Cracked Pots

A man after God’s own heart

Pastor Chris

Have you ever tried to fix something but ended up making the situation a whole lot worse? Me and DIY don’t go together so well. I had a stain once on my coffee table. I tried using the sanding tool on my electric drill to smooth it off. That’s when I realised it was veneered. I ended up having to chuck out the whole coffee table. What was once a beautiful table ended up as junk at the recycling centre. King David has a ‘coffee table’ situation. David is the youngest son of Jesse, a sheep farmer from the village … Continue reading A man after God’s own heart

Cracked Pots

Portrait of a serial killer

Pastor Chris

Sometimes people ask me what God’s Plan is for their lives, as though there was an individualised, personalised plan just for them. I don’t think the Bible teaches this. Not at all*. Rather, there is a divine master plan and He calls us to walk in step with Him. All that said, our part in his plan may depend on a supernatural word for us to see it. Or it may have a lot to do with our personality. What I mean is, the job God has for us may very closely fit in with our character, cracks and all. … Continue reading Portrait of a serial killer

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Cracked Pots

Pastor Chris

Ever noticed how old pottery has a beauty all of its own? I’d love to be a pottery expert. I go aorund charity shops with my wife, Katy,  and I’ve seen some of the blue and white stuff from China and I don’t know if I’m looking an Ming or Han dynasty. But there can be a real beauty, even in stuff that is old and cracked. Sometimes they deliberatly put in errors into the firing process. I think they call it crackle glaze, like in the photo here. Sometimes I feel like I am old and cracked. No longer … Continue reading Cracked Pots

Daily Musings

The God shaped hole

Pastor Chris

Before yesterday, the only thing I knew about Blaise Pascal was that he said each person has a God-shaped hole in our hearts. He meant that we are designed for worship, for a relationship with God. The other thing he said was that, if you like a gamble, it’s a fair bet to believe in God. If you follow him & you’re wrong you die like everyone else.  If you don’t follow him & Christian faith is all true, you miss out on eternal life.  I feel a lot of affinity with Pascal. He got sick and died young. Not … Continue reading The God shaped hole

Daily Musings

The Graceful Hippo

Pastor Chris

 A devout cowboy lost his favorite Bible while he was mending fences out on the savannah in Africa. Three weeks later, a Hippopotamus walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The cowboy couldn’t believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the Hippo’s mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, “It’s a miracle!” “Not really,” said the Hippo. “Your name is written inside the cover.”  So why is my opener a joke about a hippo? Well, the chap who’s thoughts I’ve been looking at today is from a place called Hippo. Or at least that … Continue reading The Graceful Hippo

Daily Musings

All you need is love

Pastor Chris

It’s a great song by The Beatles, “All you need is love” but is it true? The song seems to be saying that the sum total of all that can be known about ourselves, others, the world, can be summed up by love. Is this just 60s hippy stuff or is there a deep truth here?   It reflects the teaching of many of the early Christian teachers. Origen of Alexandria said that life is about love. Specifically about seeking God, about knowing His love. It’s become a bit cliched these days, but he said almost 2000 years ago that life … Continue reading All you need is love