In 166 BC Judah Maccabee led an army of Jewish dissidents to victory over the occupying Greek army who had invaded the Holy Land. He did this by waging an affective guerrilla war. The term Maccabees, as used to describe the Jewish army, is taken from the Hebrew word for “hammer”. Judah Maccabee was “The…
10th Apr 2022
20th Mar 2022
I took the path across the water meadows just beyond the city of Salisbury until I came to the Old Mill at the nearby village of Harnham. Beside the mill there is a weir down which water gushes in a mesmerising sort of way. At the top of the weir was one of the most…
13th Mar 2022
I actually met Abraham and Sarah a few weeks ago. They were in the waiting area for urgent treatment at Worthing Hospital. When I arrived there with my mum for her appointment – I heard them say that they had been waiting for five hours and no one had called their name. “Have you checked…
13th Feb 2022
And at last I get to the front of the queue for my ticket at the machine of the pay and display car park. And I feel like an actor stepping out on stage uncertain of his lines. There are keypads and slots and little instruction boxes attached to this machine and for a moment…
9th Jan 2022
Long ago the prophet Isaiah wrote this… You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord! A royal diadem in the hand of your God! But to whom was he addressing such fine words? Your Christmas cracker goes off with a great big bang, and there amidst the frilly paper, the…
28th Nov 2021
You’re settling down to watch a new mini series on TV. It’s a six part drama. I don’t know what your preference would be? A murder mystery? A Historical romance? A Sci-Fi adventure? A true life drama? Anyway, episode 1 is going really well. You understand the plot! You’ve identified the goodies from the baddies….
14th Nov 2021
Jesus’ discourse with his disciples in our Gospel reading about the end-time perhaps resonate more in times of acute global conflict and wars that transcend national boundaries. But even today we do not live in settled times and we read of the advances of forces hostile to Christianity (and indeed other religions) in different parts…
7th Nov 2021
One of the joys of being Vicar of the country town of Midhurst was the chance to learn about its quirky history and especially all that went on in the little narrow streets near the parish church. One of my favourite stories was the one about Matthew Burnett – the reclusive cycle repairman of Rumbold’s…