Quarantine Journal

In my justly unfamous Plague Journals I reflected in harrowing detail on the stresses and strains of my transformation from old school preacher to 21st century Cyber Pastor. I can now Zoom with the best of them, although linking the platform with Facebook Live is still a bit hit and miss. And when I say 'with the best of them', that was a idle boast, really. I mean, some flashy churches do stuff like getting their worship band to play and sing together, despite being in different homes. We just stream Aber hymns. 

Ebenezer Baptist Church started gathered worship services at the beginning of August. It was good to be able to preach to a living, breathing congregation, rather than a pixelated version. The Chapel has no internet connection, but I managed to stream the service to FB Live using my mobile phone for the benefit of those unable to attend. At Providence Baptist Church we await the completion of major building works before we can meet at the Chapel. Hopefully it won't be too long before we can gather.

Like many other churches, even when both of ours are able to meet for worship, that will only be for one service a week, with other things continuing online so long as the government's Covid Secure guidance applies in its current form. 

We had a nice holiday in Biarritz in the Basque region of France from 4-18 August. I visited the city when Interrailing  as a student back in 1989. I remember hoping that if a girl I had my eye on and me got together, I'd like to take her to Biarritz one day. It seemed such a lovely, romantic place. Reader, I married her and 29 years since Sarah and I got hitched I finally whisked her off to the South of France. 

We booked the holiday back in January, way before the coronavirus outbreak came to dominate everything. For months it looks as though we wouldn't be able to go. Then the government opened an 'air corridor' to France and we were off.  Covid cases were low in the Basque region, but we kept an eye on UK news, as it became apparent that infections were on the up in France as a whole. Soon enough the 'air corridor' was slammed shut again on Saturday 15 August. But we didn't join the stampede to beat the deadline and avoid having to self-isolate for 14 days, 

While on holiday we enjoyed spending time on the beaches of Biarritz, exploring the town and eating out at local restaurants, We often went for evening walks to watch the sun go down and saw some amazing sunsets. When on holiday Sarah likes soaking up the rays, while I huddle under a parasol reading books, popping out several times during the day for a swim in the sea. I read Rorke's Drift: A New Perspective, by Neil Thornton and Interpreting Eden, by Vern Poythress. I almost finished The Mystery of Christ: His Covenant & His Kingdom, by Samuel Renihan and made a good start on The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor's Heart by Harold Senbbeil. 

The second of the four titles was for review in the Banner Magazine and I've been asked to delay posting a my impressions on the blog until its published there. I'm currently working on a review of the third book, which I've now finished. Still reading the last one. I liked the first two or three chapters very much. The author's gentle pastoral heart shines through every page. But his Lutheranism seems to get more pronounced as the book proceeds. Talk of crucifixes and the like doesn't sit well with me as a Grace Baptist Pastor, but there are good things here too, with a strong emphasis on Word and Spirit in ministry. 

When on holiday we found an English speaking CofE congregation in Biarritz. They had a Lutheran pastor take the service on the first Sunday we were there, but had no preacher for the second Sunday. They knew I was a minister because we made contact with a member of the group before we set off for France. I ended up preaching the second Sunday, on Matthew 15:21-28, which was one of the Lectionary readings of the day. I wondered how I might go down with the people, as they weren't used to your typical Reformed Baptist preaching, but I felt helped and they've invited me to preach there again sometime. 'Guy Davies Global Ministries' really is becoming a thing at last.

Anyway, having returned to the UK after the quarantining deadline, we've been under virtual 'house arrest' for the best part of a fortnight. I don't know why the government can't regionalise 'air corridors' so only people staying in parts of countries with high infection rates are affected, or why they can't sort out airport testing, so only people who test positive need to isolate? Unlike for some, my work wasn't affected too badly, as most of our services are still online. 

In any case I didn't start back to work until last Monday, although there were still some bits and pieces that needed doing before then. We've had to do our big weekly shop over the internet and rely on our daughter to get us the other things we needed from the shops. Apart from work, we've done some decorating at home. I've managed to get a good bit of reading done and caught up with church members via phone and Zoom meetings. 

We got up to speed with the BBC's A Suitable Boy (1 episode still to watch) and used our freebie week's subscription to Now TV to see the powerful and thought-proving drama, Chernobyl. What a harrowing expose of the corrupt old Soviet Union. The whole system was based on illusion and lies, but the truth about the nuclear disaster  as told by Valery Legasov and others at great cost helped to bring the system crashing to the ground. 

I usually don't bother to shave when on holiday and have continued unshaven while quarantining. Here I am wearing at hat that was a birthday gift from our son. We'll be able to venture out again on Tuesday. The beard may have to go by then, but we'll see. 

25th Wedding Anniversary

It was on a sunny July day just like today that Sarah and I were married at Kensit Evangelical Church, Finchley. We met when I was a student at the London Theological Seminary. Sarah's from London and I'm from Wales. We've lived all of our married lives in the south west of England, Dorset and then Wiltshire. We've been blessed with two wonderful children, Jonathan and Rebecca, who are now university students. 

We're grateful to the Lord for all his goodness to us over the past 25 years.

Our people from Providence and Ebenezer churches kindly laid on a celebration lunch for us on Sunday, complete with speeches, cakes, gifts, and even a poem, which was very good of them. 

"Many waters cannot quench love,
    neither can floods drown it."

(Song of Solomon 8:7)

So that was Christmas (2013)

Once more Christmas came and went in a blur. The build-up was hectic, with extra church meetings of one kind and another, as well as the usual preparations for the Big Day. The follow-up involved family visits to Wales and London. My mum was meant to be joining us for Christmas, but my attempt to pick her up from Bassaleg had to be abandoned due to a Great Flood at Bradford on Avon. Good to have Jonny back with us on Christmas leave from Nottingham University.

We had some encouraging times at church, with a number of visitors at the Providence Carol Service. In the three Sunday morning services leading up to Christmas I preached on John 1:14, The Divine Identity, Real Humanity and Stunning Glory of Jesus (here).

Among my Christmas pressies (mostly clothes - as modelled above) was the recently published, From Heaven He Came and Sought Her, on definite atonement, edited by David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson. That should give me something to get my teeth into as 2014 unfolds. I also took advantage of Amazon's sale to download God's Philosophers, by James Hannam, for only 0.99p.


My main reading task for 2014 will be finishing Volume Four of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics. After that I'll be free to make a start on The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for pilgrims on the way, by Michael Horton. I've been enjoying Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton, by W. Andrew Hoffecker and am about 2/3 of the way through.

We had a lovely time at Longleat Safari Park on Boxing Day thanks to a friend who gave us complimentary tickets. We did the safari drive and got pretty close to the wildlife. The big cats seemed more lively in winter than we have found them in the heat of summer. The pantomime theme in Longleat House was fun, bumping into Prince Charming and Cindarella, Scrooge and various other characters. Oh yes, we did.

For the the last Sunday in 2013 I preached on 'Now is the accepted time', 2 Corinthians 6:2 and 'Redeeming the time' from Ephesians 5:16.

Yesterday afternoon Sarah and I went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I enjoyed it better than The Unexpected Journey. We saw the first film in HFR 3D. The visual effects freaked my brain. Mainly because at least to me, the medium makes the characters look hyperrealistic against a rather static-looking background. Much better in good ol' 2D. Still, not sure that the director to wise to try and squeeze three films out of the original source material. But the cliffhanger ending made me want to see the concluding episode in December, even though I know what's going to happen next. The Hobbit was the last bedtime story I read to Jonny and Becca, so it is still relatively fresh in my mind. As much as anything is fresh in my mind these days.

We saw the New Year in with friends in Bulford, Wiltshire, which was nice. I was joint-winner of Dixit, a board game I'd not played before. Far be it from me to boast.

Today had been quite quiet thus far, which is nice so I was able to catch up with some non-theological listening/reading. A while back I downloaded Catastrophe: Volume One: Europe Goes to War 1914, by Max Hastings. It was a freebie sweetener from Audible.co.uk. I'd not listened to an audio book before, but gave it a go earlier today. I prefer reading to listening when it comes to books, but the scene-setting introduction and prologue were well interesting enough. A bit difficult to absorb all the information without being able to pause and review the text, though. Still, shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, I suppose.

I downloaded Seamus Heney's Beowulf when the poet's death was announced back in the summer. At the time I managed to read little more than part of the introduction, but today began to make progress on the epic poem itself. Beautifully translated; the verse crisp and clear, the narrative gripping and exciting.

Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark,

nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him

to hear the din of the loud banquet

every day in the hall, the harp being struck

and the clear song of a skilled poet

telling with mastery of man’s beginnings,

how the Almighty had made the earth

a gleaming plain girdled with waters;

in His splendour He set the sun and the moon

to be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men,

and filled the broad lap of the world

with branches and leaves; and quickened life

in every other thing that moved. [65-98]

Heaney, Seamus (2009-02-19). Beowulf: A New Translation (Kindle Locations 521-534). Faber and Faber. Kindle Edition.

I know not what else 2014 has in store, but at least I won't be sort of stuff to read, which is something.

Happy New Year, dear readers. 

Half Term Jottings

Half term week was meant to be a little less busy than usual, but things didn't quite work out like that. Stepping in to take a funeral in a neighbouring church took time to arrange and take. An elderly church member was admitted to hospital necessitating a visit. Then, of course there was sermon prep for our Sunday services. 

Managed to take some time off on Tuesday afternoon, however. We headed for Stourhead, which looked beautiful in its autumn hues. Our daughter was able to take lots of snaps for her school photography project. One of the project themes was 'isolated'. So, we made our way up a nearby valley to find a well in the middle of nowhere that apparently marks the head of the river Stour. 'Isolated' is the word. Click on the picture above. The well is the thing with a mini-spire on top. 

Nice to have a break from governor-related stuff, though. Although I did have a meeting with my mentor, Keith Clover on Monday morning. He attended the last Full Governors' Meeting and we were able to do a bit of 'post-match analysis', which was useful. 

Good to hear of the work of the Spanish Gospel Mission at our Wednesday meeting. 

Two writing deadlines this week too. Submitted a column for the next edition of the White Horse News and wrote an article for the Christmas edition of Wiltshire Phab Magazine. I'll probably post it here when seasonally appropriate. 

Little time for reading outside of prep this week and no time for decorating the living room either. Not too disappointed about the latter, but when I've a few spare moments I've been enjoying Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton, by W. Andrew Hoffecker (P&R). Making some progress on Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics Vol 4. The chapter on Justification is typically thorough and satisfying. Great stuff in Augustine's On Christian Doctrine on apostolic eloquence that I might blog about some time. 

So, that was Christmas (and New Year)

Pre-Christmas was the usual whirl of activity. On the last day of term, Friday 21st December I did the Bible reading at the town's secondary school Carol Service, Luke 2:1-20. Last January I became a parent governor at the school, where our two are in years 11 & 13. Then we had an encouraging 'Evening with Carols' at a local sheltered housing complex on Friday evening. It was good to have some visitors come along to the Carol Services of both churches I serve on the Sunday before Christmas.

With schools breaking up on the Friday before Christmas, the 'Big Day' seemed to arrive with little warning. We'd done most of the shopping, but that left quite a bit of pressie wrapping to do. All seems a bit of a blur now. Had some nice presents, mostly clothes and some other bits and pieces. A  navy blue Ben Sherman Harrington jacket will help complete the midlife crisis ageing-mod look.

Preached on Isaiah 9:6 Christmas morning, emphasising God's gift of Jesus, "unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son us given". Quoted Thomas Goodwin's wonderful mash-up of Isaiah 9:6 and 1 Corinthians 1:30:

For would we have peace of conscience and the guilt of sin removed? He is the “Prince of Peace”, and is made “righteousness” unto us. Are we in depths of distress, terrors within, terrors without, out of which we see no redemption? He is the “mighty God;” “able to save to the utmost,” being made “redemption” to us. Want we grace and his image to be renewed and increased in us? He is “the everlasting Father;” a father to beget his likeness in us, and everlasting to maintain it [for] ever, when it is begun once: he is made “sanctification” to us. Want we wisdom to guide us? He is the “Counsellor,” and is made wisdom to us. All we want he has, even as all he has we want.

Not  sure that the old Puritan would approve of Christmas, but there we are. 

Wanted to go for a walk on  Boxing Day, but it was raining pretty heavily. So, we decided to have a game of  Monopoly. We've got the newfangled set where you use credit cards rather than cash. My daughter won, accumulating over £130 million. Something like that anyway. 

Managed to get out for a walk the day after. Sarah and I went for a wander around Shear Water, a local beauty spot. 

On Friday we went to Wales and had a lovely time seeing my family. My mum and sister and her family still live in the village where I was brought up. Always good to see Bassaleg again. On the way home we went to IKEA in Bristol and bought some stuff. Never been there before. Good quality. Cheap. Quite impressed. 

On Saturday we headed for London, partly to see Sarah's family and partly because I was booked to preach at Stanmore Chapel on the Sunday. The pastor is Colin Leyshon, who I first met when studying at LTS in 1989. Preached on Galatians 4:1-7 in the morning and Romans 8:35-39 in the evening. I struggled a bit in the morning, but felt more free in the later service. While we were away I finished the Kindle version of In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson. It was only £0.99 from Amazon. A very helpful read at bargain basement price. Look out for a review soon. 

Back home on Monday. Went to a New Year's Eve party at Barnaby and Verity Alsop's place. Barnaby, another member of the 'LTS Mafia' is pastor at Bulford Chapel. We had a good time, eating, drinking and chatting away merrily. We played Monopoly Deal, a playing card version of the board game. Fun, even though we didn't win.

My reading highlights for 2012 were Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics Volume 3 and Iain Murray's moving biography of Archibald Brown. I hope to get through a sizeable chunk of RD Vol 4 this year. It's the biggie of the set. Over 900pp. On my 'to read' shelf I have What is Jesus doing now? by my good friend Gary Brady (to be reviewed for ET), The Mission of God, by Christopher Wright and some other stuff, including a volume of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's sermons. I've caught the e-reading bug and like to snap up Kindle special offers when I can. I've made a start on Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones and downloaded Pillars of Grace, by Stephen Lawson. I got the former for only £6.48. It is now £19.27 for the Kindle version, £34.40 hardback.  The early bird... and all that.

Who, but the Lord knows what 2013 holds for us? We trust in him and in his name we go forward into a new year. 

Radio-head

This week I've been hammering away at my keyboard, bashing out scripts for Grace Baptist Mission's radio programme, Serving Today. Next Tuesday I'll be heading to GBM's Abingdon HQ to record eight talks on Jesus' "I am" sayings in the Gospel According to John with Andrew Cook. I know there are only seven of them, but the first talk is introductory. 

Also I've been in and out of schools quite a bit. On Tuesday I led a primary school assembly. I'm a parent governor at the local secondary school and we had a committee meeting Tuesday evening. Then it was back to school yesterday for my daughter's Sixth Form Evening. I have another governors' meeting this afternoon. 

What with pastoral visits, Bible Study/Sermon prep and all, I haven't had too much time for reading, but I've got through a few more chapters of Paul Brown's biog of Earnest Kevan and have nearly finished The Unexpected Jesus, by Craig Hovey. His portrait of Jesus certainly isn't one I expected, that's for sure. Look out for a review next week.

I'll be preaching away on Sunday at Gillingham Baptist Church, Dorset, where we used to be members before moving to Westbury. That's Gillingam with the 'Gill' bit pronounced like a fish's gill rather than the girl's name, Gill as in Gillingham, Kent. Although for a Welshman like me, the 'll' in Gillingham should really be spoken with a 'chl' sound like Llanelli. 

This, that and the other

We were away on holiday last week, in El Campello near Alicante, Spain if you must know. It was warm enough, around 24C most days, to spend time lazing on the almost deserted beach. The scenery was amazing. Craggy peaks, dried up rivers, scrubby, cactus strewn desert and the invitingly warm deep blue sea. 

While propped up against a strategically placed palm tree I managed to finish Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Also made a start on Unexpected Jesus: The Gospel as Surprise by Craig Hovey. The book is a review copy from the publisher, Cascade Books. Not sure what to make of it yet. Not so much surprised as slightly baffled. 

We arrived home on Friday and I preached twice on Sunday at Providence Church - on 1 John 5:18 and Philippians 3:1-3. Snow, would you believe it, snow - in November,  that and localised heavy flooding prevented some of our people attending the services. Sunny Spain, not. 

The rest of the week so far has involved the regular round of pastoral visits, message preparation, leading meetings, study etc. An added task has been preparing a series of talks on Jesus' "I AM" sayings in John's Gospel for Grace Baptist Mission's Serving Today programme.

Also worked on a talk  for this Saturday's 'Gift Day' and 'Auction of Promises' in aid of Leonora Home. An anecdote from the life of John Elias came in handy. Of which, more later. 

That was the weekend that was

On Saturday morning we had our autumn morning of prayer at Providence Chapel, using Psalm 145 as a template for praise, intercession and petition. That our 'Bright Sparks' parent and toddler group was due to begin today gave our prayers added urgency.

In the afternoon Sarah and I headed for Southwick Country Park near Trowbridge. Wiltshire being landlocked and all that's not it in the image above. My mobile is on the blink so I couldn't take photos anyway. Although it's nearby we'd not been to the Country Park before. It was nice to wander around and take in the sights on what may have been the last warm and sunny day of the year. We finished up eating a tub each of locally produced Marshfield Farm ice cream in the grounds of the Squirrels tea-room. The photo is of the beach at Weston-Super-Mare, taken a few weeks ago. 

Then it was off to Halfords to buy 'L' plates so I could take our son, Jonny driving around a Westbury Industrial Estate. He's had some 'proper' lessons, but this was the first time I'd taken him driving. Didn't go too bad, actually. Considering. 

On Sunday I preached at Ebenezer Baptist, West Lavington. We had visitors to both the morning and evening services, which was encouraging. In the morning I preached on Genesis 37 and in the evening on Galatians 5:1. After the evening service a number of friends from both churches met for a time of fellowship in the home of a couple who are members of Providence Church. The question of how we might rejoice in God's judgement was discussed. 

'Bright Sparks' went well this morning, with a good number of mums, with their babies and toddlers coming along, which was an answer to prayer. 

The Lord is good and his steadfast love endures for ever. 

To The North and back, a journey through fire and water

My sense of foreboding concerning Friday's journey to "The North" for a Sheffield Uni Open Day was more than fulfilled. Radiohead's Amnesiac proved an appropriate soundtrack. The sonic assault that is Pulk/Pull/Revolving Doors mirrored the storm that lashed my trusty Ford Focus. I accidentally ended upon the M6 toll road and then had to take the intermittently congested A38 in order to join the M1. It rained. All day. Not in sweetly gentle showers, but angry incessant torrents. 

We got very wet. Cheapo brollys bought in desperation from a shoe shop leaked, as did 'showerproof'  coats and our trainers (Jonny) and desert boots (me). Had lunch in the queue for the bus that took us from accommodation tour to the Uni (see above). In a rush to catch a Chem Eng talk (see below).  

Sheffield Uni was OK, but the presentations weren't as good as Birmingham or Nottingham. In fact one was pretty poor, with a quietly-spoken prof struggling to be heard above postgrads nosily playing a Yu-Gi-Oh! GX card game in the background. 

Returning home we faced heavy traffic. Witnessed the aftermath of what looked like a head-on collision. On the M42. How'd that happen? Emergency Services in attendance. Later, saw a car on fire on the hard shoulder. Police at the scene. Thankfully, didn't look like anyone was hurt in either incident.

Listening to Murray win his semi on the radio made it all seem a little more bearable. And we arrived home safely, if later than expected. Something to be grateful for. On the scale of human misery I don't suppose our trip to Sheffield amounted to much. Still, there is enough grief in the world and I don't propose to add to it by going there again any time soon. 

Due North

Tomorrow morning I'm going to have to drag myself out of bed at some unearthly hour and hit the road in order to get to Sheffield Uni by 10am. I'll be taking my son there for an open day. Westbury to Sheffield. And back. In a day. West Country to The North. What's the point in that? 

Apart from heading east to sojourn in London for a couple of years I've either lived in South Wales or Wessex. I'm a man of the South West. Given the choice I wouldn't head much north of the M4. Sheffield. Whoever said that fathering a child would mean going up there? 

I've endured sleepless nights, nappies, being beaten at chess and Swingball, surrogate exam stress, but now this. Birmingham was bad enough, and then Nottingham, but Sheffield? Nothing against the place, mind you, it's just, I don't know....

I need an early night. 

A slice of Wednesday on Thursday

Yesterday we headed for Salisbury as a family member had a routine appointment at the hospital. Well, there were two appointments actually, one at 10.30am and the other at 3.40pm. With all that time to spare we headed for the city centre to grab some lunch. Also, predictably, Sarah and Rebecca wanted to do a bit of shopping. Jonathan opted to stay at home so I didn't even have anyone to talk to as the girls disappeared in the depths of New Look for an hour and a half. 

But all was not lost as I brought Don Carson's The Intolerance of Tolerance along with me. I read a few pages at the hospital and settled down to read some more in the city centre while Sarah and Rebecca hit the shops. No sooner had I parked myself on a bench, it started to rain. So, I wandered in and out of a few shops. More to stop getting wet than in the hope of buying anything. The shower quickly stopped and I was able to find a place on another bench where I could resume reading Carson. Good stuff on how the very meaning of tolerance has changed from putting up with stuff with which we don't agree to the view that honestly disagreeing with anyone is itself intolerant. Something like that anyway. I'll post a review when I'm done.

After reading a good chunk I went for a wander and ended up in Waterstones. Had a good browse, mainly in the classics, poetry and history sections before going off in search of wife and daughter so we could have lunch together. I rang Sarah's mobile only to hear her calling to me from behind. We headed for Cafe Nero, a favourite lunchtime eaterie in Salisbury. Good coffee and tasty paninis. After lunch the girls headed off to the shops and I walked aimlessly through the city centre. Found another bookshop. I can't remember what it was called, but it was a cheapo remainder job. Decent classics section, though. I'd been meaning to read some Dickens, with this year being the bicentenary of his birth. So, I snapped up A Tale of Two Cities, the Wordsworth Classics edition, for only £2. 

It was the best of times. I'd just bought a book. And the worst of times. Next I was required to give my opinion on the seemingly endless stream of outfits that Sarah and Rebecca were trying on in New Look. What's a man to do? You speak your mind, "I don't like it, its rubbish." and suddenly you are Mr. Grumpy. You tell them what you think they want to hear to get it over and done with quickly, and invite a crisis of conscience for being economical with the truth. Eventually clothes were bought  and we returned to Salisbury Hospital. 

More waiting, more reading of Carson. Started final chapter. Appointment over. Stopped reading at number 2 of Carson's ten words on tolerance. 

Drove home. 

Quick evening meal. 

Bible Study/Prayer Meeting. We discussed Zechariah 13:7-9. 

Watched The Apprentice on V+. 

And that's about it. 

Amazing Providence

I take Saturdays as my day off. I know that many pastors have a day off on Monday to recover from the labours of the Lord's Day. But I have a wife and two teenage children, so I like to take Saturday off to spend time with the family. We live about 10/15 minutes drive away from Longleat Safari Park. Every other year we buy Passport Tickets that enable us to visit the attraction as many times as we like during the season. A month or so ago we drove round the Safari Park and saw the lions and tigers etc. One rainy Saturday we had a look round Longleat House. Amongst other things the house has on display the blood-spattered top worn by Charles I when he was beheaded. The blood of the "Man of Blood". Last weekend we had a wander around the Hedge Maze. 

The maze is a rather large affair, covering around 1.5 acres and it is easy to get lost in all its bends and twists. Each member of the family took it in turns to take the lead, but we couldn't find our way to the viewing tower that dominates the maze - and the exit. At one point we just kept going round and round in circles. Frustratingly, every way we turned we kept coming back to exactly the same spot. Then I had a flash of inspiration, or rather I remembered something that an old friend told me. He said that the maze is set out so that if you consistently turn to either the left or right (I won't tell you which), then you'll make it to the viewing tower and find the way out. 

We managed to get back to the starting point and tried out my scheme. Even if turning left (or right as the case may be) didn't seem like the right thing to do, that's what we did. And we made it. The photo above was taken from the highest platform of the viewing tower. When we were lost, the maze seemed totally random and utterly confusing. We could see no rhyme or reason to it. But there was a plan. It did make sense. My friend advised me well. From the perspective of the viewing tower it was perfectly clear. Just keep on turning left, or was it right and you're home. 

Why am I telling you all this? Well, as we were wandering round the maze, I began thinking about how life can sometimes seem rather confusing, full of dead ends and seemingly meaningless twists and turns. Things don't always pan out as we expect and we might be tempted to wonder whether there is any purpose to life all. But God has a plan. Through what may appear to us the random maze of this life, he is working his purpose out. A hymn came to mind. It was David Charles' wonderful meditation on the providence of God, especially the final verse, 

Great providence of heaven -
What wonders shine
In its profound display
Of God's design:
It guards the dust of earth,
Commands the hosts above,
Fulfils the mighty plan
Of his great love

The kingdoms of this world
Lie in its hand;
See how they rise or fall
At its command
Through sorrow and distress,
Tempestuous storms that rage,
God's kingdom yet endures
From age to age.

Its darkness dense is but
A radiant light;
Its oft-perplexing ways
Are ordered right.
Soon all its winding paths
Will end, and then the tale
Of wonder shall be told
Beyond the veil.
David Charles, 1762-1834

Heroes of the Faith: Ignatius, Polycarp & Irenaeus by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Ignatius of Antioch: The man who faced lions 

Polycarp of Smyrna: The man whose faith lasted 

Ireneas of Lyons: The man who wrote books

 Sinclair B. Ferguson, Banner of Truth Trust, 2010, Hardback 40pp

These three books are part of a new series, Heroes of the Faith. When complete it will introduce readers to notable members of the Christian family from the first to the twentieth centuries. The author’s intention is to provide younger children with role models of Christian faith, love and endurance.

Such qualities are certainly found in abundance in the first three characters whose stories are told in the series. Great friends, Ignatius and Polycarp faced a martyr’s death because of their love for the Lord Jesus. Irenaes was a bold defender of the gospel who wrote an important work, Against All False Teaching.

The books are beautifully produced, with eye-catching illustrations, informative maps and well-chosen excerpts from the writings of the three “heroes”. 

Writing with great simplicity and directness, Sinclair Ferguson does much more than give potted biographies of Ignatius, Polycarp and Ireneas. He interweaves their life stories with a clear presentation the gospel that they lived to preach.

Children will enjoy these exciting stories of heroic faith. Ideal for use in times of family worship with younger children.  

* Reviewed for Protestant Truth magazine. 

Paris Travelblog

Our half term trip to Paris went well. We had never travelled abroad as a family before (the Channel Islands isn't really abroad), so last week's mini-break in France was quite an adventure for us. We caught the early Eurotunnel train on Tuesday morning and then I drove from Calais to our hotel in Val d' Europe, not far from Paris. As it was motorway for most of the journey, driving on the "wrong" side of the road wasn't so bad. Although going anticlockwise around roundabouts felt a bit weird. My trusty Garmin SatNav plotted the way, thoughtfully translating French kmh speed limits into mph.

We hit Eurodisney by mid afternoon, and although it was raining, we enjoyed exploring the place and had a go on some of the rides. For our evening meal we ate at Anette's Diner, a 1950's American style eatery complete with massive US sized portions and roller skating waiters/waitresses. The whole place seemed to go wild when Greased Lightning from Grease was played. We just about managed to contain our enthusiasm, but a bloke from the neighbouring table totally freaked out.

We spent the whole of Wednesday at the park and the weather was much better. More rides, shops, shows, food etc. The rides were great. We went on The Temple of Peril, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Thunder Mesa Riverboat, Armageddon Special Effects and the Studio Tram Tour. Only Jonny and I dared try the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where you plunge down 13 floors in a stricken Hollywood Hotel's service lift. Not recommended on a full stomach. The stunt show in the Studio Park was cool.

On our final day in France, we caught the train into Paris to see the sights, taking in the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The city was pretty busy, with loads of hawkers pushily selling cheap souvenirs and countless beggars, all with a suspiciously similar sob story trying to prey on gullible English speaking tourists. We climbed up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower, which afforded panoramic views of Paris. After that we headed for the Eurotunnel, arriving back in the UK around 9pm.

We spent Thursday night in a Premier Inn in Ashford, Kent and on the way home we visited Leeds Castle, where a jousting tournament was being held. A nice way to round off our hols.

But it's back to work now. I preached twice yesterday. Today I worked in the study this morning, made a pastoral visit in the afternoon and this evening I'll be chairing a church AGM.

Lost in France

It's half term and we're off to Paris, so au revoir.

Day off

We had a nice day off on Saturday. Where we live isn't too far from Bath and I always enjoy popping into the city. We usually park the car in Victoria Park and walk into town from there. It was a joy to walk through the park, with the grass strewn with crunchy autumn leaves on a bright autumn day. The city centre was as busy and bustling as ever. We grabbed some Cornish pasties and ate in the shadow of the magnificent Abbey. Bath is such a random place. I love it. Roman Baths, posh spas, big shops and classical colonnades are intermingled with buskers, beggars and fire juggling street performers. As we were eating lunch a troupe of bizarrely dressed traveling actors passed by, advertising their next performance.

One of the reasons we headed for Bath was to catch the new Pixar release, UP. The film was a real treat with some great laugh out loud moments, beautifully realised in stunning 3D. Unusually for a family movie, the main character is an old codger called Carl whose wife has died and whose house is surrounded by a noisy building development. He escapes being consigned to an old folks home by tying helium-filled balloons to his home and taking off into the bright blue sky. He heads for Paradise Falls in South America, the place he and his wife, Ellie had longed to explore when they were childhood sweethearts. His adventure is enlivened by an accidental stowaway in the shape of Russel, an eight-year old Wilderness Explorer. As well as being great fun, the film is a poignant meditation on love, loss, ageing and mortality. It's central message is that love is the greatest adventure.

In the city (there's a thousand things I want to say to you)

We spent the weekend in London, as I was booked to preach in Kensit Evangelical Church on the Sunday. We took the opportunity to pop into central London on the Saturday to see the sights. We had a nice picnic lunch in Westminster Square in the shadow of Lloyd-George's statue and then visited the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. A fascinating attraction, which gives a real insight into the tense and cramped conditions in which our nation's leaders worked at the height of WWII. After that we headed for HMS Belfast, an old WWII battle cruiser, now moored near Tower Bridge. As an old Sea Scout I enjoyed looking round the ship from top to bottom.

On Sunday I preached on Jeremiah 2:13 in the morning and Revelation 3:14-22 in the evening. I took the view that the "lukewarmness" of which our Lord complained in the Laodicean church was a reference to the city's water supply. Laodicea was not blessed with therapeutic hot water like nearby Hierapolis or refreshing cool water like Colosse. Its waters were lukewarm; undrinkable and no good for bathing. The Lord wants his churches to be "hot" - offering the soothing message of forgiveness and peace with God to an aching world, or "cold" proclaiming the refreshing message of the gospel to a spiritually parched world. "Lukewarmness" suggests that the church was compromised and ineffective its mission. No wonder the church made Jesus want to spit.

It was good to catch up with family and old friends at Kensit and to have a little nose round the newly refurbished London Theological Seminary. The flooring is very orange, but the library looks impressive with its sliding shelves and up-to-date IT suite. A young man just about to start the two-year course mentioned that reading my interview with new Principal, Robert Strivens here on the blog was one of the reasons why he chose to study at LTS, which was encouraging. He's the son of German missionaries serving in Argentina. If you are considering training for the pastoral-preaching ministry, why not check out the LTS website and contact the college for more details.

Ben Midgley on Tips for Preacher's Confidantes

Ben and his confidante, Sian

Earlier today my good friend Ben Midgley spoke to our local Ministers' Fraternal on 'Tips for preacher's confidante'. It was Ladies' Day, so pastors could bring their wives along, hence the focus on 'confidantes'.

Ben introduced the subject in a typically lively and interesting way. The Lord has given us wives that they might be suitable helpers for us (Genesis 2:18). How may pastors' wives best help ther husbands to be better preachers and pastors? A good way to approach this question is to look at the pastoral practice of the apostles. We worked through several passages in Acts that give us a glimpse into the apostles' pastoral work. Rather than commenting on these verses himself, Ben invited discussion from the meeting. There were insightful contributions from pastors and their wives.

Acts 5:3-4 - Peter treated Ananias and Sapphira as grown-ups not children, holding them accountable for their actions.

Acts 6:2-4 - The apostles prioritized prayer and preaching, but did not neglect practical matters. They delegated work to other suitably godly and gifted men rather than micromanaging everything themselves.

Acts 8:20-23 - Peter denounced Simon Magus for offering to buy the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit. We should not be swayed by those who hold the purse strings. In church life he who pays the piper may not call the tune.

Acts 11:4-17 - Peter showed good people skills in explaining his actions to the church. He carried the church with him so that by the end of his address they shared his vision and glorified God for saving the Gentiles.

Acts 15:1 - Paul and Barnabas were willing to stand up to false teachers whose doctrine undermined the gospel and threatened the unity of the church. We need to confront heresy and be willing to stand up to those who would divide the church on secondary matters.

Acts 15:32-35 - At Antioch men with various gifts collaborated to strengthen the believers. We should be willing to allow others to share in the work of exhorting and teaching the church. Is our preaching strengthening believers?

Acts 19:9 - Paul was willing to listen as well as speak.

Acts 20:7-11 - Paul showed even handling of different people and circumstances.

Various points were also made with regard to the manner of the apostles' preaching as evidenced in their letters.

Variety and liveliness. Warmth, humanity and engagement. Intimate without being light, or insubstantial. Deep communion. Variety of tone, adaptability. Respectful to from, practicality and courtesy. Tackling different subjects firmly. Appropriate poetry. Presence. Ultimately Christ centred, reverent and worshipful of God.

With this checklist in mind our longsuffering wives should be able to offer constructively critical feedback when we ask "How do you think the service went tonight, love?"

After the meeting we had a lovely alfresco lunch. An encouraging time was had by all.

Random day

Slightly random day today. We headed off to the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford, Somerset. I'm not a great petrol head, but it was a nice pre-father's day treat. The vid shows a rubber-burning rally car demo. Wish I could say that I was behind the wheel of one of the motors, but there we are. After all that excitement we headed for the tranquility of nearby National Trust property, Montacute House and found a Dalek in the grounds. How random is that?

Some geeky info: I installed Internet Explorer 8 earlier this morning and ever since I've had problems getting the blog to load. I keep getting an "Operation aborted" message. A friend of mine has experienced similar problems. Looks like blogger and IE8 are having compatibility issues. But never fear, I've found a way round it. Hit the "Back" button when "Operation aborted" flashes up and the blog should load OK.

Troubled Journey by Faith Cook

Troubled Journey: A Missionary Childhood in war-torn China
by Faith Cook, Banner of Truth Trust, 2004, 118pp.

In this book Faith Cook tells the story of her experiences as a child of Christian missionaries in the turbulent years surrounding Word War II. Her parents, Stanley and Norah Rowe worked with the China Inland Mission. Together with many earnest Christians of their time, they believed that their missionary calling had to come before anything else. This meant that their children had to suffer living in sub-standard conditions without adequate healthcare. Family life was also disrupted when the children were sent away for their education. Faith had an older brother, Christopher and two younger brothers, Godfrey and Philip. Godfrey died of dysentery while still a baby in Zhongwei, Stalney and Norah's mission base.

Faith and her siblings had to cope with long and sometimes painful periods away from the family home while being educated in boarding schools. When the Japanese invaded China in 1944, children from the Mission School were evacuated to Kalimpong, India. Life was harsh in the makeshift mountain school. Petty childhood misdemeanors met with swift and severe punishment. The family was reunited after the war. But they were forced to flee from China in 1950 when the Communist Party expelled foreign missionaries. For some time the Rowe's lived together in Cliftonville, near Margate in England. The boys attended local schools, but Faith was sent to Clarendon School in North Wales. Here she was able to catch up with her studies and enjoy the attention of the godly and caring members of staff. But while Faith was away in Clarendon, tragedy struck at home. Her younger brother Philip was killed in a road accident. As the family were coming to terms with this terrible loss, Stanley and Norah once again felt the pull of the mission field. They headed off to evangelise Chinese people who had fled to Malaysia to escape from the Communists.

We might think that missionary parents like Stanley and Norah were extraordinarily insensitive and unfeeling towards their offspring. But it seems that they felt the periods of separation from their children very keenly. They believed that it was their Christian duty to make heroic sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel. Children were regarded as "little Isaacs", who were sacrificially offered to the Lord. They seem to have forgotten that the Lord told Abraham to stay his hand. An unrealistic triumphalism, which suggested that Christians should always be bright and cheerful also helped to insulate missionaries from the privations of life in the field and times of sorrow in the family. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote to Stanley and Norah on the occasion of the Philip's death. His letter shows great pastoral insight and understanding, "As we would expect from you, your letter is full of triumphant faith. But we are not meant to be unnatural, and you are bound to feel the loss of such a bright spirit very keenly."

While it is true that the Lord must come first in all things, that does not mean that believing parents are entitled to put their Christian service before family life. Children are a very precious gift from God and the primary responsibility of Christian parents is to bring up their children with love and affection in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Only in very exceptional circumstances should Christian parents place their children in boarding schools. The other day my daughter accused me of abandoning her because I had to take an extra evening meeting one week! What children like Faith must have felt on being separated from their parents I don't know. If a mission situation demands the separation of parents and children, then let single missionaries or couples without children do the work. The task of missionaries is not simply to spread the Gospel, but to model family life in a godly home. That cannot be done if the children are sent away to be educated. I'm glad that a more enlightened (and biblical!) attitude now seems to prevail in missionary circles. Pastors with couples on the mission field should ensure that the needs of family life are carefully taken into consideration.

Faith expresses the feelings of understandable resentment that she felt against her parents as a child. But the thing that shines through in this book is not her bitterness, but her faith. In all her sorrows and troubles she was aware of the hand of God, guiding and protecting her. The author married Paul Cook and became a pastor's wife. Letters penned for Faith's absent parents while in her teenage years helped kindle a gift for writing that has found expression in her many helpful books. (Such as William Grimshaw of Howarth, Banner of Truth Trust & Fearless Pilgrim: The life and times of John Bunyan, Evangelical Press).

On a personal note, a few years ago we holidayed on the island of Jersey. Paul Cook happened to be filling the pulpit for a few weeks in the summer. Paul and Faith invited us back to their flat for some tea and cake after the evening service. We had a lovely time of fellowship. Faith had just finished writing her historical novel for children Beneath the Scaffold, Evangelical Press, and we talked about her books. Somewhat awestruck, my son asked Mrs. Cook "Are you famous writer?" Modestly she replied, "No, I'm not." But her cheerful and kindly spirit, just as much as Paul's sharp mind left us deep impression on us all. No doubt Faith Cook is not the only believer from a Christian home to have suffered a traumatic childhood. Her painful story shows that the Lord is able to restore the locust eaten years and fill the hearts of his people with love and faith.