I pulled a muscle in my shoulder on Monday night. At a swing dancing class of all places! (Don’t ask!) Don’t worry, it only hurts when I move. It wouldn’t have happened five years ago. Perhaps it’s a sign I’m getting older? Perhaps it’s a sign of my mortality?

Woah! Hold it right there! Did you see what I did just then? It seems quite a leap from an injured shoulder to dying! But, is it such a leap? Or is it that we don’t want to think about dying? Even when we are surrounded by death everyday. Even when we suffer from ‘little deaths’ all the time. You know those moments that suck a little bit of life out of you?

Our society’s way of dealing with death is to deny it (never mind the irony that we can’t get enough of death on our TV screens!) But, I wonder if by denying death we are missing out on a bit of life? Perhaps a lot of life?

And, I wonder if Jesus’ words to Martha might not be translated: ‘Those who believe in me, even though they are dying, are living’ (John 11:25)?

I wonder.

~ Pastor John

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If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here

This [see image] is the checker shadow illusion designed by Professor of Neuroscience, Edward Adelson. When you look at the image which is the darker square on the checkerboard, is it A or B?

Well, as you may have guessed (even if your eyes are telling you something different), both squares are exactly the same shade. (Or perhaps you didn’t guess that?) In truth, neither is darker or lighter than the other.

Sometimes even our eyes blind us to reality.

~ Pastor John

Click here for a link to our new spotify podcast containing the latest sermon recordings.

If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here

Click here for a link to our new spotify podcast containing the latest sermon recordings.

If you are unable to access spotify, 2026 sermon recordings can be found here