2 Sam 23:8-39 A Hungarian pastor I know, who (like many) was blacklisted during the Communist years and was banned from preaching in Budapest, pastored a small church in the countryside. He was a charismatic leader and preacher and responded…

2 Sam 23:1-7 People sometimes say, ‘I’ll forgive him (or her), but I’ll never forget’. Even if we are not as obvious with our grudge against others, true forgiveness and treating someone as if they had never done anything wrong…

2 Sam 22:29-51 Recently, my husband and I went on a hike to a waterfall, then further on to the ridge line of some hills and, following a loop track, descended back into the valley. We did this route first…

2 Sam 22:21-28 Before I came to faith, studying at school felt easy for me. I did not have to think about it but just got on with the tasks at hand. However, when I became a Christian in my…

2 Sam 22:1-20 Reflections at funerals can be uplifting as we gain a deeper insight into the inner life and character of the person who died, what motivated them and what they cared most deeply about. A recent funeral I…

2 Sam 21:15-22 Tim Keller was a well-known American pastor and preacher who started Redeemer Presbyterian Church, an inner-city congregation in New York that experienced exponential growth leading to several other ministries. Keller was a gifted teacher, who understood and…

2 Sam 21:1-4 The story of the Gibeonites is one that we find hard to make sense of. For one thing, why did God bring disaster during David’s reign, when it was his predecessor who sinned? Secondly, and most importantly,…

2 Sam 21:1-14 After David’s restoration, we are suddenly plunged into an event about the effects of Saul’s sin during David’s reign though we cannot be sure when this happened. More importantly, how the king resolves the issue is alien…

2 Sam 20:1-26 A week or so ago, I heard on the radio about the death of Marianne Faithfull, a singer associated with the Rolling Stones in the sixties who sang the song ‘As tears go by’. Although I have…

2 Sam 19:24-43 One of the sad realities of a leadership crisis in a church is the damage it does to relationships within the congregation. When there is tension or conflict over a leader’s behaviour, a congregation may split along…