Letter from the Manse

Last Sunday was a very happy day. We gathered at Charlesworth, baptised one of the students who has come to us this year, brought him into membership, and then sat down together around the Lord’s Table to remember the Lord Jesus.

I was especially glad that many of the children of the church could be there to watch and to listen. And I wondered how long it will be before some of these children are baptised and become members of the church.

How old must a …

I’ve been asked that question a number of times recently. Of course, the answer I’ve given has varied according to who I’m speaking to, and why they’re asking. But if I were talking to somebody who really wanted to know, and who had the time and inclination to listen, I’d want to say five things.

Firstly, we are a Christian church. And I mean that in its fullest sense. We’re a church that is built on Christ himself. In 1 Corinthians ch 3, Paul describes Christian …

Tomorrow I go into hospital for an operation on my knee. It’s a very minor operation and I should be home, God willing, by the evening. But I’m aware that with all operations, there is a risk. An anesthetist may make a mistake. A patient may have a heart-attack on the operating table. An infection may set in and then escalate with fatal consequences. So as I say goodbye to my wife and children tomorrow, I shall be …

Every year, the Sunday nearest to the 11th of November is designated Remembrance Sunday. This year it falls on November 9th. On that Sunday, at 11 am we’ll stand in silence for two minutes. And in the silence we’ll remember the sufferings and the triumphs of two World Wars. We’ll pay tribute to those who gave their lives. And we’ll give thanks to God for his mercies towards us.

The First World War began when Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia on the 28th July 1914. It ended at 11 …

I have a home full of books. There are bookshelves in every room. I suppose there must be around four thousand books in the house altogether. Some of them are general books – books of poetry, novels, history books. But most of them are, in some sense, “Christian”. They are books about the Bible (lots of commentaries), books about Christian doctrine, books about how to live as a Christian, books about church history – and lots more.

Sometimes …