Friday 24 January 2020

We went to the funeral of Jonathan Green in the magnificent Louth Parish church.

About six hundred people there. He was only 57.

A good man and a sad occasion, but I drew comfort from these words in St Paul to the church in Thessalonika:

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again , even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.”

Sitting there, I had the definite feeling that it was true. Words come and go, doubts remain, but suddenly from nowhere one gets this strange conviction. Or perhaps from somewhere?

Saturday 25 January 2020

Today’s psalm On Saturday is Psalm 117.

I read it alone in the silent village church.

“Laudate Domine”

Praise the Lord all ye nations, in the modern translation — all ye heathens in the old.

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2020

We went to three very different services this weekend in Lincolnshire.

On Friday in Binbrook Parish Church to the funeral of Norah Douglas, who died at the age of 92. An occasion to celebrate a life well spent.

On Saturday to the last weekend service at Bardney, due to a shortage of priests. If we could ordain married permanent deacons, many of outstanding merit and maturity we wouldn’t have this problem in rural areas throughout Europe.

On Sunday we went to Evening prayer in our village church. A lovely Anglican tradition. Out of all the services what the priest said struck me the most. He was commenting on the Gospel around the baptism. Jesus tells his new disciples: “Come and see” and “Go and Tell”. Good advice for all of us…

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY 2020

This Sunday we go to the last weekend service at Bardney. A really nice atmosphere and a skilful exegesis on the Gospel reading, showing how all the readings tie in together. Jesus is the Lamb of God and as He dies on the Cross the lambs are sacrificed in the Temple. All the readings point to the same thing: He is the new sacrifice.