Month: April 2020

During this past month, 3 people I know have lost loved ones. One death was expected, but the others were not, and none of them were related to Coronavirus. Yet, its impact has been felt in terms of how these people deal with their losses. The usual conventions of families visiting, friends bringing hugs, cakes and casseroles, and well attended funerals and memorial services are no longer permitted. We can express our condolences over the phone, or even stand at the edge of a garden path and speak from a distance, but we can’t do the thing that comes most naturally – pull that grieving soul into our arms for a warm embrace. Each funeral can only be attended by a handful of people, meaning even the closest relatives are sometimes robbed of their chance to say goodbye.
Continue reading “The Reality Of Grief.”

I am writing this in the midst of the lockdown here in the UK, caused by the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Many people are afraid as the death toll all over the world rises, and some Christians are asking whether this has anything to do with end time prophecies. The truth is that I can’t answer that question, and I feel it would be wrong for me to even try. We know the world is getting darker. There have been famines and earthquakes in various places as the Bible predicts, and sadly, many people still do not wish to turn to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. I pray that in these difficult times more people will recognise that the things relied upon for security by many and which are now under threat, such as jobs, finances, homes, and so on, are nothing in the light of where we are going to spend eternity.
Continue reading “Be Ready By Living It Out.”

Recently, I heard of a pastor who was told off by a member of his congregation for saying Easter was cancelled this year. Of course, given that we are in 2020, and most of the world is in lockdown thanks to a scary virus that is ravaging our communities, what the pastor actually meant was that there wouldn’t be the regular church services. This is usually one of the church’s most active seasons, with many celebrating Maundy Thursday, not to mention Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday itself. Yet in 2020,, for the first time in living memory, the church doors have remained closed. However, I would argue that in our time of fear and confusion, the church has been more active than ever before.
Continue reading “Easter Will Never Be Cancelled.”

This is the final instalment in Sarah’s excellent series of lent devotionals.
Last week, we saw how Jesus was constantly persecuted, but there is something even more hurtful: Rejection from those you’re trying to reach. “’This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live for ever.’ He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Continue reading “Rejection, by Sarah Tummey”