As Christian people, I believe that God calls us to be holy risk takers, to try new things to step out in faith and to follow the call of God on our lives as individuals and as collective worshipping communities.

You will all know the feeling of a day going pear-shaped! We can make all the plans we want but sometimes, a phone call, email, letter or text can completely scupper our plans and, instead, we find ourselves muddling through the day.

You may well have been deeply disturbed by the news this week — not about Covid this time! On Monday the UN Panel on Climate Change issued its starkest warning yet about the drastic effects of global heating and the urgent need for all countries to rapidly reduce their inputs of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We are already seeing these effects on our TV screen as fires ravage Greece and floods increase around the world.

Have you have watched the Olympic games over the last week or so?

Did you know that the original Olympic Games, staged in Olympia ran from 776 BC through till 392 AD and was held, like today, every four years in conjunction with a festival to honour the Greek god, Zeus?

Recently, on annual leave, I decided to worship on Sunday via YouTube and the service provided by Newcastle West Methodist Circuit. I made myself a cup of coffee, sat in a comfortable chair and pondered that that was not the position I usually adopt when I am in Sunday worship; being the leader of worship, I stand up most of the time and water is my only beverage! However, I felt truly blessed by that service, based upon some words of Jesus to His disciples from Mark 6: 30-32,

I write this letter following a staff meeting on Zoom where I read the words of Psalm 121.

“I lift my eyes to the hills”.

The image it gives is one of God’s wonderful creation - valleys, hills, blue skies, sheep grazing in the fields. But reading a little on these words they had a different meaning in the ancient world. Then the hills were seen as places of danger, places of uncertainty to any traveller. There was no path or guide and thieves could be hidden away waiting to pounce.