Dear Friends, This month on 26th May the Church celebrates Christ’s Ascension into heaven – an event that has always slightly puzzled me!  Let me explain why. Both the book of Acts and Luke’s gospel tell us that before ascending, Christ gathered his disciples together and told them that they

In Scripture many of the sayings of Jesus come from extra-biblical sources, aphorisms, legends and stories. He takes wisdom from wherever it comes. It’s interesting to note that when he does quote Scripture itself, the only Hebrew Scriptures that he quotes are those that move towards mercy, justice and inclusivity.

Dear Friends, The season of Lent is upon us – a season that perhaps many of us aren’t quite sure what to do with apart from giving up chocolate, alcohol, or something else that we’re not quite sure we really want to give up, or understand why we’re giving it

Dear Friends, I don’t know about you, but I always feel somewhat deflated in the first couple of months of a new year.  Maybe it’s the leaving of the family after wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations, or the continued short days of damp grey weather and long dark nights,

Dear Friends, A Vicar asked God if he could see heaven and hell before he went to whichever of the two was going to be his final destination. He was taken to hell first where he saw a group of people crying and screaming at each other as they sat

Dear Friends, Despite all the challenges the last 18 months or so have thrown at us, this year has been a great one for sport and so many are so happy to be able to watch it, and/or take part in it, once again. I recently saw an interview of

Dear Friends, The other evening I caught a glimpse of one of my favourite cartoon characters, Bart Simpson, praying. It was Christmas Eve in the Simpson household and Bart prayed the following prayer: ‘O God, if you bring me lots of good stuff tomorrow, I promise not to do anything

Dear Friends This September we will be running a study course across the Brockenhurst, Boldre and South Baddesley group called Living in Love and Faith.  It’s a five session course produced by the House of Bishops to help the Church of England explore the complicated, emotive and divisive issues of

Dear Friends, I wonder if you are all feeling slightly anxious about what to do with yourself in a week or so’s time – after all the European Cup, Wimbledon and the Olympics will no longer be on our TV screens (unless you’ve bought the Greatest Highlights Compilation!), and even