The 9th May, 2024 is Ascension Day. That takes my memory back to school days going to, what would now be seen as, a very old-fashioned boys grammar school. On this day we were marched in the morning to a local church for a service. Other than having a morning off from lessons, I remember little of this and grasped nothing of its significance. It makes me wonder what we make of this today, if anything. Easter was early this year. Then it was over. What then? Actually, in terms of the church calendar, it’s not over until Ascension. So what do we do in these weeks? Over recent Sundays we have bee ..read more

Still a short time left to enter this competition ..read more

A hymn for the fifth Sunday of Easter – ‘God's commandments link together’1 God's commandments link together justice, mercy, love and grace; elements to guide the framing of our laws within this place. Yet the laws and legal judgments that we form through human thought, all too easily diminish values that the Christ had sought.2 As we follow in his footsteps as disciples, let us find, ways to live in peace together, ways that bring God's grace to mind; ways of gracious peaceful living, that might spread throughout the earth ..read more

Missed the boat?! Copyright Andrew Pratt 2024 ..read more

..read more

I want to suggest that we need to unravel the knitting of Christian, even Judaeo-Christian religion, if not to find truth, at least to be honest about what we claim to believe, to recognise that much, so called, religious belief amounts more to bounded faith statements than often we want to admit. This is nothing new but perhaps I want to go further than most. Protestants have long relied on the foundations of Revelation, Scripture, Tradition and Reason in order to elaborate the structures of faith, of belief. Just how resistant are these to close examination? I would argue that they are not a ..read more

It seemed as if the Lord lived still   It seemed as if the Lord lived still, expressed his will, the lame could walk, and all assumed the blind would see, the silent ones would start to talk! Yet all they saw when looking round, were Galilean fisher folk, a zealot and some other men, some hazarded it was a joke.   So Peter had to put them right, the crucified, the buried dead, the very Christ, their God was raised, yet now they acted in God’s stead. And everywhere the spirit blows the living Christ and God’s own grace is manifest by human means in every later time and space.   P ..read more

See this older post from 2008 Thank you to Alan in Belfast ..read more

An ill found peace disturbed the quiet the room was locked and shuttered.The Christ himself had now appeared, a wind-blown candle guttered. His words, a knife, cut through their fear, anticipation shaken, no more condemned, a word of peace, was quietly, surely spoken.Yet fear and doubt conspired to foil what joy might sweep a nation, such peace as might spread through the world to shatter consternation.And so he breathed those words again, that peace might sign acceptance of those who had denied their Lord and now feared his rejection.The sign he gave, he loved them still, a lasting affirmati ..read more

This is the day of resurrection. In our narrative, just three short days ago, hatred had free reign.  And now, as the sun crept over the horizon on yet another day, change was in the air. Heralded by the sound of a voice, the calling of a name, the offering of peace, the breaking of bread, change was waiting in the wings.   Hatred has had free reign through this year since we celebrated this festival last. And now as the sun creeps over the horizon on yet another day change still pervades the air. Silence and fear mix with the calling of a name, candles are lit, peace is hoped for, b ..read more