Dear Friends

Dutch inventor Cornelius van Drebel is supposedly the inventor of the submarine early in the 17th Century. This, I’m sure you will agree, was an idea ahead of its time. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas; but not just any new idea. It has to be an authentic idea. In other words it has to be something that is practical, workable and of its time, what I like to call an elegant idea. When I learn of a good idea that I think will work the feeling I get is almost that of a light bulb switching on in my head! I love good ideas! I need you to know that, so that the next time I bring a bright idea to Church Council, you do at least know it is something that I have thought about!

I am writing this 2 days before Rachel and I are married. I want to begin by saying, on behalf of Rachel and myself, a huge thank you for all the love and support we have felt from our Wesley family as the day has approached. It is an amazing privilege to feel part of a family of faith and prayer. One of the moments that I am looking forward to on Saturday 18th June is listening once again to the reading of 1 Corinthians 13. When the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Corinth he was writing to a bunch of people who were trying to outdo each other in the manifestation of spiritual gifts…..holy one-upmanship! So he writes to remind them of the supremacy of love and so we are bequeathed these amazing words that have become so familiar.

Dear Friends

Are we living at the start of a new ‘age of electricity’? Electrically powered vehicles are becoming increasingly common on our roads, solar panels on house roofs are everywhere and we don’t have to drive too far into the countryside before we see some wind turbines. The renewables revolution is beginning to catch on and technological advances in electricity storage will, I suspect, continue to add impetus to the move away from fossil fuels.