January/February 2019

As I write this, Britain is mired in Brexit turmoil. By the time you read it, who knows? Perhaps everything will have settled down, and the Cabinet, parliament, the DUP and European Union will all be in cosy agreement. Or perhaps not!

Of course, compared to many countries in the world, Britain is a place of relative stability and peace, and for that, we should thank God. But even this recent political commotion reminds us that none of us — not even the Prime Minister — is really in control. Thank God we worship One who is.

So it’s apt that we begin this issue of the magazine with Jeremy Bailey’s reflections on one of Scripture’s most appealing commands, ‘Come away and rest’. How strange that so few of us obey! Perhaps we could say the same about John Orchard’s encouraging piece on ‘Reasons not to pray’, and John Woolley’s call to Christian meditation.

Rest, prayer and meditation are often what we need in this turbulent world of ours. We are reminded of some of the challenges faced by believers in other parts of the world as we think about life in Burkina Faso. As we approach Holocaust Remembrance Day, John Funnell reflects on a recent trip to Auschwitz and thanks God for the light that shines in the darkness.

Times past were also often more turbulent than our own, and Sheila Stephen expertly guides us through the life of Katherine Parr. Most of us know her as the wife of Henry VIII who ‘survived’, but her story is far more interesting than that.

As always, there’s far more inside. We remember Gwynn Williams’ legacy, reflect on reaching the so-called iGeneration, and much more. As we read would you join us in praying that the magazine would have a positive impact — both on your life, and the lives of many others?