[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during March 2026]
The path of trouble is the way home.
CH Spurgeon [1]
Is there a modern relevance to these words, written by a prominent preacher in 1865? Or are they now just an outdated expression of a sentiment that was prevalent in non-conformist denominations at a time very different from our contemporary experience?
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during March 2026]
It displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
Nehemiah 2 v10 [ESVUK]
That observation comes from the account of the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem in 444BC but the same words could easily describe the opinion of many people throughout the centuries since the nation of Israel evolved from the families who sought refuge in Egypt around 1875BC.
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[This reflection by Helen Ruffhead was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 04/Jan/2026]
The month January is named after the Roman God Janus who had two faces, symbolising the ability to look both forward and backward. It is often a time for reflecting on the past and contemplating the future, but therein lies the danger. All too often the biggest disturbers of my peace are regret for past mistakes and fears for the future.
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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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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during September 2025]
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away.[1]
Do you know what time it is? A seemingly straightforward question for which a glance at a nearby screen or timepiece should provide a simple answer. However, as our opening quotation might suggest, there is more to it than that.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during September 2025]
“Don’t take from next month what belongs to next month”[1]
These words were spoken by Grace Makutsi, a character in the series of books by Alexander McCall Smith under the general title of “The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”. The principle contains a certain amount of wisdom but is it practical?
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