[A ‘Tuesday Challenge’ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during December 2024]
Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea?
These words, composed by lyricist Carl Sigman, were written to give a vocal counterpart to the theme from the 1970 film, ‘Love Story’. Various artists have made both the tune and the lyrics very popular. But can there really be a ‘love that is older than the sea’? (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…)