on Hezekiah, from 2 Chronicles 32. Lots missing as ever. I despair sometimes. But we press on

Be Bop Deluxe/Ships In The Night (Live, BBC OGWT 1976)

Julie Fowlis at Cadogan Hall

Great concert tonight down at a packed Cadogan Hall, hearing Julie Fowlis. Just Éamon Doorley on Bouzouki, Tony Byrne on guitar and Duncan Chisholm on fiddle these days. Lots of mouth music, piping, vocals and instrumentals, a bit of Runrig and The Beatles and ending with some bagpipe work. Great stuff. Very entertaining and skillful.

Article on Micah Thomas in the latest Evangelical Magazine

I have an article on Micah Thomas 1778-1853 in the Nov Dec EMW Mag, which is full of many other good things too.

Austin Walker on Robert Hall Junior

The Theology of Robert Hall Jr.: The Undermining of Calvinism among the English Particular Baptists (Studies in Baptist History) Paperback – 20 Feb 2024 by Austin Walker, 266 pages, H&E Academic ISBN 1774841398

This really is an excellent work in Reformed Baptist history, looking at a well known but rather obscure figure. It well deserves the honorary doctorate it is rumoured to have received. Rather than giving us a straight chronological account Dr Walker walks us around the subject several times but without repetitioin, enabling us to see the subject from several different angles. This work is the result of long and careful research. Robert Hall Jr is difficult to write about as his theological positions were not always predictable or stable. He appears to have rejected federal theology early on but come back to it but never to have properly embraced a full orbed Particular Baptist position. His open communion views are better known. Dr Walker's thesis that Hall and his teaching had a powerful and detrimental affect on Particular Baptists stands up well and his final warning is worth hearing.

Midweek Meeting Ocotber 29 2025

Just four of us and one online this half term week. Almost at the end of Romans 11 now. All five of us took turns to lead in prayer.

Day Off Week 44 2025

Managed to fit in a day off this week, mostly reading but I alos watched some Alan Partridge, which is funny enough but for me, only ever mildly so.

Evangelical Library Lecture Thomas Scott

We had another Evangelical Library Zoom lecture on Monday. This time retired pastor Fergus Pearson gave us an excellent lecture on the rather forgottten Bible commentator, Thomas Scott. It was a great survey of his life and writings, well worth catching on YouTube when it is up.

Lord's Day October 26 2025

It was a difficult day in many ways yesterday. The clocks went back an hour but people still managed to be late or not come at all. My assistant Eddie gave an excellent message on devoting ourselves to the Apostles' doctrine and to fellowship and it was good to be with those who were there. In the evening I preached another sermon on Hezekiah to the usua handful. Not easy sometimes.

GBM Annual Meeting 2025

I always enjoy the GBM meetings and it has been good to be there today once again. We began with the uncontroversial delegates meetin, probably the last for director Daryl Jones, who is retiring. We ended with Ray Evans preaching from Acts 16. There was also a plenary session on India - yesterday, today and tomorrow featuring - some history by Julia Jones who has pur together a fascinating little book on the women missionaries in the early days - I also attended a fuller session she led on this and bought her new book too) - contributions from John MacDonald and Ian Williams - and finally an interview with Tamil pastor Hanson Manova conducted by Graham Field. I also went to a session with the Ulster based Peruvian academic Daniel Caballero, who has just completed his PhD on John Owen. Part of the fun on these days is meeting old friends. Lots and lots of those today. Unusually my wife Eleri was around as she  had agreed to man the Go Teach stall for much of the time. Great time.

Midweek Meeting October 22 2025

Five of us present last Wednesday to look at Romans 11:11-24 and to pray. I had a bad cold but could speak okay. Each one took their turn to pray.

Anchored 3 The Trinity

It was good to be down in Guildford about 40 others for the third of Reformation Today's sessions looking at the 1689 confession. Robert Strivens took two morning sessions expertly guiding us through the confession and some modern errors. Very helpful. In the afternoon there was something more practicial from Bill James and then Alex Arrell again rounded off with a biographical piece - this time his countryman Alexander Carson. This thrd session marks the end of the series in its present format but it is hoped thta something similar can be done in the future. We hope so.

Lord's Day October 19 2025

D Toe

Not preaching yesterday, although I led communion in the evening before the main service. We had a visiting preacher, Daniel Toe, who recently completed his studies at London Seminary. Daniel is Brazilian bt has lived in London many years. He preached on Psalm 72 and the opening verses of Mark's Gospel.  Among the encouragements yesterday were that our local young friend who I have mentioned before was back plus another younger local man who we've known most of his life but this was the first time I remember him being in church.

Conference in Cambridge

Williams, Bejon, Howard,Watkins

On Saturday I was in Cambridge for a conference organised by Tyndale House. We were in C3 an impressive state of the art church building, complete with a glitter ball, something we somwhow manage without here in Childs Hill. About 120 were there with others online. The day was split up into four sessions. Tony Watkins began with a gentle reminder of the importane of the Old Testament. Then the dynamo that is Peter Williams presented an eclectic paper on archaeology and names and other helpful matters to help us with the Old Testament. He actually had us reading Moabite! Not an every day experience at all. After lunch we had two more helpful papers on genealogies (James Bejon) and the Assyrian invasion of 701 BC (Caleb Howard). There was also a Q&A at the end. I hardly knew anyone there but it was nice to talk to one or two (a young man from a Grace Baptist church, a lady and her home schooled children, an American student new to Cambridge). I picked up some of ther brilliant magazines and a free book too. They are doing great work. Check out their website here.

Pedair

On Friday night I accompanied my wife to a fundraiser for the London Welsh School in a Welsh Chapel off Oxford Street. The Welsh folk group Pedair performed. A guitars and harps combo they are of a very high standard and mainly performed their own material (all yn Gymraeg, wrth gwrs). It was a very nice evening. More here.

Midweek Meeting October 15 2025

Quite a small number at the midweek meeting. We looked at the first ten verses of Romans 11 and then prayed. 

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2025

It was good to be with about 30 others at the Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture in the seminary in Finchley last Tuesday evening. The speaker was Matthew Roberts, the author of the book Pride, who spoke on repentance. Matthew has made his mark drawing attention to the whole matter of concupiscence. That was part of his message but there was much more. He must have spoken for over an hour and then there was a decent question session to follow. A good evening. One slight thing is that by now there is no real connection with Dr Lloyd-Jones. Some reference to the Doctor would perhaps have been appropriate.

Lord's Day October 12 2025

There were several away yesterday, mostly due to illness but others are travelling and some we are not sure about. We had a visit from a Korean woman who was with us for six months learning English over 20 years ago. She came to lunch and it was nice to renew fellowship. I preached on a harvest theme in the morning from the end of Psalm 67. I was not due to preach in the evening but mys assistant was ill and so I took opportunity to preach on a verse I have been thinking about recenty - 2 Corinthians 5:16. A good day despite some discouragements.

Quirky Quiz

1. What is the main ingredient in a Bombay Duck?
2. What is the colour of a black box in an aeroplane?
3. What does the "D" in D-Day stand for?
4. What was King George VI’s first name?
5. Where is Leeds Castle?
6. Where do Panama hats come from?
7. In the UK what happened on September 11th 1752?
8. Which country has the most pyramids? Sudan or Egypt?
9. Which freezes fastest hot water or cold water?
10. Which is oldest Coca Cola or Dr Pepper?

ANSWERS: 1Fish2Orange3Day4Albert5Kent6Ecuador

7Nothing the day doesn’t exist as it was lost when the Gregorian calander was adopted8 Sudan - 255 (Egypt 138)9Hot (the Mpemba effect)10 In 1885 Charles Alderton invented Dr Pepper in Waco, Texas; in 1886 Dr John Pemberton serves the first glass of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia.