Hi Everyone,
I am writing this blog during a well deserved coffee break from setting up our new washing machine and tumble dryer here at Legge Towers. Naturally In doing so, I Have followed centuries of male evolution (no offence intended!) and set aside the instruction book,preferring rather my own intuition, intelligence, sweat, brute force, physical violence to the innocent machines concerned and ignorance! Helen (bless her!) has also suggested that I contact the manufacturers to ask them if they could help me; after all they are just a phone call away! Whatever else I may have said in response to my beloved wife's suggestion to her face, the phrase "over my dead body" remains the official party line!.
The outworking of all of this is that as sure as night follows day, I am in a fix!
Actually the whole sorry situation has led me to contemplate how Jesus could easily be forgiven for skipping both the instruction book (Scripture) and the hotline (Prayer) during his ministry on earth; after all being co eternal and co equal with God the Father,creator of the universe, must surely give a man certain "in house" advantages in the religion stakes!  In fact however,when we come to read the Gospel accounts, we see exactly the opposite.Throughout his ministry on earth Jesus constantly stays close both to prayer and Scripture for his inspiration and strength.He seems to realise in a way that we often fail to grasp (Curates included!) , that both are essential in maintaining a living relationship with God our Heavenly Father. He never says or does anything of major importance without first "touching base" with his Father in prayer and His knowledge of Scripture is simply amazing (Luke 2v47).That is why I believe that in many ways the most foundational aspect of our work here at Holy Trinity lies in small groups, prayer groups and opportunities that arise for prayer and study from time to time. All else flows out from these activities. This has been the basic diet of the Church throughout its history and surely must be still the case today if we are to be faithfully all that God intends us to be. 
The washing machine is making an earth shattering horrible noise. Must dash!