A reunion

This view is taken from the roof of the school I attended and left in 1955. The tent was for a school reunion some years ago; I attended another a week ago but have no up to date photo. In any case I like this one because it shows the superb position of the school and the view we were able to look out upon, especially from the sixth form common room. Every reunion (they were every five years, but the last one was three years ago; the school closed in 1974 so we are all getting older and our numbers are reducing) includes a short service. We begin with 'Lord, behold us with thy blessing', have a Scripture reading, this year from James 2, sing 'God be in my head', say the Lord's Prayer (traditional version) and conclude with the school commemoration hymn. There is also the reading of a list of those who have died since the last reunion - quite a long list this time. After this there is a prayer which has been my responsibility for three reunions and has to be partly related to the passing of old friends. I do not find it easy to prepare for this. There are some fine Christians amongst the old scholars, but nearly everyone present joins in and there is a respectfulness which I don't always find within church services these days. As I left a friend said, 'See you in heaven or at the next reunion'. 'God be at my end, And at my departing'.

Church Buildings 3

The photo is of Parkstone Evangelical Church in Poole, Dorset. I think the photo dates back to the 1950’s, in which case the church would have been known as Newtown Evangelical Free Church. If I remember correctly it came into being as a result of a mission led by Eric Land (brother of Leslie Land), sometime in the 1930’s. I was baptized in that building in 1954. If I am correct about the date of the photo, the building to the right at the back was made of wood or asbestos and it was where we met for Bible Studies, Prayer Meetings and Young Peoples’ meetings. Behind this a smallholder kept pigs and, depending on the wind direction, the smell varied from the tolerable to the considerable, but while people grumbled about it at times, I’m not sure that it kept anyone away. At one time young people’s camps were held in a field on the edge of Poole so I can remember our summer congregations sometimes suddenly swelled by a hundred or so youngsters. One visiting preacher, suddenly confronted by such an unexpected multitude, changed his sermon and preached simply, and effectively, on the first Passover in Exodus. It is some years since I last paid a visit but I hope to do so soon.

Proclaiming God's attributes

The Psalms display the vast array of God's attributes, which are the divine perfections of his character and essence that distinguish him as God. The sum total of God's glorious being may be expressed in the many divine attributes that he possesses. With this in mind the expositor's preaching should be a direct reflection of his view of God. As it was said of the Puritans, 'How they saw God determined how they saw themselves in their pulpits'. These divine characteristics are the intrinsic qualities that identify, distinguish, and reveal his glory to man.

From Steven J Lawson, Preaching the Psalms

A word to bankers - and everyone else

‘Integrity is not a natural, universal human trait. Any economic system built on trust is bound to collapse without the spiritual resources that served as its foundation.’

Vishal Mangalwadi

JUNE 27 2012

Today is my 75^th birthday. I think I ought to be able to say something about reaching such a milestone, but I find it difficult to do so. Clearly, I am very grateful for much in the past, for my parents, wife and family, and to the Lord who is over all my ways. I have to say that there is much that depresses me: the spiritual, moral and intellectual state of our country; the gospel churches with, too often, their disunity, their adaptation to the spirit of the age, their pettiness, the lack of true worship and spiritual power; and then there is myself, but that is between me and the Lord. I would love to think I had learned valuable lessons over the years to pass on to others but they are all on the pages of the Bible anyway. I see the danger of relying on past blessings and of being too self-satisfied. I know, with another Paul, that life must be lived ‘by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’. There is no other satisfactory way to approach the end of one’s days, whenever that may be.

Ernest Kevan

You will find this book on the Banner of Truth website, though its British price has not yet been given. Ernest Kevan was the first Principal of London Bible College (now the London School of Theology).

Church Buildings 2

This is an old photo of Alder Road Baptist Church - I'm not sure whether, strictly speaking, it is in Poole or Bournemouth. The boundary between the two used to run more or less down the middle of the road, and I suppose still does. This was what we today would call a church plant from West Cliff Baptist Church in Bournemouth. I'm not sure when this actually took place but in 1929 my father became student pastor while he was in Spurgeon's College. It was here that he met my mother so I ought to be very grateful for his ministry there. In the past I have visited and also preached there. Appropriately, perhaps, his funeral service was conducted there in 1993. I heard recently that it now belongs to 'New Frontiers', which seems rather anachronistic.