Turn the Page will be taking a short break.  We’ll be back next year with a new story on Monday 2nd January 2017!!

In a famous episode of the BBC sitcom the Vicar of Dibley, local vicar Geraldine Granger is invited to four Christmas lunches.  In order not to upset anyone, she accepts them all.  At the second enormous meal she is challenged to a sprout eating contest with her hosts, and is reduced to pushing the last sprout into her mouth with … Read More

Bill Hybels, a prominent American Church leader asked this question in the aftermath of the tragic and senseless death of a young friend killed in a car crash.  Reflecting on Jesus’ resurrection, he said this:   ‘[Christians] steward the only message on planet earth that can give people what their hearts need most, which is hope.  Hope that sins can … Read More

When it comes to wrapping presents there are definitely different schools of thought.  My family always went for the plain and simple approach with nice paper, neatly wrapped.  When I got married, however, I discovered a new approach involving not just paper, but ribbons and bows that admittedly looked very pretty, but were significantly harder to open.  Increasingly these days … Read More

One of my earliest memories to do with Christmas isn’t a Christmas memory at all.  It’s an event that could occur at any moment during the year when I was out with my mum, and from the bank she would receive a brand new £5 or £10 note.  She would invariably place it very carefully in her purse and say, … Read More

34-37 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. … Read More

For parents of young children, the greatest challenge of Advent, is how to keep them occupied while they wait for Christmas.  For a child, the wait seems endless, their only focus being the goal of unwrapping presents on the big day.  But for adults there are an endless successions of goals to be achieved and the few short weeks of … Read More

As this year’s shopping frenzy and the countdown to Christmas continues, I’m reminded of many of my daughter’s birthday parties from when she was a child.  She was always keen to invite as many of her classmates as possible to the party.  This was not because she was friends with all of them, but purely on the basis that each … Read More

27 Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”   28 “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’”   29 He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?” Peter gave the answer: … Read More