Viewing all items in Resource Category: Looking at God

In Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, stands Greyfriars Graveyard. In 1858 a faithful dog called Bobby followed the remains of his beloved master to this cemetery. Here the dog stayed on or near the graveside until his death, 14 years later. This is a story about loyalty. More poignantly, many people have devoted themselves...

Think for a moment about something you really want. How much would you spend to buy it? How far would you go to get it? Young Mary knew what she wanted. It took years before she could afford it. She was ready to walk 25 miles over mountainous terrain to get it. Mary just wanted...

In many ‘old’ churches and cathedrals today the original wooden seats or pews have been completely removed. They have been replaced by moveable chairs, to enable the space to become very flexible. In this way concerts and exhibitions can more easily take place. But where does the priest or worship leader sit? Often there will...

Have you ever wondered what a Christian is to make of the unseen world of evil and the occult?  Where do evil spirits come from, anyway? The Bible takes the unseen world of evil spirits very seriously indeed. It tells us clearly that evil spirits were once part of the created angelic order (Genesis 6). ...

Saint Matthew the tax collector From the Vicar Spiritual Disciplines: Service Reflecting faith – pews and chairs     The divine Gardener God can use everything we give Him The importance in having a cause greater than yourself Don’t chase what isn’t there Feel the tug A grain of sand at a time ** Editor:  Canon Paul...

Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9).  This month we remember Matthew’s call as one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. It consisted of a simple invitation, ‘Follow me’, and an immediately response. The resulting meal at Matthew’s...

 Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him. (Matthew 9:9). This month we remember Matthew’s call as one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. It consisted of a simple invitation, ‘Follow me’, and an immediately response. The resulting meal at Matthew’s...

‘Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’ (John 13: 14-15). We are all familiar with those requests for more to ‘serve on a team’ at church, whether the...

Most of us think of pews as having been installed at the same time the church building was built, with occasional upgrades over time. But that’s not the case. Originally church floors consisted of little more than stone flags or beaten earth on which grasses or rushes were lain as a renewable winter covering for cleanliness...

This is the time of year for many churches to hold their Harvest Festival services. No doubt, there will be displays of food, some grown in local gardens. While gardeners have pleasure growing fruit and vegetables, it can be hard work tending to them. Jesus knew about the care given to vines. In John 15:1-8...

The story is told of a man in charge of building a great church, who was pestered by an apprentice who wanted to design the glass for one of the windows. Finally, he agreed that the apprentice should be given one very small window. BUT – the apprentice would have to provide all the materials...

A survey was conducted among people who lived to be more than 100 years old. What had kept them going so long? You’d have thought that they would recite their health diets, their miracle drugs, or their devotion to strenuous exercise. Instead, the one thing all these centenarians had in common was a purpose in...