Author: Anne Coomes

‘While He was blessing them, Jesus left them and was taken up into heaven.’ (Luke 24:51). The Ascension is a hugely neglected festival, which deserves to have a bigger place in our church life. How do we understand it? The Ascension tells us that Jesus is in control: ‘Jesus has gone into heaven and is at God’s […]

It’s amazing what treasure can be unearthed with metal detectors! In this season of Easter, let’s rediscover the greatest unburied treasure of the Resurrection. The Apostle Peter reminds us that God ‘has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can […]

“When you die, that’s it. Nothing. Out like a light.” That’s what the man in the pub said, and his mates all nodded, though the one whose mother had died the week before wasn’t really quite so certain. Still, it seemed to make sense.  After all, we know what ‘dead’ means: dead leaves, dead batteries, […]

This month both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day! The link between the two can be summed up in terms of the nature of real love! Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday, focuses on learning to love God more, as we give Him space in our lives. This is what Jesus found […]

Last year (2023) 30 million people in the UK made New Year resolutions, with health (28%), money (27%), family (24%) and self-improvement (21%) topping the charts for the most common resolutions. However, surveys suggest that most people lasted seven weeks before giving them up and 21% only lasted for a month before giving up. What […]