‘Lest we …?’

I know you know the missing word, and I know you know that I know the missing word too. ‘Lest we forget’ matters. In World War One 65 million men were mobilized to fight and 1 in 3 were either killed or injured. Wilfred Owen immortalised them as those ‘who

November 2, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘Are you properly accessorized?’

When does wearing a bracelet make all the difference to your life? It’s when you live what it says. I’m not speaking about lucky charms or Pandora bracelets but a little strip of cloth. The cloth actually says very little, it only has four letters on it; ‘WWJD’. Yet, if

October 6, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘Are you ready to use the hot shoe?’

Don’t worry this surreal question has nothing to do with the hot weather we’ve been having, but do you understand the question? I used to use a hot shoe but now I have no need for one; instead I use my phone. If this only adds to your confusion, a

August 3, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘Is dog friendly chocolate ok to eat?’

All I can say is that when I gave it a try the answer was inconclusive. Curiosity may have killed the cat but such tasting and seeing describes the way the Bible wants us to engage deeper with God; to use its language, to see if the Lord is good.

July 11, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘It’s just not normal is it?’

Now that’s a statement that just asks to be challenged isn’t it? It’s a perspective voiced if someone requests a vegetarian meal instead of a ‘normal’ one. It’s a view expressed if someone asks for a decaffeinated coffee instead of a ‘normal’ one. You know what I mean. Yet, if

June 1, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘I was close… but no cigar’

Twice in one morning I was asked, why is it called Maundy Thursday? The answer I gave was close, but no cigar. I thought ‘Maundy’ described the sense of mourning because Jesus was betrayed by one of his disciples; close, but no cigar. The word Maundy is an Anglo-French reworking

March 29, 2018 by Andy Gore

‘Big Mouth… Small Heart’

If you visit a city that has an artists’ quarter you’re likely to see artists drawing caricatures. In Montmartre, in Paris, I’ve stood admiring their skill and sense of humour as they’ve grotesquely distorted the features of those sitting before them who then, amazingly, paid them for the pleasure. Artists

February 2, 2018 by Andy Gore

“OMG!!”

The 1994 film ‘Four Weddings and a funeral’ has a very colourful opening scene; though it’s not as colourful as I’d remembered it. The first 90 seconds or so has Hugh Grant, who plays Charles, swearing constantly because he’s late for the first wedding in the film. However, when I

January 5, 2018 by Andy Gore

“It’s only a few more sleeps until Christmas…”

As I write this, it is only three more sleeps until Christmas. It’s only three more sleeps until all the things we’ve planned and hoped for have come to pass; or will they? For Mary it wasn’t quite three sleeps. For her, as for many at that time, it was

December 22, 2017 by admin

“Wow! What a number!”

I don’t do numbers. I realised this again re-reading Bill Bryson’s ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’. In this fascinating book on many things scientific he plays with numbers whose size is virtually impossible to get your head around. But then again, when I’m told that on average this Christmas

November 10, 2017 by Andy Gore