Sharing some thoughts

Today as we celebrate All Saints Day our readings naturally concentrate on God’s love, his grace, on the many blessings that he gives to us every day, and ultimately upon the victory which he has already won – the victory over everything that is wrong in the world and in our lives today. In the reading from Isaiah (25:6-9) we are given a picture of an incredible feast – good food, good wine, no worries about anything, …  It is a picture of a perfect kingdom, a kingdom where pain and suffering is over, where tears are wiped away – it is a reminder of God’s power and of how ultimately, he will triumph over any problems of this world.   And there’s a similar feeling in the reading from the Book of Revelation (21:1-5). The reading tells of the new Jerusalem, a city fit for God to live in, a city where mourning and crying and pain are no more.  And then in the gospel of John (11:32-44) we have the account of Jesus weeping as he hears of the death of his friend Lazarus, ...

As texts vary for this particular Sunday this is a specifically 'general' sermon. It is not intended in any way to contradict the importance of the bible by not using specific texts !  Today is the day appointed in the Church calendar as Bible Sunday. In one of the more modern translations of the book there is a preview which describes the book as ‘pages that contain stories on an epic scale – thrillers, adventures, family sagas and more – taut with emotion and spanning the whole of history. Yet a single current – one of love, sadness, betrayal and forgiveness – flows through. It points to a Father who offered his only Son so that we can go free…. A cast of thousands crowds the pages – people living in different times and different places… But the casting isn’t closed. In the continuing drama, each one of us is invited to play a part.’ Reading this preview this books sounds far more interesting than any episode of Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, or e...

From Helen We all have people that we automatically trust.   There are people to whom we would turn in times of trouble and distress.   We will trust people in the medical profession, and even people who work in Specsavers. I, as you can see wear glasses, and I have a great need for them, my eyesight without my glasses is appalling.   About 6 years ago I was in Tesco and I saw that they had an opticians.   My husband and I decided that we would try them out.   So being the good wife that I am I decided that I would wait and see how my husband got on first before I tried them out ... This was going really well, until I saw the most incredible glasses imaginable – pink ones ! Well, next thing I knew I had ordered them and booked an appointment to see the optician in Tesco.   Once I was there with her, I realised that I was no longer in the safety of Specsavers, and so I felt I needed to work out her credentials based on this. After a number of seemingly...