Minister’s Message – September 7, 2025

Bible reading: Philemon 1-21.

Message.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. I wonder if you recognise that sentence? It is part of the American Declaration of Independence, agreed in Philadelphia in July 1776. And it includes some stirring words: that God created all men (today we’d say all people) equal, that everyone has the right to liberty and happiness, and that these are “self-evident” truths – no-one could possibly argue against them. It’s therefore no surprise that the United States calls itself “the land of the free” – yet its first President, the revered George Washington, was a slave-owner. That fact seems to fly in the face of these wonderful words.

Toddler Group

Our Toddler Group will be back this week, on Wednesday September 10^th, and they have space to welcome new families – no need to pre-book just go along and join them. Held on Wednesdays 1.45-3.30pm during term time. £1.50 per family.

Minister’s Message – August 10, 2025

Bible reading: Colossians 2:9-15.

Philosophy is a subject that I’ve never really studied. I know that the actual word “philosophy” comes from two Greek words and means “a love of wisdom”; I know too that it can be considered the study of knowledge, existence, and reality: who are we, why are we here, how does our world work – the deepest questions about human existence.

Minister’s Message – August 3, 2025

Bible reading: Colossians 1:15-23.

Message.

There are times in life when we face difficult choices, both of which have consequences. For instance, one of my best friends has invited me to go to a football match, while another good friend wants me to accompany him to a party on the same day. How can I avoid offending at least one of them? Or, if I’m in a restaurant, do I choose food which I enjoy, but which I know will give me indigestion; or do I choose a bland dish which won’t give me either the same pain – or pleasure?

Minister’s Message – July 27, 2025

Bible reading: Colossians 1:3-14.

Message.

In about 1895, a teacher at Munich’s Luitpold Gymnasium or High School allegedly wrote this comment in a teenager’s report: “This boy will never amount to anything”. Whether this is true I don’t know, as the boy was already a proficient pianist and violinist and an outstanding mathematician, the master of differential calculus. Perhaps he wasn’t so able in other subjects; or perhaps the teacher couldn’t understand a lad who didn’t easily fit into the rigid German education system.