1 From foes and all who threaten me,O God, be my defence.2 Save me from evildoers’ handsand men of violence. 3 See how they lie in wait for me!Ferocious men combineAgainst me, LORD, for no offenceor sinful deed of mine. 4 I have not done them any wrong,yet they prepare to fight.Arise to help me […]
Daily Devotion 11th August
Born in 1193 in Assisi of a wealthy family, Clare caught the joy of a new vision of the gospel from Francis’ preaching. Escaping from home, first to the Benedictines and then to a Béguine-style group, she chose a contemplative way of life when she founded her own community, which lived in corporate poverty understood […]
Daily Devotion by Michael Hopkins
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ […]
The Epistle to the Ephesians
Dear <<First Name>> I hope you’ve found our working through the Apostles’ Creed interesting and useful. Between now and early September we will be reading though the Epistle to the Ephesians. Until the late 18th Century this epistle was universally thought to have been written by the Apostle Paul. Opinion is now divided between those who believe […]
Daily Devotion 8th August
©W Hamond, UFS, with apologies to Eric Clapton (“Tears in Heaven”) Most of us actually believe in the immortality of the soul: when we die, our souls – the “real us” – live on in heaven with God. That’s not resurrection. It’s giving up on the world: God can’t save the world, so opts […]
Daily Devotion 7th August 2018
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ Reflection Broken hands on broken ploughs,Broken treaties, broken vows,Broken bodies, broken bones,Broken voices on broken phonesBroken words […]
Daily Devotion 6th August
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the […]
Daily Devotion 5th August 2018
1 You rulers, do you know what justice is?Among mankind do you judge uprightly?2 No, you devise injustice in your heartsAnd on the earth you mete out cruelty. 3 Even from birth the wicked go astrayAnd from the womb untruthfully they speak;Their wayward thoughts well up within their heartsAnd havoc with their lying words they […]
Daily Devotion 4th August
The United Reformed Church was created by three church unions in 1972, 1981 and 2000. That simple statement does not mention the earlier unions that had created the churches that eventually united to become the URC. This is a living demonstration of the way as members of the URC we do believe in “the holy […]
Daily Devotion 3rd August 2018
Jesus said: ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.” Reflection Recently we enjoyed an afternoon tea in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. We watched couples of all shapes, sizes and ages glide around the ballroom […]