Steadfastness’ has been a helpful focus for us within TFT recently, and it was intriguing to discover that God used our Spring Women’s Weekend to pick up on the same theme. The title for our devotional time was ‘Strength for the Journey’. We looked at 1 Kings 19:1-18 and Elijah’s weariness soon after his victory over the prophets of Baal. Many of us had arrived at the Women’s Weekend tired from the week’s commitments, a familiar pattern for weekends away. However, the passage helped us to recognise that many of us felt more than ‘tired’. Like Elijah, quite a few of us felt deeply weary.

If you have never heard of Alexander Whyte, let me introduce him to you. He was Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in the latter years of the nineteenth century, and he is one of my heroes.I’ve been a Christian for a very long time, and I’ve constantly struggled with same-sex attraction. I’m in my seventies now and I reflect in this article on how I’ve survived, both spiritually and emotionally.

The week, before my daughter’s sports day, we practised her race on a local running track. She had signed up to run the 200m, and wanted to feel prepared for the big day. So we put our trainers on and headed to the track. As we set off together, I explained the importance of starting well and finding a comfortable pace she could maintain. She set off well, worked up to a sprint and stayed strong. Her pace slowed a little as we approached the corner, so my encouragement came loud and clear. “You can do this. Keep going!” I cheered.

What sort of waiter are you? I’m not a very good one.

Have you ever joined in with a group singing, “Why are we waiting?” Perhaps you were hungry, the food had not yet arrived and you were impatient! We live in a culture of impatience.

This article describes several snares we can fall into when using technology, whilst remembering all the positives it can bring into our lives.

What was the legacy of Covid-19 for you? Did you get yourself a dog to keep you company in the absence of human contact? Did you find other things to do on a Sunday morning and find it difficult to get back into the routine of in-person services? Did your mental health take a knock and leave you anxious meeting people face-to-face?