October 2025

“Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”

So read the words of the collect appointed for today, the day we call ‘Bible Sunday’. A Sunday...

The reading from Genesis where Jacob wrestles with God was always read at the beginning of each year that I was at Theological College in Chichester. Initially, I was rather foxed as to why two men wrestling was the ‘College Scripture’ until it suddenly in my final year it dawned upon me that it was a metaphor for my own wrestling with Scripture, doctrine and God throughout my three years at seminary. Having fallen down the chapel steps and sprained my ankle and put my hip out, I think the reading had more relevance to me when I heard it...

Luke 17:5-10

To be truthful I would rather have had just read verses five and six, rather than 5-10, as what those two verses say about increasing one’s faith I think is very good:

“The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea”, and it would obey you.”     Luke 17:5-6

Verses 7-10 rather annoy me:

“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or...