My balance is poor — very poor — and it’s time to do something about it.   I’ve known for some time that things have been getting worse. Walking downhill is awkward; I automatically reach for bannisters when they’re available. Yet, up to now, it’s never really worried me — as long as I can run in a straight line for my weekly ParkRun and turn left when required, I’ve been content! *   But the time has come to act. To counter the inevitable effects of the ageing process, my ph

What happens when Christians find themselves divided over what each believes to be a matter of fundamental truth?   That’s a big question. Does it lead to schism — further fragmenting the Church — or do we simply learn to live uneasily with the elephant in the room?   For several years, the Church of England has wrestled with the issue of same-sex relationships — a subject that has stirred deep emotions and entrenched divisions. It hasn’t been easy.   This week the House of B

Two churches, yet in completely different settings — almost polar opposites.   On Wednesday daughter #2 was licensed as priest-in-charge...

The scam was so convincing I had to check it out.   On Monday I received a WhatsApp message, apparently from the very hotel in Bergerac...

“To be human is to ask: what is my life for? To be Christian is to hear: your life is for God.” So concludes philosopher, Dallas...

“Remember my chains!”   So the apostle Paul ends his letter to the church in Colossae: “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand....

“Worship is God’s enjoyment of us and our enjoyment of him.”   So observes Graham Kendrick, one of the most influential Christian...

This morning, as I finished reading Psalm 121, a memory from some 65 years ago came vividly to mind: “The Lord shall preserve thy going...

. Back in 2010, when my new curate arrived, we drew up a 13-point working agreement. Point 12 was very clear: neither Phil nor any member...

But will the Hill Dickinson ever have a soul?   This Sunday Everton play their first proper match at their brand new stadium at...

I had to do a double take. This wasn’t your usual memorial plaque—it was an apology. A very public apology.   On Wednesday, during our...

Tomorrow marks wedding number four — completing the set!   In just 12 days, I will have conducted four weddings and a funeral. It began...

This news story immediately caught my attention—a gift for any sub-editor in search of a headline: Sex shop converted.   Castlegate...

The climax of my nostalgia week has arrived as today we head to Cumbria. We’re staying with an old athletics friend—Dave and I ran...

A total whitewash—6–0, 6–0 in just 57 minutes. American Amanda Anisimova lost spectacularly in her Wimbledon Singles final. Her...

And the winner is… 123456, with a staggering 3,018,050 uses! The runner-up, 123456789, trails far behind with “just” 1,625,135. If you...

My advice to my daughters has always been: “If in doubt, burst into tears!” And you know what? It usually works.   Tears have been in the...

Seven men. I struggle to pronounce their names, yet I pray for them by name:   Rev Haile Naizge Dr Kuflu Gebremeskel Rev Million...

Tervehdys!   So here we are — even further north than John O’Groats. We’re in Helsinki, capital of the land of the midnight sun.   And I...

Here are five of the most dreaded phrases in the English language: “Ross, I think I’ve found a short cut!”* Closed for staff training...