Hogmany 2025

Boxing Day 2025

With Sainsburys open on Boxing Day 9am-6pm, I decided it would be wise to buy for the weekend today, as tomorrow the crowds of desperate folk will pile in to refill once the leftovers have gone.  So I walked across the park, the dogs had all been and gone long before, just to get a whiff of greenery and tripped over the kerb heading to the shop.  I almost stumbled across the road, I could hear the sirens in my head as I kept upright and moved on embarrassedly.  

Many more in the shop than I expected, but better than tomorrow.  Those pushing trolleys wondering why they need so much today, men with baskets rushing past keen to avoid tomorrows crowd, and me, wondering why I am picking up almost everything with yellow 'reduced price' labels, just in case.  The four things I required are soon dwarfed by the many things I bought, on the cheap.  

Most people still had a Christmas spirit, one or two the effects thereof, the young lass at the checkout was friendly and efficient, and the male customers nearby also happy, to a point.   I mentioned the spirits had no security tags on them but the meat has.  She told me the Honey now has security tags, yet the booze no longer has them!  I suppose these things are easier to steal, and the usual suspects are easily identified re booze theft.  

Anyway, I hobbled home along a quiet street, the quietest this road has been on a Friday this year, reminding myself that this was FRIDAY, not Saturday, and I do not go to church tomorrow.  Having events such as these during the week can be confusing for us.

Christmas Day 2025

The image of a wooden barn containing a wee lassie and her man sitting beside a manger, donkeys and sheep all around, has been with us for many years.  However, those who have researched this now tell us more information.  The word translated as 'Inn,' was incorrect, not just because such places did not exist in the Middle East, it actually refers to a house.  This makes sense as the couple would go straight to the family headquarters in Bethlehem.

Once there, it is likely that a crowded house would mean 'making do,' and no doubt many a  child was born rough circumstances in days of yore.  Here we see an example of a Judean house of the time, the family living upstairs, the animals below.  The rock around there is quite often contains many caves, it is possible one could be used for the animals, or indeed as a place to live.  Whether their stable, and the use of a manger a receptacle for animal feed, indicates a stable, was below the house or next to it, or in a cave, we do not know, but we know he was born in a stable.

Mary would not be alone there, I suggest the women would offer help, especially those trained or experienced in childbirth, and the family would come together to help.  Nonetheless, a young couple, visited by shepherds and Magi, carrying a baby announced by an angel, would be keeping their knowledge to themselves and trusting their God for leading.

What a couple Mary and Joseph were!

The baby was born to offer himself to God for us.

He lived and died for you and me.  He calls us all to know him, not as a baby, but as a God. 

Choose him.  

Life may get harder, but it will be abundant.

Christmas Eve 2025

Christmas Eve, though to be honest I have never met this girl Eve.  Outside cars slowly pass by, the boot filled with foodstuffs, half of which will be thrown away uneaten by Saturday, or else made use of in leftover Sunday lunches.  That which is eaten or drunk will aid the NHS overcrowding by the end of the year, and the family squabbles will make some homes resemble 'EastEnders.' 

Ah the blessing of the time of goodwill.

I started this hours ago and the cars still trundle by, many playing loud music, or Christmas noise's, kids excitedly peering at boxes piled around them, and parents wondering where the cash will come from to pay for all this.  Occasionally  family group passes, Santa hats, Christmas jumpers, and that's just on the dogs, while the group heads into town for whatever reason possibly lunch at the one restaurant or a pub.  In many ways it is a good and exciting time of year for many, especially as the weather has been bright and sunny with a biting wind.  

     

I have not been surprised to read that Chelmsford cathedral, the home of the Bishop of Essex, has decided to progress with prayers within regular services for gay sex marriage and Civil Partnership couples.  This is acceptable they say because of a proposal from the Bishops in 2023.  One I thought had been dispensed with, however, apparently not.

Since the last Bishop of Essex, he is now Archbishop of York, Essex has been open to those with such tendencies, and opposed to biblical readers who disagree and offer biblical opposition.  Yet here we are, official announcement, from a female dead, it would be, for something contrary to scripture and human nature.  A quick reading of scripture reveals how God wants an abundant life for us, not a broken one, and while we accept such individuals we do not encourage them to live a lie.  We do not encourage ourselves to live a lie according to our own desire.   We must seek Jesus and his will only.

I will write of my opposition to this to the Bishop, and be ignored again. The suffragen Bishop will be well aware of my opinion as I have already written to him about 18 months ago re this.  A quick email to some leading members of our church received two answers so far, one thoughtful one opposed to this.  The rest are busy with Christmas.  This will go on.

VJ-Day 2025

With August 15th 2025 being the 80th anniversary of the end of the war with Japan, it is clear there will be no more major commemorations from the Second World War.  Those who served, in the Army Royal Navy or RAF will be well into their 90s, and many over one hundred years of age now.  Any 18 year olds in 1945 will now be 98, and very likely to miss the 90 the anniversary.  

Therefore it is right that the nation, the UK, remembers those who served in the last phase of the war against the slow to surrender Japanese.  It is important to remember the Australian and New Zealand, the Ghurkhas, the Indian and African regiments who also served and suffered severe war conditions and pitiful prisoner of war treatments.

The decision to surrender without a fight left many servicemen angry, especially those who had just arrived in places such as Singapore who, after only 14 days, found themselves beginning a slave like experience on the famous Burmese Railway.  Many never found it within themselves to forgive or be reconciled with their captors, all carried the results of the treatment they had received both in body and in mind.

A short word for the captors.  Reading the experiences we note how the Japanese dehumanised their own men, from officer down to conscript.  We read that on occasion the worst Japanese guard turned out to be Korean. Korea at that time under Japanese control.  We also read of several Japanese guards who did not abuse the prisoners unless ordered to do so, and some who slipped food to them unobserved.  Huma nature in war is an interesting thing to watch.

The Japanese of today are not under such an imperialist army.  Indeed their creativity and work ethic has made Japan one of the worlds leading nations.  Their men suffered, and continued to suffer PTSD and guilt from their actions also after the war.  Few of their leaders were held to account, many continued in power under General MacArthur and USA control.  

Life is a funny thing.

We do not forget those who served, below are the ten local men who died in the Far East.   

Not all their experiences would make pleasant reading.   

BEERE, STANLEY HAROLD Gunner 963577. Royal Artillery 16 Defence Regt. Died: 13th February 1942 Age: 22. Born Cosford 1919. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL        

Singapore surrendered 15th February 1942.

Within Kranji War Cemetery stands the SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, bearing the names of over 24,000 casualties of the Commonwealth land and air forces who have no known grave. Many of these have no known date of death and are accorded within our records the date or period from when they were known to be missing or captured. The land forces commemorated by the memorial died during the campaigns in Malaya and Indonesia or in subsequent captivity, many of them during the construction of the Burma-Thailand railway, or at sea while being transported into imprisonment elsewhere. The memorial also commemorates airmen who died during operations over the whole of southern and eastern Asia and the surrounding seas and oceans.

BENDING, GEORGE.  Private 5827417.  Suffolk Regiment 4th Bn. Died: 16th September 1943 Age: 28. THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY,  The 4th & 5th Battalions Suffolk's were Territorial battalions. Sent to Singapore January 1942 the endured just over two weeks of action before surrendering to the Japanese forces. Then followed over three years harsh treatment as Prisoners of War. During this time George Bending died.      

BEVAN, THOMAS EDWARD. Colour Serjeant 2033192 King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)  attd. King's African Rifles. Died:24th September 1944. Age: 29. RANGOON MEMORIAL. Husband of Gladys Bevan, of Braintree, Essex.   

DAVISON, PETER DOUGLAS. Lieutenant 331870 Essex Regiment attd. 1st Bn. Northamptonshire Regiment.  Died: 18th April 1946.  Age: 26. KRANJIWAR CEMETERY.  Son of John Douglas Davison and Elizabeth Davison, of 130 Cressing Road, Braintree, Essex.  Father John a heating engineer.  Peter died at Jahore, Malaya possibly from disease and buried at Wing Loon Cemetery on the 19th, re-interred at Kranji September 9th.

FRYATT, JOHN ALFRED. Petty Officer Telegraphist C/JX 139959 Royal Navy H.M.S. "Thanet" Died: 27th January 1942. Age:25  CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL  Son of Edward and Annie Fryatt. Lived 38 Sunnyside, Braintree.

HMS "Thanet," and the destroyer HMAS "Vampire," were ordered to sea to intercept large Japanese convoy. They steamed from Singapore at 4.30pm on 26 January, carrying only three torpedoes each. Early in the morning of 27 January they ran into the covering force of Japanese warships, consisting of three destroyers, and later being joined by the Japanese cruiser Sendai. Thanet was hit in the engine room and disabled, and began to sink. Vampire attempted to lay down a smoke screen but was driven off under heavy fire, and managed to escape. Thanet sank with heavy loss of life shortly afterwards.

GOODAY, NORMAN GEORGE  Private. 6019078 Suffolk Regiment 4th Bn.  Died: 13th September 1943. Age: 23 CHUNGKAI WAR CEMETERY. Born Braintree 1919.  Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Mary Gooday, of 8, Maple Avenue, Braintree, Essex.  Father Samuel a church caretaker.

The 4th & 5th Battalions Suffolk's were Territorial battalions.  Sent to Singapore January 1942 the endured just over two weeks of action before surrendering to the Japanese forces.  Then followed over three years harsh treatment as Prisoners of War.

MARTIN, CECIL ERNEST. Private  6025547  Essex Regiment 1st Bn. 23rd Infantry Brigade, 6th Division. Died: 15th April 1944. Age: 24  KOHIMAWAR CEMETERY

Fierce fighting around Kohima during 1944, severe casualties for 1st Essex however from here on the Japanese were in retreat.

McDERMOTT, THOMAS HAROLD Sergeant. 358213 Royal Air Force Died: 27th July 1945 Age: 40. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Born Mill Hill 1905, Son of Henry Thomas McDermott and Florence Bertha McDermott; husband of Lily May McDermott, (Wed 1931) of Braintree, Essex. Death recorded by Japanese as 'Malaria.' 

NUNN, ARTHUR JAMES.  Gunner. 1831405  Royal Artillery 270 Bty., 77 Lt. A.A.Regt.  Died:7th December 1942.  Age: 36. Born Ashtead, Surrey 1906.  DELHI WAR CEMETERY  Son of Josiah F. Nunn and Lily Dale Nunn, of Braintree, Essex. Brother Josiah Grimston died 1931. Sister Phyllis born 1921.

REID, WILLIAM. Gunner.  2872020.  Royal Artillery 3 Bty., 6 H.A.A. Regt. Died: 11th December 1943. Age: 35 KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY.  Son of James and Jane Reid; husband of Bridget Reid, of Braintree, Essex.

Became Prisoner of War when Singapore surrendered to Japanese on 15th February 1942. 

Buried Tasao No 2 Cemetery, re-interred Kanchanaburi  1st March 1946.

Easter Sunday 2025

We read off the women going to the tomb early on the first day of the week.  This would be early, around 4 am when the sun begins to rise.  At the tomb they are somewhat surprised to find the large stone rolled away, the strips of linen covering the body lying there, and the cloth across his head lying folded to the side.  Possibly it was the thought of a man folding the cloth that surprised them most?  One, possibly two angels then appeared, dressing in robes that shone like lightning, they reassured the women and informed them Jesus is not here, he has risen!

The girls run back to tell the disciples what they have discovered though Mary Magdalene actually meets Jesus himself.  She remained while the others rushed back.  Shortly afterwards Peter and John arrive, find the tomb as was said, the cloths lying there and the body gone, and return wondering what all this meant.

Imagine the house, door locked for fear of Jewish leaders reprisals, several houses with other disciples who did not know about the tomb being empty carrying on their day, stunned at Jesus death.  Now the leading disciples were puzzled and unbelieving at what the women told them, it made no sense, people do not rise from the dead.  

Later that night Cleopas and another disciple who had walked off to Emmaus came back claiming Jesus had joined them!  Mary had seen him, these two had met him, the tomb was empty.  What was going on?

What was happening in Jerusalem at this time?

The city, stuffed full of people because of the Passover, would be returning to some sort of normality for the occasion.  Some would discuss the three crucified the other day, most others would be dealing with the needs of the hour.  The women arranging the foodstuffs for the gathered family, the children playing with their cousins and getting in the way, breaking things, and having a laugh.  The men would continue working or attend the Temple for prayer.  With so many around money was to be made and opportunities taken.  Family gathering would require responsibilities also, and the men would be meeting, discussing and possibly trading with family members at this time.  The women would also be trading, their sons for the best wives possible I suspect!  

Life would continue for many while those who had heard Jesus in Galilee and elsewhere would be stunned at the death, and that on a cross.  We know that before he departed Jesus left behind some 500 disciples, how many met him in the days after he rose?  We have no information regarding them, yet I assume he met others individually or in small groups.  Who knows?  

While the disciples we know about fretted and wondered Jerusalem and life in general continued.  I am struck by how important this event, the death of the Son of God on a cross for our sin, and his rising again as foretold in the prophets, met with indifference among so many in Jerusalem.  Another leader goes down, there will be another along in a moment.  Jerusalem carries on, unaware of their rejection of Gods Messiah and the future punishment soon to fall on the city.  

Are our eyes open to what all this means?  

Good Friday 2025

 

Happy New Year 2025

May you walk in light and happiness throughout 2025.  

May all obstacles and difficulties be overcome and may joy be with you always.