Posts

Last Night (Ariadne’s Thread)

  Last Night (Ariadne’s Thread) When the sun goes down and does not rise I will savour this sunset most of all gold and ruby and Tyrian purple blending into Cretan sapphire sky But more precious than these: fingers intertwined knees pressed together feet swinging as one above the tide your tired head against my forearm I hope that we can rewind this thread of memory— on that day when Ariadne lays down her spindle— with my hand held in yours and my own tired head resting on your arm Then may I return to these treasured hues, the comfort of skin as well as sun, and hold on to these moments  when I could keep you warm and safe and I will smile, knowing then that my last sunset is not yours. Dedit oscula nato non iterum repetenda suo Ovid's  Metamorphoses  (Book VIII)
Post a Comment
Read more

What the World Still Needs

Image
This sermon was preached on our Sunday morning service on 14th June 2026. The Gospel was Matthew 9:35-10:8 .     Did you ever – at Sunday school maybe – have to learn the names of the twelve disciples? I think, for me, it was one of the things we had to do when I was a member of the Boys’ Brigade in Scotland. To be honest, even now, I’m not sure I could do it from memory…   Let’s start with the easy ones: Simon (also called Peter), James, John, Judas Iscariot, Doubting Thomas – ok, that’s five. Seven more then – feel free to shout out! ·          Matthew the tax collector – sometimes called Levi ·          Philip ·          Andrew! (Simon’s brother) ·          Another James (son of Alphaeus, rather than Zebedee) ·          Another Simon as well – Simon the Zea...
Post a Comment
Read more

If You Love Me

Image
This sermon was preached at our Sunday morning service on 10th May 2026, the week of the local elections in the UK. The Gospel was John 14:15-21 .   My sermon this morning is not a complicated one. It holds no deep esoteric theology. There is no secret knowledge that I will impart.   Instead, I’m going to look at just a few words from our Gospel reading today. All very simple words. Well, most of them anyway.   “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”. These nine words from Jesus at the beginning of our Gospel reading are straight-forward. All but one of them have four letters or less. They’re all easily understood with little context. All but one, maybe.   If you love me, you will keep my commandments.   Those people who don’t know Jesus – who, in not knowing him, don’t yet love him – won’t know what commandments he is talking about here. But for those of us who do, connections will be being made in our heads as we think about this phra...
Post a Comment
Read more