Forgiveness and Love in Tragedy The events surrounding the fatal A66 traffic collision have left many people shocked, families grieving and created a social outpouring of anger over how it happened. Seven people died, five young men and two on-duty police officers, and the police investigation now includes further arrests linked to allegations of seriousRead more

I have heard from two people recently that they are Christians, and that they behave accordingly. This made me think about how a Christian should behave. Firstly by looking at Jesus’s life and how he behaved, and then at how modern day society influences our behaviour. Jesus Shortly after Jesus had chosen his first apostlesRead more

Are you a Catholic? Am I? Is the Pope? The Editor often beseeches me to keep my Thoughts short and divided into bite-size segments so, ever-obedient, that is what I have tried to do here. I would ask you please to read the next paragraph, otherwise you won’t get what I am talking about (nothingRead more

“Othering” Othering is the act of treating or perceiving individuals or groups as fundamentally different, alien, and separate from oneself or the dominant social “norm.” It creates an “us versus them” mindset, which can lead to prejudice, discrimination, and the marginalization of those perceived as outsiders (Oxford Dictionary – First recorded use c1860) Open any newspaper, watchRead more

Classical music, like pop, has its one-hit wonders – spare a thought for Gustav Holst., the Chesney Hawkes of Classic FM. Only his Planets suite gets played much, and even that always seems a bit anti-climactic after the big tune half-way through. But he also wrote choral music, often setting unusual texts. I have been listening toRead more

Those who know me also know that, on the whole, I’m a glass half full sort of chap, however, right now the only certainty I see is that the uncertainty the world is currently experiencing will be here for a considerable length of time. I had planned for this Thought for the Month to come out sooner,Read more

Prayer        Today I want to speak about something so simple a child can do it, and yet so deep that none of us will ever finish learning how to do it: prayer. Prayer is not and should never be a pious performance or a way of trying to impress God. Prayer is a relationship. ItRead more

Have you ever sung a hymn in church and realised afterwards that nothing, words or music, has made any impression? Yes, me too. I usually remain resolutely miserable whilst chanting “I’m h-a-p-p-y”, whereas the jaunty tune of “Oft in danger, oft in woe” can bring a smile into the darkest day. This can happen onRead more

Let me start by wishing all our Thought for the Month readers a very happy and peaceful New Year, and that the blessings of the closing Christmas season be with you always. As I look back on 2025 the proliferation of misinformation, spin, fabrication, half-truths, or to use current vernacular ‘fake news’ seems even greaterRead more

Happy New Church Year! Yes, it’s that time again as we leave one church worship year for another, and as always, that must mean we have entered the season of Advent, which just like its Lenten cousin, demands of us that most precious of personal possessions, our time! The giving up of our time toRead more