Sunday morning. A beautiful sunny day. In church. A Christening.

What could be better? The church was full to (almost) overflowing for the first time since Easter. Almost one whole side was taken up by the Christening party - all dressed up in their finery. Even the church organ, which only gets used once in a blue moon, was going to be played. The hymns were chosen with care to praise and thank God - they were ones that even newcomers SHOULD know - there were to be no trendy new tunes at this particular service. Everything was poised and ready for a real good service.

The organ sounds out the notes of the first hymn and...

Nobody sang.

• Topic: Reflections
• Category: Devotionals
• Score: 0 / 5

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Before I was diagnosed with cancer, a couple of years ago, I was pretty active. With several surgeries, a thyroid out of whack and a sedentary lifestyle, I've gained a substantial amount of weight. I'd wanted to join an exercise club for some time, but they are so expensive. Finally, I decided that club dues would be cheaper than a heart attack, so the day after my 39th birthday, we broke down and signed up.

I began noticing a need to do something when Susan kept shrinking my clothes. Either she is a part of a conspiracy with the garment industry that keeps putting the XL tags on smaller clothes or I was getting fatter. I asked my kids the other day if I looked fat in the clothes I was wearing. Their reply? "Of course you do daddy. You are fat."

• Topic: Devotionals
• Category: Devotionals
• Score: 0 / 5

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"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. They had been asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled back. Then as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized them" - Mark16:1 - 7

For many, many years I've always believed I knew the answer to the question "Who rolled away the stone?" I always thought that it was Jesus because He had to get out of the tomb, didn't he?

Well, actually, no He didn't. Mark continues:

• Topic: Bible Study
• Category: Devotionals
• Score: 3 / 5

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"I've changed" Quite a statement to make, isn't it? But when people say, "I've changed", they almost invariably mean, "I'm better than I was". People tell me that I've changed and I disagree with them - now let me explain. Yes, I believe that I am a better person as a Christian than I ever was as an atheist. But I don't believe I've changed. Sounds weird? OK, let me put it this way! Each year, thousands of people look at their bodies and say, "I don't like the shape I'm in. I'm going to diet. I'm gonna join a gym and get fit". This new found resolve usually lasts until they pass the first hamburger stall - the same one they pass every day without stopping.

• Topic: Miscellaneous
• Category: Devotionals
• Score: 0 / 5

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Ok I admit it - I'm a bit grumpy. I know it's a sin. Not only that, but I'm grumpy with the church - or rather the institution that is the Church of England.

A couple of months ago, my vicar asked me to get involved in various projects. Two were spiritual in nature which I accepted immediately. The third was to be part of the committee that organised the redesign of various parts of the church building and raised ther money to do it. This last one I declined. Why? Because, to me, the church building is ….well, a building! It's not THE church, it's the place where THE church meets. Now, at work, I do plenty of committee work and spend my time haggling, bargaining, planning, proposing, jumping up and down, throwing tantrums (only kidding!) and I really didn't want to spend my free time arguing about the cost of a bag of cement with fellow Christians.

• Topic: Miscellaneous
• Category: Devotionals
• Score: 0 / 5

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