[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
Have there been times when you decide to hold your tongue rather than provoke a pointless argument over some minor matter? Or perhaps you prefer to be pedantic, setting the record straight at the risk of upsetting someone who has a different recollection of events. (more…)
[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 14/Jul/2024]
This August I will have been at Horley for 7 years! How that time has flown, marked by how tall my son is getting (who was only a bump when we first moved). It will also be 13 years for me as a Baptist minister. I love my job, with it’s ups and downs, and joys and frustrations. I was unsure at first whether this was what God as calling me to, but I can look back and see how God has guided and blessed me since I made that step 16 years ago to pack my bags and head to Bible College. (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
Psalm 119 v18 [NIVUK]
When, last year, the then Polish government took some actions that were contrary to the expectations of the European Commission the Poles were accused of defying the ‘rule of law’. Whose law were they breaking? Surely, as an independent sovereign state, they were entitled to make their own laws. What is ‘the rule of law’ anyway? (more…)
[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 07/Jul/2024]
There are a few of us who write these short articles for ‘Yours’. We have a rota, and this is sent out every 4 months, so you know well in advance when it is your turn. As I am sure the other people on the rota will attest to, time seems to move differently with the rota, because it seems like you just blink and it’s your turn again. This means you have to find inspiration, and quickly. I was in that position and went onto Horley Baptist Church on YouTube to find inspiration (something I am sure just about all of you do). (more…)
[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2024]
The 1972 film ‘The Godfather’ tells the story of Vito Corleone, the patriarch of a New York gangster family. Despite his involvement in a wide range of nefarious business activities he was noted for his devotion to his family. By contrast, James Hilton’s 1933 novel ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ describes how a lonely school teacher became a father-figure for hundreds of boys, not just earning not just their respect but also their devotion.[1] It has been said many times that our perception of God as ‘Father’ is often conditioned by our relationship with our own father or other father figures that we have known. (more…)
[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 30/Jun/2024]
I’ve been reading THE EARLY CHRISTIANS by Eberhard Arnold, one of the founders of Christian Communities International (known also as the Bruderhof, one of whose communes is in Robertsbridge on the way to Hastings). (more…)