Dear Friends

There was an interesting programme on Radio 4 the other day. As usual, because I was driving in my car, I heard neither the beginning nor the end of the programme, only a tantalising portion somewhere in the middle. The programme was about the significance of chaos. The theory being put forward was that chaos is good, that most of the major advances of human progress have followed times of upheaval. Alongside this was the suggestion that with too much peace and prosperity human beings just become fat and lazy. Interesting! Whatever the theory, I am still worried about Trump, Putin, Brexit, Isis et al and am rather fond of the peace and prosperity we, as a nation, have enjoyed for several decades now.

Dear Friends

Last night we went to see the film, I Daniel Blake. The film is set in Newcastle and follows the struggles of 2 adults on benefits. Daniel Blake is a widower who having worked his whole life as a proud and skilful joiner, has suffered a heart attack and is unable to get back to work as soon as he would like. Consequently, he finds himself stuck in a labyrinthine, bureaucratic, soulless system feeling as though he is going round and round in ever decreasing circles and getting nowhere. Katie has been moved from London with her 2 children to the North East because her local Council can’t find her affordable accommodation in the capital.

Dear Friends

Have you been to your local supermarket and bought any ‘wonky veg’ yet? If not, why not? ‘Wonky veg’ is the supermarkets response to a growing realisation among the general public that up to 40% of a crop of vegetables can be disregarded because it does not meet the aesthetic requirements of supermarkets. We have come to expect our fruit and veg to be uniform and unblemished. I grow all kinds of fruit and veg in my garden and when I pick it and bring it into the kitchen it never looks quite as good as that bought from the supermarket, sometimes the slugs have had a nibble, sometimes it is discoloured and I always struggle to gather fruit and veg that is uniform in size. Strawberries are a great example, you have to leave them long enough to ripen but the longer you leave them the more open to attack and disfiguration they are. But, if you get things right in the garden even though fruit and veg doesn’t looks as good it certainly tastes better.

Dear Friends

Dutch inventor Cornelius van Drebel is supposedly the inventor of the submarine early in the 17th Century. This, I’m sure you will agree, was an idea ahead of its time. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas; but not just any new idea. It has to be an authentic idea. In other words it has to be something that is practical, workable and of its time, what I like to call an elegant idea. When I learn of a good idea that I think will work the feeling I get is almost that of a light bulb switching on in my head! I love good ideas! I need you to know that, so that the next time I bring a bright idea to Church Council, you do at least know it is something that I have thought about!

I am writing this 2 days before Rachel and I are married. I want to begin by saying, on behalf of Rachel and myself, a huge thank you for all the love and support we have felt from our Wesley family as the day has approached. It is an amazing privilege to feel part of a family of faith and prayer. One of the moments that I am looking forward to on Saturday 18th June is listening once again to the reading of 1 Corinthians 13. When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Corinth he was writing to a bunch of people who were trying to outdo each other in the manifestation of spiritual gifts…..holy one-upmanship! So he writes to remind them of the supremacy of love and so we are bequeathed these amazing words that have become so familiar.