Dear friends,

From the Palm Sunday entry down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem to the tables of the money changers in the temple being overturned, from the last supper in an upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane where several of them slept while he prayed, from Judas’ betraying kiss to him being paraded before Caiaphas, from Peter denying knowing him or being part of his group to his being taken before Pilate, from the soldiers mocking him to and forcing a crown of thorns on his head, the last days and hours of Jesus’ life could hardly have been more dramatic

And of course, it ends at Calvary, where crucified between two thieves, an abandoned figure commits his spirit to God and….

Dear friends,

We call it Holy Week, the final dramatic week of Jesus' life on earth, and it begins with the Palm Sunday procession down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem.

Some years ago I stood on the Mount of Olives, and looking across the Kedron Valley towards the old city wall, wondered what the day would have been like.

How big were the crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem?

And what did they make of the man who…

Dear friends,

With an adult baptism, two people joining the church, four new elders being ordained, and the Annual General Meeting at the close of the service, Sunday promises to be a full and interesting day in the life of our congregation.

Although baptism is always a special occasion, there is always something very moving for the congregation when the sacrament involves an adult.

It is also very encouraging when…..

Dear friends,

Thank you for inviting me back to be locum over the Easter season

It was great to be back in church on Sunday – what a lovely welcome – and so good to see the church open again after all the lockdown restrictions during our last visit .

On Tuesday lunchtime I met up with our organist and choir master, Richard Zook, to discuss the different services over the remaining Sundays of Lent, and then during Holy Week and Easter.

Glad to say all the arrangements are now in place and I hope you are looking forward to some lovely services.

With Lent being a time of reflection and self examination, I hope people will make every effort to come to church, especially if you…

Dear Friends,

This week we welcome back the Rev. Russell Barr and his wife Margaret to lead our services until April 16th. Russell was with us for the Christmas season 2021 and January of last year. We had all looked forward to, hopefully, a festive Christmas season in 2021 but, unfortunately, everything was shut down at the last minute. Russell was, nevertheless, tirelessly enthusiastic….

Dear Friends,

Rev Dr. Graham McGeoch returned to Brazil, after serving the ERC as locum minister for three months. The coming weeks we will have different ministers and preachers leading worship…

Dear Friends,

It is time to bid farewell. After almost three months as your locum, we return to Brazil early next week. We have enjoyed meeting so many people from the English Reformed Church, and beyond. We have kept ourselves busy with visits to museums and walks in the parks (weather permitting)…

Dear Friends,

I was so happy to hear the Consistory read out 'the call' last Sunday. The Church of Scotland has given permission to the English Reformed Church to call a minister. It will be exciting to move forward as a congregation, and I wish you the very best as….

Dear Friends,

Between 18-25 January, churches mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We will have a special service on Sunday 22nd January. During our service, we will be using the same prayers as our sister churches ….

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! A new year brings new opportunities. I wonder what the year has in store for you? At the English Reformed Church (ERC), we begin the year with a series of Bible texts reflecting on childhood. The ERC, like many churches…..