Category Necton

Science and theology – mutual companions on the journey to truth!

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Many of us will remember the New Atheism that was greatly prevalent in the media twenty years ago, largely promoted by the group known as the ‘Four Horsemen’ being Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett who sought to promote a strongly secular, scientifically rational worldview which was quite independent of religious faith. Ironically, their strident tone often had qualities of ‘religious zeal’ about it which was off-putting to some and conveniently overlooked the fact that many exemplary scientists were Christians who saw absolutely no conflict between their religious faith and the science they pursued. However, in recent times, it’s become quite clear that life requires more than just science to guide it – as so eloquently and poignantly expressed by the American environmental lawyer, James Gustave Speth who said:

“I used to think the top global environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address these problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation, and we scientists don’t know how to do that.” 

— James Gustave Speth, Shared Planet: Religion and Nature, BBC Radio 4 (1 October 2013)

Indeed, just recently our own Bishop of Norwich, The Rt Revd Graham Usher, who is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s lead ‘Bishop for the Environment’, reminded clergy that “science and theology nurture one another- they should not be seen as combatants!” – Norwich Cathedral (8th July 2025). John Polkinghorne, the former Physicist turned Anglican Priest also said that “Science tells us how things work; theology tells us why things matter” – and in a deeply uncertain world we need both; science seeking understanding – while faith offers meaning.

So why do so many of us still struggle to hold these two things together? Is it because past historical moments, such as the New Atheism period, have left us feeling that we can’t express our Christian faith without people doubting our intelligence? Fortunately, the tide is turning, and people are appreciating that many Christians, including scientists, are thoughtful rational people whose faith is deeply enhanced by their logical approach to life. Indeed, one such person is Prof. YoungHoon Kim from South Korea who with a staggeringly high score of 276 is recognised as having the highest recorded IQ in the world, which is higher than other notable minds such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Prof. Kim, who studies Quantum Physics, is also a devout Christian and sees theology not as blind faith but as a rigorous discipline and the ‘ultimate field of study’.

But of course, the beautiful thing about the Bible  and the Gospel story of Jesus Christ is that on one level it can be explained so simply that even a little child can understand it, but on another level, it can also be so profound that it satisfies the deepest of intellectual minds. Perhaps the problem with the New Atheists was not that they weren’t brilliant men – but that they underestimated the intelligence and vision of faithful believers.

With best wishes. Stephen Thorp

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Psalm 111.10

This article first appeared in the August edition of Parish Magazines associated with the Necton Benefice – Parish Link; Moonraker; The Pickenhams’

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In a world of fake news, propaganda and spin – how do we recognise the truth?  

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‘What is truth?’

A day after a massive Russian attack killed 35 people as they headed to church on Palm Sunday, and injured 117 others in Sumy, Ukraine, President Donald Trump, the most powerful man in America, once again blamed President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia. “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you missiles…. When you start a war, you got to know you can win.”  The historical context is complex but these statements are at odds with the recorded invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 and the earlier annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, in violation of international law.

A similar spinning of reality can be seen with the bombing of the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City which coincidentally was also on Palm Sunday. This private hospital run by the Anglican Church, was the last functioning hospital in Gaza. The Israeli military said it had hit a ‘command and control centre’ used by Hamas to plan attacks, but so far they haven’t given any evidence to justify their claim.

The problem is that we live in a world of ‘relative truth’ where it has become fashionable to spin the truth to make it suit our own particular position or point of view. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of these situations, it then becomes hard (if not impossible) to tell what really happened when people constantly tell us a story spun to suit their own particular needs and agendas. Absolute truth can be inconvenient when it doesn’t suit us. It is therefore no wonder that we have seen a rise in fact checking organisations such as BBC Verify, in modern day journalism, to try and help us see through the fake news and establish the facts.

The problem is that bias and spin erodes confidence, faith and trust. How do you know who or what to believe?  

“What is truth?”, Pontius Pilate had replied when Jesus had said, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18.37-38). How was Pontius Pilate to know? How could he glean the facts? Who could he trust? In response to his question to Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”, Jesus had replied, “Is that your own idea … or did others talk to you about me?” and now Pontius Pilate was floundering! Pontius Pilate was a powerful individual, but he was at the mercy of the religious leaders and authorities of his day who had lied and spun him a story to suit their own agendas. He didn’t know the facts and he didn’t know Jesus – all he could do was judge Jesus by his actions and his character. Those who are familiar with the story will know the intricacies of this encounter, but it soon became clear to Pilate that Jesus was not a mad man, nor a revolutionary nor a coward pleading for his life – he was a man with a great sense of special divine purpose. “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”, meaning God (John 19.11), Jesus had said.

Today, like Pontius Pilate, we are so often left floundering as we try to discern the truth, but like him we need to try our best to establish the facts and (prayerfully I suggest) discern motive, character and purpose, asking ourselves who gains what and at what cost? Are they purely self-seeking or genuinely seeking the best for others? Are they trustworthy?

With regard to Jesus, Pontius Pilate actually concluded, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 19.6). But the political tide led him on a course that was contrary to his instincts. He was so caught up in the political spin of his day that ultimately, he didn’t have the courage of his convictions – and in that there is surely a lesson for us all!

“If you hold to my teaching …. you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8.31-32

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The difference between optimism and hope is – Easter!

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DYING IS A VERY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and yet despite the fact that we have the ‘assisted dying bill’ going through parliament, read about wars going on around the world and see so much death and destruction on our television screens, we are very bad about actually talking about it and especially what death might mean for us. Instead, we like to push it to the back of our minds or treat it as a ‘rainy day’ subject as if it doesn’t really matter or is of no real consequence. We’d much rather stand for a ‘minute’s applause’ than a ‘minute’s silence’ and speak in terms of a ‘celebration of life’ rather than speak of our ‘unspeakable sadness’.  All these things are understandable, but they perhaps highlight the fact that we are just not very good at speaking about death or the prospect of a life thereafter – if we believe in an afterlife at all!

Yet nearly three-quarters of the world’s population do believe in an afterlife and according to a YouGov poll (2021) one third of all British adults agree. Many people say that they are optimistic about life after death and consider themselves spiritual, even if they can’t fully articulate it.

However, optimism cannot deal with death, which is why the apostle Paul based his whole life upon the conviction that God had raised Jesus from the dead to new life, saying “‘I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8.38). This conviction was for him much more than optimistic wishful thinking, it was none other than a certain hope based upon his own personal experience of meeting with the risen Lord, and the amazing testimony of so many other disciples and followers of Jesus who had actually met with, spoken to, and touched the risen Lord (see list below). These were incredibly significant encounters which changed their lives and the lives of those around them forever more. It was not just their lives that were changed, but their perspective on life (and death) and what it meant for each of them personally. Of course, this is all very difficult to explain to a person who has ‘pushed things away’, closed their mind and not desired to take the time to consider these things before. This is why I would like to encourage you in the coming days to pause, reflect and think about the amazing story of Easter – and let God turn your natural optimism about life after death into a certain hope.

You are all warmly invited to join us as we celebrate Easter together.

With best wishes for Easter. Stephen Thorp

Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen.” Luke 24.5-6

Mary Magdalene and other women: (Matthew 28.1-10, John 20.11-18). The disciples on the road to Emmaus: (Luke 24.13-35). Simon Peter (Cephas (Luke 24.34, 1 Corinthians 15.5). The apostles (without Thomas): (John 20.19-24). The apostles (including Thomas): (John 20.26-29). Over 500 believers at once: 1 Corinthians 15.6. James, the brother of Jesus: 1 Corinthians 15.7. The disciples at the Sea of Galilee: (John 21). The group at His ascension: (Acts 1.3-9).

Is it sensible to believe in the Resurrection?

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‘How can you be a Vicar?’ someone once asked me. ‘You seem to be far too sensible to believe in all that mumbo-jumbo!’ On the one hand I was quite pleased to think that someone thought I was sensible, but on the other hand, I was quite perturbed to think that anyone might think that I wasn’t! So I enquired further, to which they replied, ‘Oh, I’m quite happy to believe that Jesus lived and was a good teacher and did a lot of good while he was alive – but raised from death? That’s just impossible!’ And of course, at first glance she was quite right! Normally speaking, people don’t come back to life after they have died. Anyone who has suffered a bereavement or been involved in a fatal car accident or fought in a war can tell you that! People die all the time and sadly with the state of the world in which we live, death is only too common an occurrence. But of course, it was just the same in Jesus’ day. If people didn’t die of poverty, sickness or malnutrition, they too could die in conflict or as in Jesus’ case, by painful execution. Indeed, the Romans were a master of their craft. They knew precisely how to murder people.

So how can we possibly believe in the resurrection?

Well firstly, because there were witnesses – people who knew Jesus well and saw him die; who also saw the empty tomb and he himself wonderfully alive. Firstly, to Mary Magdalene, and then to Mary the mother of James with Salome and Joanna – all of which is very strange, because if you wanted to ‘invent’ a resurrection story you wouldn’t use women as your principal voices who wouldn’t even be deemed as credible witnesses inside a court of law! So, were they mistaken? Had they hallucinated or simply suffered from grief stricken, over active imaginations? No, because the next witness to the living Lord was Peter, who had previously run to the empty tomb with his fellow disciple, John. They’d seen the empty tomb just as the women had described, with its huge entrance stone rolled away (the soldiers who had been guarding the tomb had to subsequently be bribed by the Pharisees to say that they had fallen asleep on duty). Yet it was not quite empty because the graves clothes which had monetary value were still inside, proving that the tomb hadn’t been struck by grave robbers. But this was not the end of the matter. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus reported that they had seen the risen Lord, and then he appeared to the disciples not once but twice (once without and then with Thomas). Thomas had declared that he wouldn’t believe that Jesus was alive until he’d touched the nail marks in his hands and placed his hand in the wound caused by the centurion’s spear in his side – and he was invited to do so with the admonishment, ‘Stop doubting and believe’. But even then, this was not the end of the story, because apart from joining the disciples once again for a fish breakfast on the side of the Sea of Galilee (proving that he was tangible and real and not a ghost), he also appeared to a group of 500 men all at once, as well as his own physical brother James (who subsequently became the leader of the church in Jerusalem), before finally appearing to a man call Saul who was so totally transformed by the experience that he ceased to be the great persecutor of Christians, and became its greatest advocate, the Apostle Paul.

All of this was topped by the simple truth, that not once did the Roman or Jewish authorities ever produce the body. That would have quashed the resurrection story once and for all, but they couldn’t because the tomb was empty, and Jesus was alive!

Yes, of course in the normal run of things, ordinary people live and die, but despite the fact that Jesus was fully human, that’s not all he was – he was also the Son of God, who lived, died and rose again. His resurrection proves it! This was a resurrection gospel that turned a rag-tag bunch of Jewish fishermen into fearless disciples, willing to live and die on the basis of what they had seen and heard for themselves and knew to be true. There is so much more that could be said about the resurrection that we don’t have time nor space to consider it here, other than to note the incredible growth of the church, and to rejoice in the wonderful transformation that it has brought to so many peoples’ lives with its huge implications for their future and the world in which we live – even for the creation.    

In the light of all this I simply don’t have the time, space or faith to be an atheist or even agnostic, for I delight in my rational understanding, and my joyful sense of identity and purpose – and my profoundly rewarding, satisfying and sensible Christian faith.

May I wish you all a very HAPPY EASTER!

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3.10–11

What can ‘Mr Bates v The Post Office’ teach us about Lent?

Stephen Thorp 2 Comments

The recent ITV drama ‘Mr Bates v The Post Office’ has highlighted for many the dreadful plight that many subpostmasters found themselves in, following the installation of a faulty software accounting system called Horizon. The drama vividly portrayed the pain and anguish inflicted upon these sub-postmasters, who suddenly found their lives torn apart as the Horizon software frequently and falsely reported shortfalls for many thousands of pounds. This led the Post Office to accuse the subpostmasters of alleged theft, fraud and false accounting. The drama highlights the terrible burden, weight and consequences these accusations had on people lives and the enormous stress they were under. Between 1999 and 2015, 700 subpostmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office and 283 other cases were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service resulting in many people going to prison and many more receiving criminal convictions. Most lost their homes, livelihoods and savings and sadly four people committed suicide. The drama went on to portray the immense struggle that Alan Bates and his campaign group, the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, had over many years fighting for justice, culminating in their incredible victory at the High Court in 2019 when it was proved that the Horizon Post Office software had been at fault and that the sub-postmasters were innocent. The drama raised such public awareness and concern that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced in Parliament that all criminal convictions will be duly overturned and each person fairly compensated. This news has been warmly welcomed and received by all.

However, many people will find themselves reflecting upon the morals and ethics of this sordid episode. How can a trusted business and brand like The Post Office allow itself to treat so many innocent people so badly for so long? Why should it be more important to maintain the integrity of the Horizon software system than trust the integrity of their employees? Why was it so hard for the Post Office to admit the failings of its system and say sorry?

Christians will know that with Easter soon upon us, Lent is a great time for personal reflection and repentance, because it encourages us to consider our own lives and possible failings in the light of a God who loves us despite the fact that we are sinners. It encourages us to reflect upon how much we live up to the biblical command of loving God and ‘our neighbours as ourselves’ (Matthew 22.39), treating others with honesty and respect ‘as we ourselves would like to be treated’ (Luke 6.31). It also encourages us to reflect upon all those times when we have accidentally or deliberately fallen short, and sin has got the better of us, the consequences of which may be highly significant and impactful upon us and the lives of others. As we consider the events leading up to the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross, this season of Lent gives us another chance to reassess our lives, repent of our sins and reset the clock when we sincerely put our faith and trust in him, knowing that Christ died so that we might be forgiven.

We may not be able to change the misfortunes or immoralities of the world (or even the Post Office), but we can make things better where we are as we take responsibility for our own lives – words, deeds and actions – and as always, genuine moral change always starts with repentance!    

“I tell you … there will be much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15.7

Have you taken down your Christmas decorations too soon?

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One of the things that saddens and surprises me most about Christmas is how quickly some people seem to be pleased to see the back of it. With the help of their Advent calendars, children have been joyfully counting down the days to Christmas for weeks (and parents no doubt the shopping days as they struggle to get ready) but as soon as the big day has come and gone, they move on to the next ‘big thing’, usually the Boxing Day sales or the New Year celebrations. After all that sense of increasing anticipation, Christmas has come and gone in an instant; shops and supermarkets surgically remove any trace of Christmas and people swiftly take down their decorations and remove the lights from their houses.

And yet as the Christmas Carol helpfully reminds us, there are ‘twelve days of Christmas’, and the Christmas season theoretically continues until ‘twelfth night’ on the 6th January, when we move into Epiphany. This is the time when the church traditionally marks the arrival of the wise men or Magi (‘the three kings’) who bowed down and worshipped the infant Christ as they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

There was nothing instantaneous about their journey, as travelling from Babylon (modern day Iraq) it would have taken them 4-5 months to travel by camel the long and arduous route to Bethlehem. Yet it was worth it – because they understood that this was a moment of huge and profound significance, because in keeping with ancient prophecy, the God who had created both the heavens and the earth was going to send a great king to rule over his people. This is why they turned up at Herod’s palace asking “where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2.2). The Nativity and Epiphany stories remind us that the child who was born at Christmas as the Son of God was warmly received by shepherds and kings alike; Jews and Gentiles coming together to worship and acknowledge the birth of the long-awaited Messiah, the one who would not only “save the people from their sins” (Matthew 1.21) but the one whose kingdom would last for ever.

At the start of a new year many people take stock of their lives and hopefully wish for a better future, but Christians know that Christmas and Epiphany are not only wonderful occasions to celebrate the birth of Christ, but great opportunities to reflect upon their own personal present and future lives ‘in him’. Knowing that God is prepared to step into human history on your behalf as your Lord and Saviour, dying upon the cross, really brings home how much he loves, cares and values you. It changes your perspective of who you are ‘in Christ’ and gives your life a greater sense of meaning and purpose, deepening the way you see yourself and your appreciation of others. In some parts of the world, love, joy and peace are in short supply and yet they lie at the heart of a Christian Christmas. Therefore, it seems to me that it’s certainly worth celebrating the ‘twelve days of Christmas’ and leaving the decorations up longer than we seem to, so that together we might pause and allow the season to nourish us a little longer.

For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9.6

What are YOU celebrating this Christmas?

Stephen Thorp 2 Comments

What are you celebrating this Christmas – and what do you hope for?

For many, Christmas is simply an opportunity to take a break from work and spend time with the family; an opportunity to rest and relax after the giving of presents and the eating of Christmas dinner. For others it’s an opportunity to ‘catch up’, and perhaps visit distant relatives and friends. However, as nice as these things may be, the deeply Christian nature of Christmas is lost on many who don’t really know, understand or appreciate it. Which is such a shame, because it’s the significance of Christmas, which gives it so much of its meaning, magic and sparkle!  A few years ago, it was reported that one third of children between the ages of 10 and 13 did not know that Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ and I doubt if that figure has gone down (although I’m discounting Necton School from this comment as I know they do a terrific job teaching the children about Jesus). But the point remains, Christmas tinsel and wrapping paper may be very pretty but they become rather useless without the present, and celebrating Christmas without Christ is rather similar! Most adults will have some recollection from school Nativity plays that Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey, so that she could ultimately give birth to the baby Jesus in a stable – but even so, do they truly understand the significance of the baby?

The Bible tells us that apart from the baby being called Jesus he is also called Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’ – and this is the first most amazing point of Christmas, that God does not remain abstract or aloof, an idea or philosophy hovering somewhere out in space or the ether, but becomes intimately involved with our world, by stepping into it by becoming a baby, a child, a human person just like us – and so God really does understand us from the inside out as it were.  

The second point is that God did not step into the world because the world was so good, but precisely because it is not! This is why Jesus is often called the ‘light of the world’ because his presence shines a light into the darkness of our surroundings and even our own hearts. Yes, the world is beautiful, but the wars in Ukraine and Gaza / Israel demonstrate only too well that our world isn’t perfect, and neither are our own lives, for we all carry imperfections and have sometimes suffered misfortunes in consequence either directly because of our own actions, or those of others – and occasionally just because ‘life has been unkind to us’. These things break our heart, but they also break God’s heart too, which is why knowing that ‘God is with us’ can be so joyful and comforting, because we know that we are not alone. God cares for us in our bleakest moments as well as our happiest.

Jesus spent most of his life teaching his disciples and therefore us, not only about God but a better way of being, how to live a better life. His life and ministry was therefore through his teaching, and the power of the Holy Spirit about transformation making us more ‘Christlike’ when we recognise precisely who he is and put our faith and trust in him. Yet, the consequences of our broken world still had to be dealt with, which is why Jesus’ ministry ultimately took him to the cross, where he performs the most gracious act of loving self-sacrifice, dying for us upon the cross and taking upon himself the consequences of our sin. This is an act of atonement which pardons us and frees us from all guilt, sin and shame when we personally appreciate, trust and believe that he died for us, each one of us – because he loved us. This transforms our sense of identity, self-worth and purpose as we look out into the world and our place within it. It fills our hearts with life, ‘eternal life’ and peace – which is everlasting.

Merely summarising these things means nothing without personal thought and contemplation, but genuine appreciation and acceptance is a real cause of joy and celebration. I hope that you will know something of God’s love, joy and peace for you and your families as you accept the free gift of Christ this Christmas. So, on behalf of the parishes I represent, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2.11

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem this Remembrance Season

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It has been heartbreaking listening to the BBC news stories coming out of Israel in recent days. Stories like that of twenty-two year old Neta Portal telling the news reporter how, despite being shot in the leg six times, she had survived with her boyfriend the terrible massacre carried out by Hamas on the Israeli kibbutz at Kfar Aza – or seeing Mariam, a young British Palestinian girl, expressing her fears of dying as she clutches her British passport in the hope that the Rafah gate might be opened, granting her safe passage into Egypt. These stories remind us that in times of conflict it is always the innocent who suffer.

Let’s be clear, what Hamas did was barbaric and Israel has every right to defend itself – and yet we pray and hope that they will have a higher regard for civilians than the terrorists. The Israeli / Palestinian conflict is complicated, but the truth is that ever since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel has made a number of concessions, offers and overtures to its Palestinian neighbours which would create a Palestinian state (even voluntarily giving up its worship upon the Temple Mount) all of which have ultimately been rejected by the Palestinian leadership, leading to the current unsatisfactory situation. And yet relations in the wider Middle East have been improving and things were looking better than they had been for years – all of which has now been blown away by the recent attack by Hamas, sponsored by Iran.

The irony is that the word ‘Jerusalem’ means ‘foundation of peace’ incorporating the Arab word for peace ‘salam’ as in ‘As-salamu alaykum’ meaning ‘peace be upon you’  and this is akin to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ also meaning ‘peace’, ‘tranquillity’ and ‘wholeness’, but it’s not just a simple sort of peace but a deeply rich sort of peace that belongs to God himself. So, in a city and a part of the world which has such a high regard for peace, it’s incredibly sad that there is so much anger, hostility and hatred.

The Christian will be aware that the prophet Isaiah predicted a time when ‘every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood would be destined for burning and used as fuel for the fire’ (Isaiah 9.5) because ultimately God’s messiah would arrive and put things right, and he would be called ‘Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (‘sar shalom’)’ (Isaiah 9.6), and that person is of course Jesus who, after his death and resurrection, met his frightened disciples in a locked room and said ‘peace be with you’ (John 20.19).

So as we approach Remembrance Sunday, let us be grateful for the peace that we currently enjoy, made possible by those who sacrificed so much to look after and protect us in past years, but may we also be wise enough to pray for Jerusalem and the peace of the world, trusting that God’s wisdom, and the loving, peaceful spirit of Christ, might touch all our hearts.

 

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 8 For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” Psalm 122.6 (ESV)

Celebrating Harvest – against all the odds!

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Many of us will be familiar with the story Jesus told his disciples known as the ‘parable of the sower’ (Matthew 13.1-9,18-23), which demonstrated the spiritual reality that sadly not every heart would be open to the ‘Word of God’ like seed sown on good soil – but rather, like seed that was eaten by birds on a path, scorched by the sun in rocky places or choked by thorns and thistles, would be destroyed and rejected by those whose hearts were influenced, shaped and hardened by the worries, cares and problems of the world,  resulting in what appears to be at first glance, a massive 75% failure rate!

But even if we put the spiritual metaphors to one side for a moment, and take the parable ‘literally’, it still speaks to us, because it chimes with what we understand and see going on around us at the present time. The ongoing war in Ukraine has been a disaster for the world’s food store. Because of damage to fields and farms, 40% fewer crops have been planted in 2023 than the year before. The lack of fertiliser has literally left many crops struggling to grow against thorns, thistles, and weeds. Many farmers have therefore switched to growing easier oil-based crops such as sunflowers, resulting in the fact that this year’s grain harvest is even smaller than before. The ‘rocky ground’ left by an overabundance of military ordinance, such as landmines, has left a deadly legacy so that many fear to gather the crops, and now that Russia has pulled out of its Black Sea crop exporting deal, the worries, cares and pressures of the world are exasperated for many. In other parts of the world, climate change and excessive heat waves literally scorch the seed sown for food. All of this reduces supply, forces up prices, fuels inflation and cements the cost of living crisis, leaving 20% of people on the lowest incomes in the UK with not enough money to feed themselves after two weeks.

The situation is no doubt even more complicated than this, but it is why we need to celebrate harvest and be grateful for what we have, supporting those who through no fault of their own are less fortunate than ourselves. So as many of our churches begin to look forward towards the harvest season, may I encourage you to join us. This year our harvest charity will be Ripple Effect (formerly known as Send a Cow), helping poorer African nations learn how to farm and feed themselves sustainably, and we will be using our dry provisions and harvest gifts to support our local foodbank. Kindness and generosity are great spiritual values whether you consider yourself to be Christian or not, and just as the ‘Word of God’ teaches us, seed that is sown into good soil ‘can produce a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown’ (Matthew 13.8). Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our kind, generous and thankful hearts had a similar effect this harvest season?!      

Well done England’s Lionesses. Let’s go again!

Stephen Thorp 3 Comments

No doubt like me, many of you are disappointed that England’s Lionesses failed to win the Women’s Football World Cup 2023! But what a wonderful tournament it has been, and what excitement! Who can forget Chloe Kelly’s incredible winning penalty strike against Nigeria which at 69 mph was more powerful than any goal scored in the Premier League last season – or young Lauren James announcing herself on the world stage with 2 wonderful goals against China and an incredible strike against Denmark – or finally Mary Earps’ sensational penalty save against Spain in the Final which rightfully won her the ‘golden glove’ award and confirmed her place as one of the world’s top female goalkeepers admired by millions (whatever Nike might say by not producing a copy of her shirt for fans to buy). Not forgetting the rest of the team who all did so very well under the wonderful management of Sarina Wiegman. It’s such a shame that the final proved to be ‘one game too far’, but their skill and dedication has brought us all a lot of joy and entertainment over the last few days and we can as a nation take great pride in what they have accomplished, and they have certainly inspired many other ‘little boys and girls’ to play football and be the ‘lions and lionesses’ of the future.

However, we all know that it is the possibility of winning or losing which makes football and so many other sports, so enthralling. It is embracing the idea and stepping up to the challenge which makes sport such a wonderful metaphor for the stresses and strains and challenges of life. It’s been 57 years since England last won the football world cup and perhaps for many it may seem like we will never win it, but still it’s a challenge which inspires.

The Christian will know that when it comes to earning our place in heaven, we are all doomed to fail, because as frail, fallen, sinful human beings we can never make the grade or live up to God’s standards – we have all fallen short! (Romans 3.23) But fortunately, God’s love for us means that we are not abandoned or left to our own devices; God steps into the world in the person of Jesus Christ, so that he might take upon himself all the terrible consequences of our fallen nature by dying for us upon a cross. His death paid the price of our sins and so now we can enjoy a new forgiven life and a new relationship with God when we put our faith and trust in him. The Apostle Paul sums it up so well, when he says ‘forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 3.12-14).

So, let’s be thankful for all that Christ has accomplished, and like England’s lionesses, pick ourselves up and grab that second chance ‘to go again’.      

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15.57

Georgia Stanway, Rachel Daly, Millie Bright, Mary Earps, Alessia Russo, Lucy Bronze, Lauren Hemp, Ella Toone, Jess Carter, Keira Walsh, Alex Greenwood