The Field
Sat 26 July 2014
It was a hot evening in the field. The sun was gradually dying in the sky but savouring every last moment as it sucked the moisture from the world below. …
Dave Hop
Contemporary Bible CommunicatorGuardian Grange Heroes: Part 2
Fri 25 July 2014
For part 1 click here. As the huge gates swung open and the bus pulled into the grounds of Guardian Grange for the first time Normal had a strange reaction. …
50 Prodigal Tales
Thu 24 July 2014
It struck me recently that the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) is such a defining story that it could be a really useful template for exploring a whole mixture of …
Guardian Grange Heroes: Part 1
Thu 24 July 2014
Normal McCloud may not sound much like the name of an extraordinary person, but that’s often the way. The dullest of names can conceal the most incredible of people. Actually, …
Third Extract from Machine Gun Thoughts
Sat 12 July 2014
Part 4: Eyes Opened Clip: 39 minutes, 31 seconds to 52 minutes, 11 seconds Warning this clip includes scenes of violence in a terrorised village. Whilst staying in Sudan with …
Film Friday: Contagion
Fri 4 July 2014
YouTube video If you play this, Google may set cookies and process data according to their privacy policy. You can withdraw this consent later by deleting cookies. That’s fine …
Another Extract from Machine Gun Thoughts
Tue 1 July 2014
Part 3: Ugandan Trip Clip: 29 minutes, 40 seconds to 39 minutes Warning this clip includes one instance of extreme swearing and several brief glimpses of a shocking facial wound. …
Machine Gun Thoughts
Mon 23 June 2014
A sample chapter from the forthcoming Bible course. Part One: A Change of Direction Clip: Start the film at 16 minutes, 15 seconds and play to 20 minutes, 31 seconds …
Film Friday: American Hustle
Fri 9 May 2014
In the movie American Hustle Irving Rosenfeld turns to his partner Sydney Prosser and tells her, ‘Play your part.’ She smartly replies, ‘Fine.You play your part.’ And that in a …
Film Friday: The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug
Fri 2 May 2014
In the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Gandalf travels to Dol Guldur and engages the Necromancer in a fierce battle. As the conflict rages the Necromancer hisses at …
Film Friday: Alan Partridge – Alpha Papa
Thu 24 April 2014
Why are Christmas cracker jokes so bad? Because cheesy jokes unite people in their groaning. No it’s not a joke, it’s apparently fact. The problem with good jokes, good comedy, …
Film Friday: About Time
Fri 18 April 2014
YouTube video If you play this, Google may set cookies and process data according to their privacy policy. You can withdraw this consent later by deleting cookies. That’s fine — …
Film Friday: 12 Years a Slave/Nefarious
Thu 10 April 2014
The movie 12 years a Slave tells the brutal story of Solomon Northup’s time as a slave, particularly under the brutal master Edwin Epps who regularly beat his ‘property’ for …
Jonny & The Fog
Sat 5 April 2014
Jonny and The Fog is published in paperback today. I first published this via my website as 50 short chapters. I originally had the idea a few years ago, back then it …
Film Friday – Philomena
Fri 4 April 2014
In the movie Philomena Martin Sixsmith and Philomena Lee team up to try and discover what became of her son, born fifty years earlier and given up for adoption. Philomena …
Friday Film – August: Osage County
Fri 28 March 2014
In the movie August: Osage County the Weston family gather for the funeral of the father Bev. The Waltons this is not. The Westons are a dysfunctional bunch who snipe …
Dumb Destruction?
Mon 10 March 2014
Recently at Scargill House in Yorkshire I was part of a week where we used BBC’s Horrible Histories to get a fresh angle on some of the Bible stories. In …
Licensed to er… bumble along
Mon 3 March 2014
It seems to me that when you become a Christian the Holy Spirit downloads a desire to live differently. To somehow be more compassionate, holy, trusting, honest, wise, courageous, patient …
A Marathon not a Sprint
Wed 12 February 2014
I am slowly realising that prayer is more of a marathon than a quick sprint. Most of the time. I have certainly experienced those quick bursts of answered prayer, but …
Worshipping the Mouse
Tue 11 February 2014
Seeing Saving Mr Banks a couple of nights back reminded me of the one attempt I made once at being prophetic, Old Testament style. Saving Mr B is about the making of Mary …