Author: sean

I grew up at the time when boys were taught “big boys don’t cry.”  Tears were seen as a sign of weakness.  If you wanted to avoid getting bullied, you soon learnt to swallow down your feelings and emotions.  One of the ways that God has brought healing into my life is the way in […]

It is a strange moment in the gospel accounts. Jesus gets up from the table, wraps a towel around his waist and kneels to wash his disciples feet. Having preached this passage a number of times over the years, I often point out that it was the place of lowest in a household to undertake […]

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” John 8 vs. 12 The passage that formed my quiet time today, is a well known one. As the commentator said “the passage is […]

I was part of the generation that was not taught English grammar or punctuation at school.  Just in case you are wondering, yes it had been invented by then!  However, our teachers felt that an over focussing on the mechanics of written structure could hinder the free flow of ideas. Some educationalists reasoned that if […]

Do you have a favourite Bible story? There are lots that mean something special to me.  But, one favourite is the story of the healing of the Centurions servant (Matthew 8 vs. 5 – 11 and Luke 7 vs. 1 – 10).  I was really pleased when I saw that Matthews account formed part of […]

I am reading Abbot Christopher Jamison’s latest book Finding The Language of Grace – Rediscovering Transcendence (Bloomsbury Publishing).  In it, he asks a very challenging question; So how can people learn to speak like Jesus?  If the language of grace makes grace a reality as in the parables of Jesus, how can we learn to […]

The Lesson of the Buddleia Those who know me well, will know, I am not one of nature’s happy little gardeners. As far as I am concerned, God’s punishment to Adam when he banished him from the Garden of Eden was a bit harsh; Cursed is the ground because of you;    through painful toil you will eat food from […]

The Church calendar told me that the 21st September is the “Feast of St. Matthew.” What better way to mark the day, than reading the account of Matthews calling from the Gospel named after him?   The story ends with Jesus eating with Matthew and a number of his colleagues.  The part that really stood out […]

I feel lost Not my comment, but somebody on a, well-known, Social Media platform posted on Friday morning. Whatever your views on Monarchy, I am sure we all agree that this is a truly historic moment in our nations story.  For many people, Queen Elizabeth was the only monarch we have ever known. She was […]

Recently, I have been reflecting on unity. I suppose, what brought it to mind, was a meeting I attended yesterday.  I came from it encouraged.  When I got home, I said to my wife “They were people I could really work with.”  I felt excited by the prospect.  This morning, as part of my quiet […]