James's Weblog

For years, I've been a fan of the internet filtering software Net Nanny. I'll explain why in a moment.

However I've just had to uninstall it, and I'm now looking for an alternative. (If you, personally, use something similar, please comment below with any recommendations of products to try or to avoid).

Yesterday, the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC) released a document they term a "reflection" on the gospel, the church and marriage.

CEEC is an umbrella body for many evangelical groupings within the Church of England that began in 1960. From their "About" page:

Two weeks ago, I posted about my former school, St Andrew's Turi, and the fire there in 1944.

Last week, I followed this with the account, "After the Fire", of what happened next.

Finally, the school was re-opened. The governor, Sir Philip Mitchell, tells of the events on Saturday 28th February 1948 when the school was formally re-opened.

Last week, I posted about my former school, St Andrew's Turi, and the fire there in 1944.

The school magazine also contains another section, entitled "After the fire", which depicts the blitz spirit under which the school came to terms with what had happened, and in due course re-opened.

From 1984 to 1988 I was fortunate to attend St Andrew's School, Turi, in the highlands of Kenya. The school had a pleasant climate. At an altitude of c. 8,000 ft, it was often still very warm, but the cooler nights meant that the school had what we used to call "real grass". Contrast much of the lower lying parts of Kenya, where the grass is brown in the dry season and so always has a wiry texture. The school aimed for an admission that was a third African, a third European and a third Asian, making for a thoroughly cosmopolitan education.

Angels don't normally have names in the New Testament. Why does Luke tell us that it was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Mary? Let's think this through.

Christian, I'd like to ask you a question: When did you last change your mind?

Last week I wrote a post looking at the question of remarriage after divorce. That may not be a topic that interests you, and it was quite a long post, so maybe you didn't read it. But it was an example where I changed my mind on a topic, and I could give others.

It makes me want to ask the question: If you are a Christian, how often do you change your mind on something? What is healthy?

With the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, people are discussing remarriage after divorce. Why do some clergy allow this and some not? Does this undermine the teaching that marriage is for life? Let's try and think clearly.

This coming Sunday is Remembrance Sunday. Once again, I find myself planning the sermon for Remembrance Sunday. Here is what happens on Remembrance Sunday here, and what I try to do when it comes to a sermon.

Premier Christian Radio just posted a question on Facebook:

A quarter of Church of England services do not have a single child in the congregation, increasing fears of a gradual ‘extinction’.