It was one of those incidental conversations that happen at the back of an airplane. Old(er) men walking and stretching; a camaraderie in avoiding thrombosis. We struck up a conversa-tion and it wasn’t too long before I was in a world of international development…
I am speaking to you but you have no idea where I am. Where I am right now. (To be fair, I only have a hunch about where you are when you’re reading this.) You know the hemi-sphere and the country of my whereabouts…
Compared with the amount of knowledge on the subject, I know little about alcohol. I know there are a variety of beers, ciders, wine, and spirits; ales, lagers, red wine, white wine, port, whiskey, rum – and I could list more! However I don’t…
The Church of England’s General Synod certainly made the headlines this week with the rejec-tion of the Bishops’ report that the teaching and practice of the Church in relation to marriage should maintain the view that marriage, designed by God, is only for a…
The ELCE pastors met this week for their ‘Conference’ – though it is more like in-service, administration, and fellowship (there’s usually a pub meal in there some-where!). The meeting is called the Barnes Conference – I’ve no idea who named it – but the…
Last week I conducted the funeral for Hildegarde Brammeier, wife of former ELCE Chairman Pastor Marvin Brammeier. They arrived in the ELCE from the US in 1957 and here – and heaven – are their homes. Because they’ve been involved in so much of…
The anniversary of my mother’s death passed by this week. I don’t think I was morose or sad. I know that my Redeemer lives and the hope of the resurrection means that one day I’m sure I’ll meet her in the crowd of those…
I was wrong. I didn’t know I was wrong. For the last few years I have been following Burnley in the football as it has travelled between the Premier and Championship Leagues because my son-in-law is an ardent Burnley supporter. I would like to…
hadn’t rowed for quite a while and sitting at the rowing machine meant that my ‘muscle mem-ory’ kicked in as I turned on the machine, tightened the foot straps, and slowly started rowing. I have goals in terms of distance that I’d like to…
God’s Word today If you say “God’s Word today” most people think of the bible and they wouldn’t be wrong but the answer is not as complete as it should be. Lutherans don’t regard God’s Word as just words in a book, teachings and…
