Reflections on the birth of a granddaughter.

We listen to so much! And those voices - in the room, online, live or recorded - shape us. Making sure we hear theological truth for our context is important in forming us - growing us - in Christ. What a blessing it is to have Lutheran Radio UK.

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games can remind us that the past is always a mixture of 'good' and 'bad'. Whether personally or socially, only Jesus is best placed to help us with our history and our tomorrows.

With age comes perspective – especially in the Faith.

Following Jesus in this world means knowing truth and seeking to serve everyone – friends and enemies, supporters and opponents – and society benefits.

Identity is big at the moment but who determines it?

We wear our clothes for all sorts of reasons – functional and festive, to be seen by others and just for being at home – and they say something about us. Through Baptism people 'put on Christ'. Returning to our Baptism each day is like putting on another layer of clothes – the outer layer – to help us live and remember who we are.

I once heard the statement "there is no bad weather, only poor clothing" which, whatever we think of its veracity, reminds us that what we bring to situations – particularly our attitudes and insights as guided by God's Word – affects how we get through and shape the day no matter whether we face sunshine or storms.

The Triune God is a mystery to us but that doesn't make God unknowable.

The question to ask when we are reading that Bible is not whether it is God's Word – it is – and that answer is definitive, static. The question to ask when reading the Bible is 'How is what I am reading God's Word for me?'. That answer is dynamic, living!