Ian Poulton – For the fainthearted . . .

A sacred book

Among the books bought during the summer was A.C. Grayling’s A History of Philosophy. It will probably not be read until next summer when the long Irish summer holidays offer the quietness and leisure to engage with Grayling’s presentation of the thinkers and their their thought.

Published by Penguin, it is a book with a cover that is aesthetically pleasing. Penguin Books have always seemed attractive. There has often been a temptation to buy copies of vintage Penguin books, no matter their condition, not for the purpose of reading …

A Sermon for Sunday, 2nd October 2022

“We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!” Luke 17:10

A tree, a table and an apron: three objects mentioned in the Gospel reading can help thoughts about being Christian, three objects that can help thinking about faith, about humility, and about service.

Jesus has warned the apostles in the previous verses that it would be better to have a millstone around their neck and for them to be thrown into the sea than for them to cause harm to the …

Going solo

‘Are you seeing anyone, Ian?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘nor do I ever intend to do so.’

Having been responsible for the failure of a marriage and then a relationship, to remain alone seems a wise decision. Solitariness isn’t so bad,

In the past four days, I think I have seen the majority of my friends. Never very plentiful, the number of those with whom I would have long conversations has steadily contracted.

To be honest, I have spent most of my life leading an individual existence, but is that such …

The smells of education

The school in which I teach is PPP, Public-Private Partnership. A company built it and manages it and the Department for Education will be renting it from them for twenty-five years. It is immaculate. Completed a decade ago, it still seems shinily new.

My memories of school days are of buildings very different. High Ham School had two classrooms divided by a corridor leading to the cloakroom; infants to the right, juniors to the left. Was there knowledge worth learning that was unknown to our teachers?

The school building is …

Somerset luck

A wooden garage door at the roadside was decorated with corroding brasses, souvenirs from visits to various places. A visit to Ireland had added a brass from Bushmills Distillery and a plaque bearing the fading words “céad míle fáilte.” The metal ornaments included three horseshoes, one of the nails holding the largest of the three had been lost and the shoe had fallen so that its heels pointed downward.

In younger days, a horseshoe hanging in such a way would have been thought to be a sign that something bad …

A Sermon for Sunday, 25th September 2022

“If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16:31

Do Christians really recognize God’s grace? If they did, wouldn’t they be different?

Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and it is a parable about failing to recognize God’s grace.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day,” says Jesus in Saint Luke Chapter 16 Verse 19.

The people listening would …