MY WRITING LIFE

SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER 2025

WRITING

Out of the 61 days of these two months, I only had 21 days for writing. (I don’t write on weekends).  So apart from getting the second part of my ‘Was Jesus an Entrepreneur?’ out, I wrote the chapter on the Church (or Ecclesia) for ‘Was Nicaea a mistake?’  And put out the blog on losing my iPhone in Italy and so living an unconnected life.  And it looks as if I will have just two clear weeks for writing between now and Christmas.  Are we downhearted? No!

MARKETING

In September I made a list of shops and sent out the information sheet about ‘The Church has a Past – Has it got a Future?  I emailed the information sheet to several hundred shops.  One of them said they would order a copy. At least I did not spend hundreds of pounds on postage!

On 20th September I went to the British Christian Writers Conference in Cambridge.  There I heard some good talks and sold a couple of books.  But key was the advice I was given about how to get a grip on my use of social media.  The suggestion was, ask Chat GPT.   It worked!  See below under Tech.

On 15th and 16th October I had a stall at the Christian Resources Exhibition.  On day 2 Linda came with me.  It was so great to have her with me, and enabled both of us to wander round the exhibition.  I made some good contacts, the URC is going to do a review of my latest book in their magazine.  And I sold about a dozen books.

 On the second day I gave a half hour talk to two dozen people.  There were a lot of worried question and at the end a gentleman asked “Where is the hope?”  I was delighted to be able to quote from the end of the chapter on ‘Death etc’.  It was an obituary in the Economist on a British neuropsychologist who had analysed three hundred near death experiences.  ‘His field of interest, controversial as it remained, filled him with joy and curiosity.  Whatever was to come next, beyond the body, he knew it would be wonderful.  He could hardly wait.’

TECH

There were three tech issues in these two months.

In August I got a new HP printer, which was good, but I couldn’t seem to instal the software properly.  On Monday 8th September I succeeded!  (It wasn’t difficult, I just needed to be a bit patient). 

I had lost my iPhone on my first day in Rome.  Happily, I had a spare iPhone at home so the day after we got back I went to an EE shop to get it connected.  It seemed to work a bit but not totally.  I kept going back to the EE shop in Westfield (by Shepherds Bush).  I kept getting a new Sim card, but it never worked.  It was only when I was able to speak to their back office that the phone finally got unblocked.  There are still a couple of things I need to speak to Apple Support about, and then that will be me sorted.

On Monday 27th October I finally asked ChatGPT how I should go about using social media.  I told it all about myself, my books, my use of social media so far.  I got an incredibly helpful advice back, with detailed suggestion on what sort of input I should post and when.  Also not to overload myself.  Their final suggestion is for me to post just three times:

Tuesday Thoughtful quote or book extract

Thursday Photo reflection

Sunday Short video reflection

One of its suggested times is 9.00 am, so I am trying that.  

The great thing about it is that it is really personalised, provided you give it enough information.  Highly recommended.

CHURCH

I preached four times.  One was on the call of Matthew and Jesus eating with Matthew’s tax collector friends.  (For tax-collectors read loan sharks).  So I talked about sin, very easy as I had written about ‘The Problem of Sin’ in my latest book, e.g.:

When Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States 1923-1929, returned from church one Sunday morning, his wife asked him what the minister had preached about.

“Sin”,  the President said briefly.

“What did he say?”

“He were agin it,” was the laconic reply.

I continued the weekly service for Wednesday Saints, though interrupted by holiday and other events. I led just four, on Gregory the Great (my hero); John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Antioch and Constantine, a great preacher; James the brother of Jesus (see Acts 15 and his letter); and James Hannington who was martyred in 1887 on the shores of Lake Victoria.  His last words were “Tell the king I have opened the way to Baganda with my blood.”

In the fortnightly Zoom Bible Study, by popular demand,  we are going through Revelation.  We read a couple of chapters at a time with private reading of the following two chapters ion our own. We’ll finish by December.

Revelation is quite bizarre, but not as bizarre as the Lectio Divina group meeting at HTB  Queens Gate, which is trying to hear the Holy Spirit speak to us through the most unspiritual book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes.  “What advantage has the wise man over the fool? … This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.” (6.8-9)

On Wednesday 29th I went to choral evensong at Holy Sepulchre London, primarily to hear Paula Gooder speak about the music of the Psalms.  She spoke of a ‘humming lyre’ which David played before King Saul.  I realised that I had had one when I was in Uganda, just the same as the type of lyre you see in Egyptian wall paintings, though smaller.  And it is a ’humming lyre’ because  you hold the sides with your hands and play it with your thumbs.  So you can’t make a melody, you create a background ‘hum’.

On 22nd August our very good friend Stuart died suddenly and peacefully with no prior warning, a month after he and Pam had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  Sadly when the funeral date was fixed, we realised we were going to be in Italy.  So on 15th September we went down for a couple of days to Brockenhurst, just outside Southampton, so we could spend some proper time with Pam.  It was very special. Later we watched the inspiring funeral service online.  

Final church story.  I was taking midday communion at St Mary Abbots last Wednesday.  There was a lady there with an incredibly good little dog, a cockapoo.  When she came and knelt at the altar rail to receive a blessing, the dog also put her two front paws  on the rail asking for a blessing.  Who could resist?  Afterwards, the lady said it was the first time that Hannah, the dog, had done that.  I felt really privileged.

ITALY

Back in April Linda gave me the best birthday present ever – a two and a half week in Italy. It was the first proper holiday for six years and it was just wonderful.  Linda had picked the most excellent places of run to stay.  Her are just five snapshots of our holiday.

ROME

We went to St Peter’s Basilica, but not following the usual tourist trail.  Instead we went to the 5.00 afternoon mass.  All in Italian – such a beautiful language.  I went up to take the sacrament, but Linda asked for a blessing.  “Why?” asked the priest, very loudly.  Linda explained that she could not have gluten.  “You wait here!” ordered the priest, taking her out of the queue.  He returned with a consecrated gluten-free wafer.  There was no way she was gong to get out of there without the body of  Christ.  It felt extremely validating.

SORRENTO COAST. 

There is a small cove called Bagni de Regina Giovanna (the Baths of the 13th century Queen Joanna, where she went to swim naked and consort with her many lovers).

It was a wonderful experience swimming there (while Linda took photos).

AMALFI COAST. 

For me the outstanding place was Ravello Cathedral, built 1069, its fantastic bronze doors made in 1179 and the amazing 1272 mosaics adorning the pulpit. 

CAPRI

We had three nights on the very beautiful island of Capri.  Our temporary home was a small hotel in Anacapri, the smaller inland town. We were  right buy a small square, Piazza Caprile, and it was like living in a Italian village.  There were two food shops, two restaurants, a pasticieria for my morning coffee, a butcher’s, a toy shop, a hardware store or two and a bus stop.  We saw a wedding, the bride processing through the street and went up the chairlift to the top of the mountain.  If ever we moved to Italy, Anacapri would be our town of choice.

NAPLES.  

We had less than a day in Naples, and unfortunately Linda was quite unwell and stayed in bed when we got there.  But I went to the Archaeological  Museum with astonishing paintings and mosaics for Pompeii.  So lifelike – and sometimes so naughty.

This will definitely not be our last trip to Italy.  Next time I think it will be to Rome.

FILM & MUSIC

What about culture?  Well basically in September the Proms ere still on.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the American Thomas Ades’ ‘Songs from the Tempest’, and Stravinsky’s ‘Requiem Canticles’  – really spiritual.  The Georgian Male Voice Choir was part of a late night Prom – the best possible advert for making Georgia your next holiday destination.  One surprising moment was after Brahms 2nd Symphony.  When the conductor returned he made an impassioned speech saying we should do everything we could to stop the dreadful war in Gaza.

I went with a friend of Linda’s to the V&A exhibition of Cartier’s jewellery, simply stunning.  I will take Linda there shortly. 

On Thursday 23rd October Linda took advantage of retirement to take us to a late afternoon performance of ‘The Leopard’. It is a famous Italian novel about the decline of Sicilian nobility during the unification of Italy.  Over three hours of sumptuous film-making with Burt Lancaster making a very subtle portrayal of the family patriarch whose day was ending.

Finally TV.  At this time of year that means for us ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ which we always enjoy.  And we have started (a bit late) on the second series of ‘Blue Lights’, about police and crime in Belfast.

At this chilly and darkening time of the year, I wish you lots of light and warmth.