Doctor Stories
Doctor Stories DM 26th June 2023 Never invite a doctor to a dinner party. Except he invited me. Halfway through dessert, the stories started to flow – without names of course, but with sufficient details for me to pray harder that I’ll never get sick. One story, which involved a smell-test to determine whether a […]
Richly Remunerated
Richly Remunerated DM 19th June 2023 The man Job in the Bible finished with more wealth than I realised. The story of the poor bloke is a hard read. He gets hammered in the opening chapters and is left with not even the shirt on his back. But the strugglingly saint grimly holds on by […]
Fool’s Gold is Gold
Fool’s Gold is Gold DM 12th June 2023 There once lived a man in Cobblesville who discovered some fool’s gold. How it glittered and impressed his heart and deceived him just a little. But not enough to imagine that he was rich or had struck the real deal. And though all his friends marveled that […]
The Problem of Evil
The Problem of Evil DM 5th June 2023 When it comes to answering that curly question about divine sovereignty and human evil, my dream panel would be Job, James and Luther. (The first two of course have the advantage of being inspired, and the third has the advantage of having a big brain, big heart, […]
Changing gears
Changing Gears DM 29th May 2023 The icebreaker question in the study group was a good one: “Who taught you to drive, and were you happy with their approach?” The answers revealed some instructors that ranged from ‘O wow’ to ‘O dear’. My own mind was transported back to an industrial park, my brother’s blue, […]
The Portrait Prize
The Portrait Prize DM 21th May 2023 I love those painting programs, where an artist is busy at work, trying to capture the character of a sitter. The rule imposed is that until it is finished, the canvas lies hidden from both the sitter and the viewer. But during the composition, the artist peppers the […]
James, a servant
James, a servant DM 15th May 2023 How humbly and helpfully James introduces himself in his only letter in the Bible: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is James, leading pillar of the church in Jerusalem. This is James, Moderator of the Assembly that delivered the momentous decision on […]
The Glowing Coal
The Glowing Coal DM 8th May 2023 It is an absolute relief, in some books, to turn the final page, for some stories are too long in the telling. In other books, the final page seems to arrive too early, leaving the reader slowing the pace to make the experience last. Some final pages are […]
The Love of Just One Like
The Love of Just One Like DM 1st May 2023 Self-forgetfulness is either a sign of maturity or of just old age. But what a lovely stage in life at which to arrive. A wise sage expressed it perfectly: “When you’re twenty, you care what everyone thinks about you. When you’re forty, you stop caring […]
Glorious anonymity
Glorious anonymity DM 24th April 2023 At whose house did Jesus celebrate the Last Supper? Good question. No one knows. Said Jesus to two of his disciples: “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my […]