Planning for summer

Have you got any plans? What about the holidays? Do you have any dates in the diary? These and many more questions are asked time and time again at this time of the year. The sun is out and it’s beginning to look like the winter is past and spring has come, so you can get your summer clothes out and plan. So, how are your plans going? For many people, the planning process and the expectation of holidays are almost as good as the holiday itself. I wouldn’t go that far, but I know what they mean. Anticipation and the prospect of getting away and enjoying the break can be very liberating.

 

Some people get to a stage in life when they feel they have nothing to look forward to. That is so sad, but I can see where they are coming from. If you think that this life is all there is, then it would be pretty logical to get depressed as you get older. Most of us accept that the ageing process will mean adjusting what we do to match our physical ability or energy levels. You can still live an interesting and exciting life if you keep the right attitude and take change in your stride.

God’s plan for public services

Short Reading – Mark 10:35-45 

Longer Reading – Mark 10:28-52

Key Verse – Mark 10:45

The Lord Jesus really shook people up ,and in particular his disciples, with the teaching that he gave. I can only imagine the shocked looks on their faces when he announced that for anyone to be great in his Government they would need to serve everybody, v 44.

Who do we blame when tragedy strikes?

We often hear of tragedies! They shock us and often produce an impulsive reaction. In 2016 we heard the horrific news that an alligator had dragged a two-year-old boy into a lake at Walt Disney World. Disney closed all the beaches at its resorts. More than fifty law-enforcement personnel searched the lake. They eventually found the boy's body and presume that he drowned.

Some blamed Disney for not posting signs warning about alligators in the water. Others were quick to blame the parents. As with the boy who fell into a gorilla pit in Cincinnati, people on social media lambasted the mother and father who allowed their son to play in the water.

Why do we feel such a need to assign blame when tragedy strikes?

A scientist decides that there really is a God

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

I was looking at the books on the shelves of a shop in Weston-super-Mare when my eyes alighted upon a specific title.  It said in bold red letters, ‘THERE IS NO GOD”.  On closer inspection the word ‘No’ was crossed out and the letter ‘A’ had replaced it  and so it actually read, ‘THERE IS A GOD’. I could not resist purchasing the book especially as the sub-title said, ‘How the world’s most notorious atheist changed his mind’.  The book was written by Professor Antony Flew who had been a writer and defender of the philosophy of atheism for many years.