Salut! "Whoever said money can't buy happiness," mused Golden Raspberry award-winning actress, Bo Derek "simply didn't know where to go shopping." But which shops and what brands? That's the problem if you want to be happy. "Happiness" has been the theme of my daily Bible readings from the BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship) these last few days - fascinating. They have been based on a course on how to be happy, produced by medical doctor and church leader Andy Parnham, essentially for people who have been very damaged by life. Essentially, God wants us to be happy. Very happy. Which if you think about it is Good News, especially if we are tempted to think of God as a spoilsport, making sure w

I just missed my train by moments this Wednesday and so I found myself sitting in Aughton Park railway station for 14 minutes. It was then that I realized that this small railway halt is about to be swallowed up by the encroaching forest. A total transformation since the disaster of 2008. This was when I was commuting to the Liverpool Cathedral library each day during my sabbatical. Suddenly, without notice, Network Rail sent a team of contractors to clear the embankments of trees – and it was brutal. Tree stumps as far as the eye could see, all undergrowth removed. Gone was the staccato roll of woodpeckers. No more the sight of trees in blossom. Agent Orange had hit Aughton. O

Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is very simply a masterpiece. However, it is not your standard war movie. This is no prequel for Saving Private Ryan. No back story is given – we have no idea why an entire army is trapped. No German appears in the film – at the outset they are simply referred to as the enemy. There is no overt violence. This is no Hacksaw Ridge. And no heroics, just simple, understated bravery. Moreover, there is minimal characterisation. We only encounter each person in the immediacy of the here and now. We don’t even know their names. Dialogue too is minimal but the soundtrack is significant. Hans Zimmer’s music is both tense and haunting, evoking a deep sense of

Either it's 'Dunkirk' (which I have been thinking about ever since I saw this remarkable film last Saturday) or alternatively, New Wine (our annual pilgrimage to Zion - well, Shepton Mallet). "What do you think, Lord?" Short pause as I ponder. So here we are on Red 9, which thankfully is above the water table of the Royal Bath and West Showground which we are currently sharing with 15000 other disciples (or given the weather, my fellow fanatics). Actually for me it is the best New Wine ever, such is the quality of the teaching and the weight of the worship. I enjoy about 20% of the songs, which is about as high as it gets for me at NW. Some very good seminars. I've been going to th