[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 01/Feb/2026]
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat
– for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Psalm 127 v2 [NIVUK]
If you are reading this article, then I have probably already started my sabbatical. You may or may not be entirely sure what that means, but understanding the origin of the word sabbatical is a helpful place to start.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during December 2025]
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 91 v11 [NIVUK]
It was a wintry evening in Bucharest, the temperatures were dropping, the winds were blustery, the snow was piling up in drifts. Inside the airport it was warmer but crowded with people anxious to complete their journeys. Then came the dreaded announcement – all flights were cancelled. As we tried to get more information from the airline desk there came a second announcement – the airport was closing. What was I to do?
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[This reflection by Dazz & HBC Team was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/Nov/2025]
This verse seems to be following me around at the moment … One of the loveliest images in the Bible, it’s a line from Psalm 23: “You prepare a table before me”. It’s such a simple picture, yet it says so much about God. When you prepare a table for someone, you’re saying, “You’re welcome. I’ve made space for you”. David wants us to know that this is exactly what God is like. I tried to explore that with our leadership team this week and thought I’d reiterate it more widely here
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[This reflection by David Makanjuola was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 19/Oct/2025]
As I write this, it has been a very eventful few days. After two years of turmoil, hardship and heartache, the ceasefire has come into effect between Israel and the people in Gaza. Many people played a part behind the scenes in negotiations to end the conflict and get the hostages home, President Trump being very significant in getting things across the line.
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[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 28/Sep/2025]
When studying the Sermon on the Mount, as we have been doing on ‘Connect in Faith’, it is all too easy to think: “These are lovely ideas but just won’t work in the real world”. Yet Jesus lived in a time much grimmer than our own but managed to put them into practice.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during September 2025]
Just as in the murky emptiness of pre-creation, there was nothing there, no concept, no discernable form, a vacant void. A blank screen waited in vain for some signal from the keyboard that would trigger a message to be shared. Then, in the silence of the night, God spoke:
‘Nothing!’