On holidays, I was reading a book titled, “Disciplines of a Godly man” by Kent Hughes. It is a book I have read before but it is well worth a second (or third) read. The book reminded me that godliness is something we as God’s people need to work hard at. There are very few things in life that we can do…
Posts by Rick Maude (Page 34)
Hubert Simpson has preserved the story of a picture which was painted at the request of the Royal Corps of Signals to depict an incident which took place in the First World War. It shows us an unarmed linesman in no-man’s land, sent out there to repair a broken cable and to restore communication. But the picture shows him prostrate and lifeless…
Many people are concerned at the breakdown of community life. And rightly so since we all know the joys of a well integrated society and the sadness when there is disintegration. But it is not only society that disintegrates so easily, it can happen in us as individuals. Some people find it difficult to live with themselves. This can be caused by…
Communities down through the ages have had to grapple with the issue of raising the next generation. It is a natural concern for us all. Love motivates us to want the best for our children, both as individuals and as the next generation. There is of course a healthy dose of self interest involved here. The way we raise our children will…
When people stop believing in God they don’t believe in nothing, they believe in anything. G.K. Chesterton The second Commandment, the one where God forbids us to make idols, warns us of this very human, yet very sinful, tendency. The age old temptation is not so much to dispense with God (for that would be as foolish as denying that a watch…
It only takes a glance at the news on TV, a look at the pain and suffering around us, to prompt people to ask this question. It could be triggered by what we see happening in Iraq, where innocent people are murdered or aid workers beheaded in callous cold blood. Or maybe we hear of what people have done to others in…
It seems that as a culture we are changing in the way our society interacts with each other, and supports others by serving them. Sadly, these trends should not surprise us, given the general move in our Western culture away from what can best be described as a Christian worldview to what might be best described as a “Self world view”. Put…
A modern feature of digital television is “the instant replay”. You can rewind TV and watch the scene again. You can pause the TV or slow it down to a frame by frame advance. In our sports scene there is ongoing debate on how much this instant information should be allowed to guide or overturn the umpires decision. They do make available…
Racist remarks often raise their ugly head amongst us and whilst we are told they are common in sport but this should not surprise us because they seem to be common in everyday thinking. Do they come from fear of those who appear to be different to us? Or is it because they have been allowed to grow in our minds and…
It is great to have you join us this morning to celebrate not just the birth or the death but also the resurrection of Jesus. I remember seeing a cartoon where the question was asked “why is Jesus the only way to God?”. The answer came back, “do you know anyone else who rose from the dead?” The crucifixion of Jesus on…