Here we are again at the start of a New Year, 2025, New Year’s resolutions abound, people are full of hope, anticipation and good intentions… well at least some will be. Others at the other end of the spectrum will be gripped by anxiety, full of fear, their anticipation more a resignation that nothing willRead more

Happy New Church Year! Yes, it’s that time again as we leave one worship year for another, and as always, it must mean we have entered the season of Advent, which just like its Lenten cousin, calls upon us to make an effort to physically bring ourselves to a halt, to somehow put everything thatRead more

Whatever next? (“to sleep…perchance to dream…”) As a church organist, I have tended to take All Saints Sunday, the first in November, for granted – put down “For all the saints” on its one annual outing, and be grateful that it is only 8 verses – one modern hymn book has a Saints hymn withRead more

How quickly we forget Well here we are again, coming to the end of Harvest festival season. The crops are in, churches have been adorned, services have been taken, produce has been sold or donated to help those who are in greater need. And hopefully time has been taken in amongst it all to sayRead more

A Right to Disconnect I have been following with interest, the recent media articles relating to a legal right to be able to disconnect from the workplace. This week it became enshrined in Australian employment law, whilst countries such as France, Spain and Portugal are already well ahead in their desire to protect both theRead more

How should I live? It is the perennial question that keeps us coming back to the Bible, listening to preachers and (hopefully!) reading Cooksmill Thoughts for the Month. Lucky Ephesians then who, in the set Epistle for 4th August, get a master-class on the subject from St. Paul. Paul begins by praising the virtues of gentleness,Read more

In last month’s ‘Thought’ we considered, among other things, how we use our freedom and power to vote and, our responsibility to use that freedom and power responsibly. Well, that’s all happened now and we have a new government, and some of them have had to hit the ground running, and as the brand newRead more

Last month Danny shared with us his favourite passage of scripture (John 15: 9 – 17). His reflections on how those words of Jesus to his disciples impacted Danny’s desire to be a Christian, and his hopes for the world around us, were both moving and challenging. As he suggested, I looked at one ofRead more

By Danny Lamb This is the lectionary reading for today, Sunday 5th May, which is the sixth Sunday of Easter. I would like you to take some time out to read it before I write anything more, to read it slowly, not just with a reflective purpose as to what the words may mean, but alsoRead more

The most memorable sermon I ever heard? Father Roy went into the pulpit. He proclaimed, “Today is Easter Sunday. Christ the Lord is risen!” The choir sang, “Hallelujah!” Father Roy added, “That is all that needs to be said.” And down he came. Easter Day is a day of pure joy. St. Paul calls itRead more