[This reflection by Martin Shorey was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 19/Jul/2026]
As you read this, our family will (hopefully!) have just arrived in Spain for a couple of weeks’ holiday. After what has been a busy few months at church, we’re looking forward to some sunshine, some family time, and perhaps even a chance to switch off for a while.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during July 2026]
There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.
Mark 7 v32 [NIVUK]
Being hard of hearing is not a pleasant experience. For those whose affliction is temporary the impediment to social interaction comes as an unexpected challenge. Conversation becomes difficult and we soon begin to feel that we are missing out on what is going on around us. Image, then, how disadvantaged the man brought to Jesus would have felt without the modern aids to hearing.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during March 2026]
He answered, ‘Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?’
Numbers 23 v12 [ESVUK]
Our opening verse comes from the early part of the story of Balaam around 1400BC. Balaam is remembered primarily for his conversation with a talking donkey but the story has lessons beyond animal husbandry.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during November 2025]
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark
John 20 v1 [NIVUK]
Have you ever noticed how often God works in the dark? We live in a non-stop world with cities that never sleep, with systems operational 24-7 and with people constantly on the move. Yet it all began in the dark.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during October 2025]
I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Philippians 3 v8 [KJV]
It is surely no coincidence when a word of Scripture fits our plans or experiences. When Charles Spurgeon chose to quote that verse when writing his series of daily reflections[1] he had, of course, no idea about what I would be doing some 160 years later but nevertheless the verse did turn out to be appropriate.
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[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during April 2025]
Easter is one of those events in the ecclesiastical calendar that present us with a challenge. Like Christmas and, to a lesser extent, Palm Sunday, the story has become so familiar that we feel that we need to find some way to ‘revitalise’ the story each year.
But should we think like that? Is there a risk that the quest for novelty or entertainment value may become a digression?
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