Changing Beliefs Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (Psalm 139:23) I remember being a young man on a protest march in London because I wanted to fight for a cause that was important to me. “Keep Sunday Special” was a campaign to help the small shops compete with the big supermarkets that wanted to open on Sundays. As a Christian in 1985 I wanted to keep the shops from taking people away from Church, and to allow shopworkers to be able to attend their Church. As you probably know the campaign came to nothing. The government changed the belief of the UK, and we now have Sunday shopping. I wonder if you have been challenged enough by what someone has said to change your beliefs about an issue. We often think that views don’t change, but they do, more than we probably think. Very few of us still have the same car that we had twenty years ago. Belongings change. And what about attitudes? Do you want to be driving an electric car in the future? Some people are very firm in their beliefs, but others are still watching how the technology develops. I have never academically studied Economics, and I didn’t know what a “trade war” was until President Trump started charging tariffs across the world. I had no prior view as to whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. I dare say we shall find out how it affects us as the world adjusts to the new normal. When we are faced with a change – often a fear will develop, we will imagine worst case scenarios. However, once it has been imposed, most of us try to rationalise how its not so bad after all and try to live with it. I studied physics at University, and was taught that scientists doggedly follow the evidence wherever it leads, open to all theories until we reach the one that best describes the measurable facts. This strengthened my (then) new belief in God as the one behind the universe. My beliefs had changed. Previously I had really trusted that all that we see had just been the result of a lot of wonderfully serendipitous chance happenings. At University I was encouraged to do the maths, and I found out that the universe is so extremely unlikely to have developed just by chance, that another theory took its place in my mind. That God was the ultimate creator. He had put the laws of space and time and matter in place just so. With this different view of the world I can marvel at the neatness of the universe, the wonder of each living thing, and the complexity and loveliness that God has placed in the heart of every person. I have come across many people who seem fixed in their views of the world. But I believe God continually prompts each one of us to listen to his quiet loving voice, telling us that despite the theories of the world and even our own beliefs, we matter to God, and are important to Him. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2) Brian Leathers (April 2025)
Out of Sight The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2) I have always been a terrible letter writer. I never seem to get around to thinking, writing and then sending. It is so much easier now we have emails and texts where we can think of something – and the expectation of a full page of a letter which terrified me, is not there – now it’s just the facts – or immediate situation that we communicate. There is much which is good with our immediate world. We can achieve more, be more efficient with our time, shop around further to get a better deal. But I wonder what we might be losing. I have just come back from the other side of the world. Having never been south of the equator before, Joy and I went on a cruise from Brisbane up to Singapore. We saw parts of the world we had never considered before. We heard stories and met people with different cultures. One of the things that appealed to me was our journey into the future with Brisbane being in the time zone GMT+10 so we got to each day before you in the UK, and went to bed while you were still awake. I sent messages to my grandchildren “from the future”. Now that we are home, it is more easy to imagine our friends taking the world cruise (we joined 15 days of their 100) as they carry on their journey. We can think of the strange land of Bali with its temples as part of every house, and their driving which I really couldn’t understand – I don’t think the line between carriageways meant anything at all – you could drive on either side of the road at times !!! But now life is cold and wet instead of warm and sunny. Things go on as they always have. It would be so easy to forget that part of the world. In our fast-paced world, it's easy to feel disconnected from those who are physically distant—friends and family members living on the other side of the globe may seem "out of sight, out of mind." At this Easter time we are challenged to find out how much our belief in the resurrection of Jesus is really a part of our life. Our connections go beyond mere physical boundaries. We are joined not only with those elsewhere in this world, but also those who have died. Death is not the end. Jesus rose from the grave showing a new beginning and it gives us hope to meet again with loved ones who have gone before us. Not only that, but in our relationships of this world, some are good and some are bad, and yet the resurrection of Jesus gives us hope also that our own lives can turn around, that we can be forgiven bad decisions or actions, and find a good future with His help. The relationships we forge in faith and love have the power to bridge any gap. By embracing the message of resurrection, we can cultivate a sense of community that spans the globe, reminding us that we are never truly alone. In a world that often feels divided, the resurrection invites us to connect with one another in meaningful ways, fostering hope and unity as we look forward to the eternal promise of life in Christ. At Easter we can echo the great prayer said at our Christmas Carol Services: Lastly, let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore, and in a greater light, that multitude which no-one can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom in the Lord Jesus we are one forevermore. Brian Leathers (March 2025)
https://www.youneedtotalkaboutgod.com/filmsFollow the link to five short films
Join us in learning all about bellringing with St Peter’s Tower Captain Alan Walters and take a tour to see and hear the history of the bells.If you would like to try bellringing for yourself or want to find out more about the Alton Bellringers, please contact them via email at: zalton@nsacr.org.ukClick on the link below to watch the video on YouTube:https://youtu.be/-9rUwv0I9Eo?si=Kp8Tv46a032VlT1I
